Before last year fades into nothing but a distant memory we thought we'd share the most viewed articles from our Knowledge Hub.
1. The comms insider, anonymous comms professional
“Who cared, thought I (revelling in a rose-tinted haze) that salaries were lower in the not-for-profit sector (the clue was, after all, in the name)? The sense of pride I’d feel as, all around me, my corporate peers whored themselves out for personal gain would more than make up for that! I would be a pioneer, a crusader in the importance of the causes I represented. I would achieve that most hallowed of goals: I would MAKE A DIFFERENCE!”
2. Make the most of Storify, Kirsty Marrins
“What is useful and unique about Storify is that it can pull all elements of a campaign into one story, which can then be embedded onto your website or shared socially. These elements are not just your own tweets or videos but can also be other’s views on a topic or question, which gives the Storify added value.”
3. Five tips to manage a social media crisis, Taryn Ozorio
“We’re all human and we all make mistakes from time to time. We care about the people we engage with and should be worried about things going wrong, but we can scan for threats, plan and react professionally.”
4. Getting the measure of digital success, Vicky Browning
“Over time it’s possible to measure growth in your own charity’s digital effectiveness. But the moment when you say: “Ta da: we’ve achieved this!” is all too often followed by the question: “Is that good?””
5. Ten free tools every digital marketing officer needs, Jamie Griffiths
“Making use of the right tools can save you both time and money. Here are 10 of the best to help stretch the budget that bit further.”
6. Why is there so little digital innovation in big charities? Jonathan Simmons
“The hard truth is few significant digital projects have emerged from the UK, and even fewer from established charities. We work with ambitious people who have great ideas, but do we have the right culture to foster scalable innovation? I've noticed three key issues I feel are limiting the opportunities in the charity sector.”
7. Print v digital: Trends in charity magazines and newsletters, Trina Wallace
“Aspects of charity communications appear to be challenged more than others by senior management though. Members have told CharityComms recently that spending on print magazines and newsletters have come under the spotlight.”
8. Creating a content strategy in a fast-moving world, Zoe Camper
“As charities, we need a content strategy that lets us deliver our information in a way that identifies, anticipates and satisfies customer requirements profitably.”
9. How brand language helps you spread the word, Sarah Fitzgerald
“Charities are now reaching beyond the traditional link between brand and visuals to focus on achieving consistency and clarity in tone of voice. Brand language is becoming a communications discipline in its own right.”
10. Expressing Mind's values through tone of voice, Dan Dufour
“For Mind, words matter because they can exclude people. They can hurt. They can make people feel small and powerless. But they can also show someone that they are cared about, understood and listened to. Words can empower and strengthen."
A massive thank you to everyone who submitted articles last year, and do get in touch (rob@charitycomms.org.uk) if you fancy making next year's top ten!