Last week, I wrote an article about brand messaging pillars. Brand messaging pillars are the three to four messages that help stakeholders understand what makes your organization unique and why they should learn more and get involved. The best pillars are built into your organization’s brand framework. As with every other brand element, your pillars must reflect the organization’s mission and values.
The Brand Pyramid
Once you have your messaging pillars in place and using all elements of the brand pyramid as a guide, you can build content templates. Content templates are standardized formats designed to guide the creation of materials for all communication channels and forms. These templates help your teams maintain a cohesive and recognizable brand identity by providing a template for the design, messaging, and visual elements of all brand content. This includes both internal and external content. Some templates will be design-focused, such as ads and e-mails, while others will be message-focused like taglines and headlines. The messaging pillars provide specific copy and design insights to build each template depending on the business goal and target audience. The templates you create will also depend on your audience and goals.
Templates are especially critical if you have separate teams creating content meant for the same audience. For example, communication and development teams must be consistent in their donor messaging and visual identity, regardless of the platform or channel.
Here are some examples of content templates.
Social Media Post Template:
- Standard layout with designated spaces for images and text.
- Consistent placement of the brand logo.
- Researched and consistent brand hashtags
- Strong call-to-actions promoting engagement.
Email Newsletter Template:
- Header with logo and tagline.
- Sections for featured content, promotions, and updates.
- Consistent fonts, colors, and formatting.
- Links in content and footer to website and social media accounts.
Press Release Template:
- Header with the brand’s logo and contact information.
- Structured sections for headline, subhead, body, and boilerplate.
- Space for quotes, images, and relevant details.
Advertisement Template:
- Engaging headline and subheadline.
- Space for compelling visuals or product images.
- Consistent placement of brand logo
- Strong and clear call-to-action with a defined area for a link or contact information
Headline Template
- Reflect the primary purpose of the content
- Include an attention-grabbing detail
- Highlight Product/Organization information
- Support the call-to-action
Call-to-Action Template
- Keep the goal of the content in mind
- Include the brand name
- Use action-oriented language
- Include the value proposition or benefit to the stakeholder
- Create a sense of urgency
Creating Content Templates
The best place to start is with an audit of your existing materials and messaging. Ask yourself and your staff these questions.
- What communication channels does my organization use on a regular basis?
- What communication channels does our target audience prefer to use?
- What are our most important internal and external communication goals?
- Where are there inconsistencies in our existing messaging and visual identity?
- Which channels and messages are handled by different teams in the organization, which could lead to inconsistency?
- What are the communication pain points and bottlenecks in the organization?
- Are there emerging channels or formats that our nonprofit should be prepared to utilize?
Here is a worksheet to help you gather and assess your existing content materials and needs. As you gather information, prioritize the content templates that will make the most impact for your organization.
Start Small and Iterate
You don’t need to create all templates at once. Start with a few key templates that address the most pressing needs and gradually expand from there. Be prepared to iterate and refine your templates based on feedback and performance metrics.
I’ll go into more details on specific content templates in future blog posts and articles. If you’re interested in discovering your organization’s brand voice and leveraging it for your content, I’d love to help. Contact me today!
