Jenni receives a LOT of questions about social media best practices for nonprofits, so we wanted to offer a few easy tips to improve your nonprofit’s social media presence, engagement, and overall success in earning support for your mission. In this episode of the Nonprofit Jenni Show, we cover seven social media tips that are super easy to implement right away!
Seven Ways to Make Your Nonprofit’s Social Media More Impactful
The isolation and distancing measures caused by COVID-19 has made digital marketing more important than ever before, so I wanted to answer some FAQ’s I’ve received about nonprofit social media. Here are 7 tips I’ve been giving my clients lately:
1. Remember that your nonprofit’s social media channels are not personal profiles.
Many small nonprofits can’t afford to hire a full-time marketing specialist, so their Executive Director or Founder often take on the responsibility of posting on social media on behalf of their organization. If you’re not a marketing professional, you may feel tempted to share a bunch of personal updates on your nonprofit’s profile, but resist that urge!
It’s great to share behind-the-scenes photos and videos from your nonprofit’s work, but sharing personal updates on a frequent basis will confuse followers. Is this page meant to be a personal page for friends and family? Or is it meant to share educational resources and information related to a charitable mission? Only post photos and videos which are directly related to your nonprofit’s mission to avoid alienating your audience.
Also, don’t assume that your followers know the ins and outs of your organization -- especially related to your internal health and safety guidelines. You can’t even assume that all your followers will read captions for your photos and videos which explain these guidelines. Set a good example by only posting photos/videos of people who are wearing masks (over their nose and mouth) and social distancing.
2. Optimize your Facebook fundraising experience.
Many nonprofit leaders don’t realize that it is possible to get a list of people who have donated to your supporters’ Facebook fundraising campaigns, so many new donors go by unthanked and unengaged! Check out this Facebook help page explaining how to get donor information from your social media fundraisers.
(Note: Similarly, if your nonprofit participates in a local giving day, check in with your giving day’s sponsor to find out how you can download donor information from that day as well!)
Are you just learning for the first time that Facebook offers a fundraising platform? Check out this Facebook help page to learn how to enable your Facebook followers to host fundraisers on your behalf.
3. Try to Go Live about once per week.
The more often you “Go Live” on Facebook and Instagram, the more traction you’ll gain with these videos. Additionally, live Facebook videos are saved to your profile after they end, so more people have a chance to watch them. This means that even if only a few people tune in while you’re streaming live, hundreds of people could tune in later.
Streaming live content often feels intimidating for nonprofit leaders, but you don’t need to put a ton of pressure on yourself about it! The videos don’t need to be long; even 10 minutes is fine. Here are some ideas about what to do for your live videos:
Ask for questions ahead of time so you produce content people actually want. For example, you could ask people to send in their questions about homelessness, animal rights, human trafficking, or whatever cause you serve.
Schedule interactive videos in advance so people can save the date. For example, you could host an interactive quiz show, giveaway (of something related to your cause), or game.
Share behind-the-scenes videos to give people an inside glimpse into your operations and set up.
Show how to do something. For example, how to perform CPR, how to cook a healthy meal, or how to do something else related to your mission.
4. Limit how often you make a “hard ask” for donations.
If every single social media post is asking for a cash donation, your followers will begin to feel stressed and pressured, as if they are in a one-way relationship with you, instead of like they’re an integral part of your mission. A good rule of thumb is to only make a “hard ask” a maximum of once out of every four posts.
5. Include other, non-donation related calls-to-action to keep followers engaged.
Many nonprofit leaders believe social media posts can include a request for donations and/or a story about their mission… And then they run out of ideas about what to post. It’s important to give your followers other calls-to-action so they feel consistently involved in your mission. These could include:
Sign this petition
Sign up for our newsletter
Comment and tag a friend who might be interested in attending our upcoming virtual event
Sign up for this remote volunteering opportunity
Share this post
6. Make sure all of your posts include either a photo, a video, or a website link with a preview image.
In general, it’s pretty easy to accidentally scroll past a Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn post which only includes text. Attaching an image makes your post more eye-catching and engaging.
You don’t necessarily have to create an image or take a photo to go with every single post. If you’re including a website link in your post, such as a link to a webpage talking about one of your programs, that link may automatically include a preview image in your post. Here’s how you can test this feature:
Type or copy/paste a website link into your Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn post composer box.
Put a space after the website link.
Wait about 10 seconds.
After 10 seconds, if you don’t see an image automatically come up with the link, this means the link does not have a preview image. In this case, you should attach your own image or video to accompany your post.
7. Use hashtags strategically; don’t fall into the trap of posting a bunch of random hashtags or ignoring hashtags altogether.
As you try to figure out which hashtags to use in your post, keep the following factors in mind:
First, you want to target actual, real-life people. Think about the types of hashtags real people search and follow. For example, would real people search for the hashtag #IloveTuesdays? Probably not. But real people would probably search for things like #conservationtips and #parentingadvice.
Also, you only want to target specific people -- you can’t be everything to everyone. Try to use hashtags which target the people who are most likely to be interested in your mission. For example, #throwbackthursday is not related to your mission, and could appeal to nearly every person in the world. On the other hand, if your nonprofit offers services to people living in a specific city like Denver, the hashtags #denverevents and #denveranimalshelter will be more effective at helping you reach new prospective donors, volunteers, and clients.
Finally, you don’t want to force people to try and decipher the meaning of your message because it’s so bogged down with hashtags. Try to avoid using hashtags in the middle of your social media messages, unless the hashtag is the name of a movement or campaign (e.g., #BlackLivesMatter and #MeToo). Instead, include all of your hashtags at the end of your post on a separate line from the rest of your message to avoid cluttering your content.
Schedule a Free Call with Jenni to Talk Through Your Marketing Challenges
I would love to take a look at your social media profiles, website, and other marketing materials to help you find new ways to improve your storytelling and calls-to-action! I offer a free half-hour call to all social sector organizations so we can identify some realistic goals and action steps for your marketing, management, and development plans.
If you need more strategic, ongoing support, I would love to chat with you through biweekly coaching calls! I also offer several free and affordable DIY resources to help you walk step-by-step through the planning process for your marketing and fundraising strategies.