Social media marketing for Non-Profits may be different from businesses in terms of messaging, communication strategy, visuals, and so forth. But the fundamentals remain the same.
Just like businesses, Non-Profits must market their cause, spread the word, and create a community of like-minded individuals that feel strongly about their mission. Today, social media has become more powerful than ever before. If used to create a positive impact, it can help do more good than harm.
Some of the great things about social media marketing are:
- It empowers people through education
- It makes global connectivity easy and economical
- It raises awareness of brands working for good
- It provides a platform to make meaningful connections with brands and people
- It acts as a channel to showcase creative genius from the most uncommon places
- It creates a sense of belongingness
- It brings people of common values/interests together
Your presence on social media is an opportunity to build trust with a community and share your mission impact. That said, there are some obvious challenges. The most common ones being dealing with limited budgets and resources to manage social media channels. To add to that, the algorithms on social media platforms are developed such that organizations are forced to spend on ads to boost the reach of their posts.
Thankfully, for Non-Profit organizations, there is some respite. Facebook and Instagram allow Non-Profits to use the ‘Donate’ button and YouTube offers “Link Anywhere” cards, production resources, dedicated technical support, and fundraising tools. To take advantage of these privileges, you must make sure that you have set up your account on the respective social media platform as a Non-Profit organization. You may also find these free resources such as Non-Profits on Facebook to stay on top of upcoming tools and training, Twitter Non-Profits for case studies, training, news, opportunities, and so forth, useful.
Some tips to become a better social marketer for your Non-Profit:
1. Create a content calendar
Planning is key. Especially when you have a lean team, creating a content calendar makes it easy to post without you having to scoot around for content. Depending on your Non-Profit mission and objective, design a social media content strategy. Mark dates that are important for you to make an announcement or show your support on social by engaging with other people or organizations. For example, if your mission is to protect the forest cover, then World Environment Day and International Day of Forests are important days for you.
2. Share real-life stories about your impact
A study by the Georgia Institute of Technology and Yahoo Labs reports found that photos that contain faces are 38% more likely to receive likes and 32% more comments. Whether we like to believe it or not, we are all emotional beings. People connect through emotion. When you weave the impact of your program in a story-telling format with instances of experiences narrated by real people, you are perceived as authentic and you would have successfully captured or spiked their interest in the work you do. User-generated content by your volunteers or beneficiaries is another great way to showcase the real-life stories of your impact.
Add donation button
A study by the Georgia Institute of Technology and Yahoo Labs reports found that photos that contain faces are 38% more likely to receive likes and 32% more comments. Whether we like to believe it or not, we are all emotional beings. People connect through emotion. When you weave the impact of your program in a story-telling format with instances of experiences narrated by real people, you are perceived as authentic and you would have successfully captured or spiked their interest in the work you do. User-generated content by your volunteers or beneficiaries is another great way to showcase the real-life stories of your impact.
Host an online fundraiser
The pandemic has made online fundraisers more acceptable. Know the possible hurdles that may come your way in the process of executing a successful fundraising campaign. Once you have clarity on the challenges and gaps to address a digital fundraiser, keep in mind these 7 tips when planning for an online fundraiser.
Add personality to your social media presence
Create a brand persona for your Non-Profit organization. What are the values you stand by and what is the mission you are seeking to achieve? With clarity on this front, chalk out 2-to-4 social media objectives that you’d like to achieve. You may have different objectives for different platforms, or you could keep it the same. When it comes to messaging, pre-determine how would you like your followers to perceive you as. Give your brand a personality and show it off by using the right words and tone in your messaging.
Monitor analytics
Data is everything. And right data will help you to make smart decisions. Each social media platform provides insights or analytics about your account and individual posts. It is a great way to find out the preferences, interests, motivations, and behaviors of your audience. Track the overall performance of your social media channels on a month-on-month basis. Monitor engagement on posts by evaluating the form of content shared, that is, is it a video or image post, does your message raise curiosity or creates a sense of inspiration, and so on. Find influencers and partners in your network to amplify your reach. Use the insights to your advantage and build your online community with effective social media marketing.
Do you want to know what your peers are saying about social media marketing for Non-Profits? Here are tips from 32 non-profit organizations and their view about being successful on social media. Lastly, we suggest you show the empowering aspect of your mission. Keep your messaging positive and focus on how your efforts make the world a better place!