Did you know that over half the global population now uses at least one social media site?
Social media is well-known for being an important marketing tool for many businesses in a wide variety of industries. But how can your organization use social media when you aren’t necessarily marketing a for-profit product or service?
Who is Social Media Marketing For?
Marketing isn’t just limited to the for-profit sector. By spreading awareness about your mission and specific organization, you can find everything from donors to volunteers and even people who can benefit from your services. Like it or not, social media is here to stay and is becoming vital to marketing strategies everywhere.
Whether you’re new to the nonprofit sector or you’re a seasoned professional looking to get to the next level, social media marketing is right for you. Diving into a new type of marketing strategy can seem daunting, but we’ve got some tips to make this process a little easier.
4 Ways Social Media Benefits Nonprofits
Still need some convincing that social media is a great tool for your organization? Here are four ways social media can help nonprofits:
1. Reaching Donors
Social media sites have the ability to connect you and your organization to hundreds of millions of users around the world. This provides a unique opportunity to reach a wide-spanning audience and market your organization. Increasing your audience can introduce large-scale donors and other organizations to your mission and can open up the door for larger/recurring donations.
By sharing your organization’s mission and the work you are doing, potential donors can see firsthand the impact your organization is making in your community and in your cause’s niche.
2. Fundraising and Crowdsourcing
Social media provides an avenue for direct fundraising to a larger audience. These fundraisers draw in less large-scale donations but will often have a higher number of one-time contributors. Starting a crowdfunding or small donation campaign through built-in social media fundraising platforms or by sharing your own donation link can not only increase the number of donations you receive but can also greatly increase your visibility.
Many sites share who donates or give donors the option to repost your link and talk about their donation. This is an easy and natural way to gain more awareness and, as a result, more donors.
3. Reaching Volunteers and Service Recipients
Want to advertise a clothing drive? Looking for potential pet adopters? Organizing a charity walk? Social media is extremely useful for finding volunteers, clients, or other individuals who can receive your services or assist with your cause. Community groups, relevant hashtags, and even word of mouth can help connect you with a wide audience to help you further your cause.
Even something as simple as providing a call to action to have people share your events or donation pages can increase traffic to your web pages and expand your community outreach. The more awareness you have and the more your audience cares about your cause, the easier it will be to get funding to keep your organization running.
4. Educate Your Community
Many nonprofit organizations focus on a very specific cause and increasing awareness of your cause is the first step to getting donors, volunteers, and community support. Social media is a great tool for educating your community about the cause you are supporting.
By posting informative blogs, sharing posts from industry leaders, and providing first-hand accounts, your audience will be able to learn more about the cause your organization supports. Again, the more your audience cares about your cause, the easier it will be to get funding.
Which Platform Should I Use?
Different social media platforms offer different benefits and determining which one to use depends greatly on your intended audience and the types of features you need. For example:
- Facebook is a great place for creating events that people can RSVP to and share publicly.
- Instagram is a good tool for sharing pictures and graphics of events, staff spotlights, or even sharing client stories.
- TikTok is useful if you are looking for a younger audience and have a knack for making engaging short videos.
- Educational articles and discussion threads are easy to find and share on Twitter.
- LinkedIn can provide access to industry leaders.
- YouTube allows longer videos that highlight the full scope of your mission and work.
All of these sites offer even more features, and it may take some research and even some trial and error to find the best combination of resources for you. Taking the time to look into the best practices for each site you want to use can help you hit the ground running with a well-developed and successful social media marketing strategy.
Take Your Nonprofit Organization to the Next Level
Now that you’ve decided to get your organization into the social media game, you may find yourself responding to more messages, managing more donors, and running more events to keep up with increased visibility.
AnswerNet provides full-service inbound and outbound call center services, appointment setting and event registration, lead generation, and more specifically dedicated to the nonprofit sector. Our services are customizable, flexible, and scalable to grow with you and your organization.
For more information and to request a quote, visit our nonprofit page.
