Because there’s no widget to sell, social media marketing for nonprofits is inherently different. As a nonprofit, you’re selling your ability to make a change. Your strategy’s success can be measured in its effectiveness to make people buy into that ability, and subsequently, joining you in your fight.
1. Connect on a deeper level
Nonprofits try to change the world – in however big or small of a way – and you need to make people feel empowered to help.
Make it real: Sharing the experiences of others helps makes your cause more tangible. Show stakeholders who they are helping and remind them why they donate their time and money. Ditch the statistics, opting instead for a photo of someone affected by the work that you do.
Make it an experience: Make people feel good about themselves for donating their time and money to your cause. Thank them for their efforts and show them the impact they made.
Be accountable: Show your followers that you feel a responsibility to and are committed to the cause. To help instill their trust in you, map out how you’ve used donations and what exactly they helped accomplish. Show them you’re in the fight for the long run.
2. Become an expert
When it comes times to take action, those interested in a cause want to know they’re working with the best agency possible. If you’re perceived to be a leader in the field, they will be more likely to throw their weight behind you.
Be a news source: You likely already stay abreast of issues related to your organization’s cause, so share that information. If your social media profiles are teeming with timely updates, you can train users to look to you for information on the cause they’re interested in.
Create content: To set yourself apart as an expert in your field, don’t just follow the leader and share what others are doing. Create blogs and videos on the latest studies or legislation, and share with your followers.
Get your name out there: You’re not confined to the walls of the social media sites you’ve created. Other nonprofits with a similar mission to yours or organizations you already work with have created sites as well. And they’re full of people who might are already be engaged. Share links to your created content to pull them into your site.
3. Rally the troops
Because the real goal is the mission, you need to turn your network of followers into volunteers and donors.
You’re invited! Keep your pages full of ways for supporters to get involved. Create event notifications for fundraisers or rallies. When you ask your followers to do something for your organization, be specific in your call to action.
Maybe next time: If you put out a call to action, make sure you report back on how it went. Show how many pounds of canned goods your food drive collected or how much money an event raised. This isn’t only for the benefit of people who came out to the event, it’s for those who didn’t. Make those people think they missed something, so maybe they’ll get involved next time you send out a call to action.
If you keep your efforts focused in these three ways, your mission will find resonance with people who feel as strongly as you do. And you can never have too many of those types of followers.
Thanks for reading,
-Success Agency.
