Investing time in creating content can be difficult when work gets busy. Small and mid-sized nonprofit organizations face additional challenges because multiple people often share the responsibility of writing content.
If your content creation is in a rut, these four steps will help you get back on track.
Assume deadlines will be missed
If you are managing a team of employees that are helping to create content, there is only one safe assumption. There will be missed deadlines. Plan for it – have extra content scheduled or evergreen content available. Even with the best planning, deadlines, staff departures, and unplanned outages will impact your communication schedule.
Write every day
Writing every day will help you focus on what you need or should be writing. While you may not think you have time to write every day, even ten minutes helps. Building a daily writing routine will ensure you stay fresh, even if it is half of a blog post or a few sentences for a new fundraising appeal.
Read every day
I’ll be the first to admit – this is one of the most significant challenges that I have. When I commit the time to read – either books or interesting things on the internet – I’m more fresh and creative. It can be hard to shift your attention away from your to-do list and carve out the time for yourself. Remember that this time helps rejuvenate you creatively. Many content creators share that that reading has a tremendous effect on their ability and motivation to write.
Be inspired by curated content
How many times have you read an article related to your work and thought, “That’s really interesting!” or “That’s really idiotic!”? Either way, save that article. Come back to it in the future and write a reflection on it. Can you praise the author and the piece? Did you think of something relevant to your own work that relates to the article? Was it absolute garbage and could use a (polite) response? Allow yourself the space to be inspired by your peers.
Photo Credit: Diz Play on Unsplash
Justin (he, him) is a Principal and Co-Founder of Social Change Consulting. He has over fifteen years of nonprofit experience, with expertise in online fundraising, digital communications, and data management. Justin helps organizations connect their communication strategy to their income development needs. When he’s not on the clock, Justin is exploring Berlin, running, listening to too many podcasts, and drinking too much coffee.