What better way to celebrate an incredible year than to reflect on what we’ve been learning and growing in as a company? Last year, we collected our nine most popular blog posts and made the #2016BestNine list. And this year we’re doing it again. Here’s the #2017BestNine in order:
- Don’t Waste Your Stories
- Social Media 101: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat
- You’ll Never Do It If You Don’t Start
- Seven Nonprofit Trends to Watch in 2017 (take these with a grain salt now, they may not have come true)
- My Top Takeaways From Leadership Raleigh
- The Ultimate Survivor Challenge
- The Tale of an Unlikely Intern
- Stop Talking. No One Cares.
- GIRL BOSS – The Value of Working for a Woman
So what can we (and you) learn from our content that grabbed your attention? Here are some takeaways:
Stories are Important
And that’s not just because our number one blog was about storytelling. In fact, almost all of our most popular blogs included some sort of story. When we pulled back the curtain just a little on our office and our lives, you paid attention.
Believe it or not, the same thing could happen when you start sharing your organization’s stories. Emotional connection is more powerful than any data or program you may think to share. Your mission makes an impact. Tell me about it! Whether it’s the story of a child finally realizing his potential in your program or even just why a volunteer or board member serves, you need to pull your audience’s heartstrings with some real people and real stories.
By the way, this isn’t the first time we’ve said this. It was a tip from the #2016BestNine list too. Time to start listening.
Sharing on Social Media Matters
You may notice that a lot of our most popular blogs were written by Seth. That could be because he’s our brand manager or because he’s a really great blog writer. But we know it’s because he always shares them on his personal social media platforms. More reach means more readers.
When you post to your organization’s social account, only your followers see it. When someone shares that post, their followers see it too. Do you have brand champions who will share your content with their friends? Your staff, your board and your volunteers should all be on board to make sure your message is being heard and spread.
It just so happens that we have a service that could help you with this. Check out Angel Oak Connect if you haven’t already, and let us know if we can help ensure your content maximizes its potential.
We’re looking forward to a big year in 2018, and we hope your organization is too. Keep sharing your stories and getting people connected and engaged with your mission. We’ll just keep on blogging to help you along the way.
