Social media marketing for nonprofits is a necessary part of your organization reaching its full potential.
No matter the nature of your organization, having a solid and consistent social media presence is essential. In addition, there are a few social media marketing strategies that every brilliant nonprofit needs to put into practice to succeed.
Strategic social media marketing strategies for nonprofits include:
- Creating an effective content strategy
- Choosing the best social media platform for your organization
- Understanding post consistency
- Sharing your accomplishments
- Following social media trends
- Determining your performance goals
Why your nonprofit needs to invest in social media marketing
A few years ago, sharing your nonprofit’s story and mission would cost a lot of money. Fortunately, social media has democratized communication. But social media can be crowded, and standing out is a challenge if your messaging lacks strategy and impact.
It’s essential to learn about the various social media platforms available and which ones suit your nonprofit’s needs.
While reaching thousands of people has never been easier, it all comes down to the strategies in your toolbox that will ensure your audience is being targeted.
That being said, let’s dive into the best social media marketing strategies for nonprofits.
Learn which social media channels are appropriate for you
Researching where your audience is most active prevents investing time and money on the wrong platforms. The most popular social media platforms are Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Other platforms that have been growing popular include Discord, Reddit, and TikTok.
Do a little research and learn where other nonprofits in your industry are investing time and money. Then, find creative ways to improve your communication to stand out.
A great strategy is to carefully select one or two social media platforms to invest in. Choose the ones that are worth your time, and share effective content there.
Find the right post frequency
There’s this misleading idea that the more you post on all social media platforms, the more effective your marketing will be. This isn’t the case for every nonprofit. Finding what frequency works for you and your audience is vital.
Remember: quality over quantity.
In the end, investing time and money in posting every day isn’t effective if your posts aren’t generating the results you need.
Break your posts up into types (education, news, humor, etc.), and use analytics to learn the best times and days to post, depending on your audience demographics.
Show people your accomplishments
Your social media strategy should be based on sharing your organization’s story with your followers — because this will compel them to contribute to your cause. So what stories can you share about your nonprofit? What was your latest big success? What is coming next? People want to learn about what’s happening behind the scenes!
This content sparks emotions in your followers and encourages them to engage with your cause, share your posts, and let others know why they need to give their support to your cause.
Storytelling enables you to foster deeper connections with your followers and even gives them a glimpse of everything they can accomplish through contribution.
Join social media trends
Joining trends on social media is fun and lets your followers know you’re on top of your game.
For example, if your audience is more active on TikTok or Instagram, use a trendy song, and shoot a short video of your staff dancing. People will find that humorous, and it builds authenticity and trust! Or maybe use a popular hashtag on your posts like #MondayMotivation on Instagram or Facebook to show your followers how your team and volunteers get ready for the week ahead.
Remember that creating quality content is key, so join trends that make sense to your organization’s personality and audience type.
Strategically grow your following
If you’re active on social media, growing your following must already be on your goals list, because it means people are attracted to your cause and content. However, we don’t recommend you obsess over your follower count — we’re looking for quality over quantity!
Think about it this way: If you have 3,000 followers, but only 15 are engaging, your follower count isn’t practical to your goals. But if you have 1,000 followers, and 500 are willing to contribute, then you’re on the right track.
A few ways you can attract your target audience:
- Be present online. Share other nonprofits’ posts and profiles. Interact with them and your followers to expose your account to others with similar interests.
- Tag other nonprofits or users on your posts — but don’t spam. Tag contributors, supporters, and people on your team so they can share your posts with their followers.
- Include social media buttons on your website and emails. Pretty simple, right?
Determine your goals
One of the best ways to improve your social media marketing strategy is to keep your goals in check. Are you trying to raise awareness and, therefore, grow your follower count? Are you
looking to receive donations for a specific campaign? Does your nonprofit need volunteers for an emergency?
All these scenarios require you to implement strategies that back your goals. Here are a few examples of nonprofit goals on social media:
- Getting people to visit your site/links to sign up
- Educating people on your mission and cause
- Recruiting volunteers
- Fundraising
- Brand recognition
- Donor recognition
- Sharing news and updates
Which is yours? Once identified, use your social media strategies to achieve them! And remember — it’s wise to think of your goals long-term, which will help you measure your conversions and retention of followers and users.
Create a content strategy
On social media, keeping a strategic mindset is a must. Apart from generating fun content for your followers, consider creating content that supports your goals.
To create a content strategy, do some research, and ask questions:
- Do audience research: Where is your audience most active? On which platforms does it prefer to engage with nonprofits similar to yours? What type of content is it most attracted to?
- Understand your channels: Once you identify where your audience is most active, determine which channels are most effective for your nonprofit. Choose one to three of them, and stick with those.
- Create appealing content: As soon as you have points 1 and 2 covered, create engaging content, get inspiration from other nonprofits in your industry, and think about how your nonprofit would connect with your followers. It’s about creating content that is unique to your brand and cause.
To strategically plan your content, here’s a quick framework that will help you determine what your followers are looking to engage with:
- Understand and establish your voice online: As a nonprofit, you’re likely very passionate about a specific cause. Your voice online should be encouraging, inspiring,
and engaging. People will need to see themselves reflected in your voice to be compelled to take action.
- Frequency is fundamental: The best way to be consistent and have a set frequency for posting is to create a content calendar.
- Be aware of how your audience reacts: Think about why people are compelled to donate. Get inside their shoes, and consider what they would potentially engage with and share with their friends. Talk to your followers, start conversations, and keep things fresh!
- Solve your audience’s problems: While your organization may want to educate on a specific cause, your social media channels must also serve as a tool for your audience. Be active, reply to comments, and answer FAQs! Make information as accessible as possible, and your followers will be happy.
- Be authentic: Being present on social media is necessary for almost any business. However, your social media presence shouldn’t seem forced. Remember — nonprofits are all about how people can help and contribute. Authenticity goes a long way.
In conclusion
Integrate these tips into your nonprofit’s social media marketing strategy, and you’ll likely see more engagement, awareness, and retention! Social media is a science and an art, and understanding it requires some work! So no matter which social media marketing phase you are in, always keep learning, and continue integrating the latest tricks, tips, and tools. Good luck!
Need help crafting an effective social media marketing strategy for your nonprofit? Let’s connect!
