6 Ways Your Nonprofit Can Rock At Social Media

Social media is important for nonprofits whether they are highly established or just starting out. Having an online presence can take your organization from barely surviving to thriving, even with a limited budget. A polished persona on the internet can promote your mission and engage your community, and what nonprofit doesn’t need that?

If social media still seems daunting, no worries. If you follow these basic guidelines you can ensure that your organization looks good and expands your network.

1) Have All Your Bases Covered 

It is important to diversify your social media outlets. Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are the basic channels that your organization should be on. If you have a highly visual nonprofit with lots of photo opportunities you should look into Instagram and Snapchat as well. Facebook Live is great for events to show people what you do in real time. Evaluate each channel and use your gut for what will work best for you.

2) Have a Game Plan and You Evaluate it Regularly

Organizations often have social media set up for themselves, but far too often they don’t have a method behind the madness. Taking the time to make a weekly or monthly plan will save you stress in the long run. See what events, holidays or fundraising efforts you want to pursue and make a calendar for what should be posted and when. There is always time to add to it or post spontaneously, but at least you will be prepared.

3) Make Your Branding Compelling and the Same on All Your Channels

Having a consistent avatar (logo) can help your brand be recognized. Make sure your imagery is the same. If you are creating graphics to post, put a logo on them so if they are shared people will get to know who you are. Use the same tone of language in your posts.

4) Consistently Create Engaging Content

Compelling storytelling is key here. Your nonprofit should be blogging and creating content that people want to read and share. Create visually attractive graphics, take fun photos and research new trends to present to your audience. Online content consumers are smarter than ever and will be able to see through stale content. Make sure that you post and repost your content to all of your social media pages and stay consistent with what you post and how often.

5) Use CTAs (Calls To Action) and CTFs (Calls to Follow)

If you are creating newsletters always make sure that you link your social media and ask for your audience to follow you. This is a great way to plug in your channels and get the word out there. This is also important in your social media posts. Make sure you are using action verbs at the end of your posts like “Click Here” or “Read Now”. These posts can link back to your site and create new traffic streams.

6) Don’t Forget to Interact!

It is called an online community for a reason. Creating conversations should be a large part of how you spend your time managing your social channels. Ask questions, engage in forums and generally listen to the tone of your pages. You are the captain of your social media and it is your job to steer the conversation.

Social media is always changing but if you use these tips you will be able to stay on top of the shifts and grow your followership. When the time comes around to ask for donations or fundraising you will have an engaged audience that wants to be a part of your mission. If you need more information on how to shape your nonprofit’s social media strategy feel free to ask your questions below.