Likes, reactions, shares, and clicks – they all add up! In the nonprofit world, social media can be a powerful tool to amplify your organization’s mission and message, connect with new and diverse audiences, and inspire action through a variety of content. Over the past 10+ years, social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn, and TikTok have opened a whole new avenue of opportunities for community engagement. And, if managed properly, they can also lead to an entirely new revenue stream for your organization.

Look no further than the annual global day of giving, also known as #GivingTuesday, which kicked off in 2012 as a digital fundraising campaign for nonprofits. With its popularity growing year after year, millions of nonprofits now take part in #GivingTuesday, raising more than $500 million dollars online in 2019 alone (Kindful.com). Beyond this annual event, organizations are taking advantage of social media to tell their stories in unique ways, often visually, through a combination of text, photos, videos, infographics, GIFs, and more. They are also leveraging the power of these platforms to try new and innovative fundraising tactics, such as live streaming fundraising events, activating peer-to-peer fundraisers, offering text-to-donate options, and so much more.

While each platform offers its own set of benefits and capabilities, there are some best practices that apply no matter which platform you’re using. Here are several tips to boost your social media engagement:

Create useful content – As a nonprofit organization, your audience likely views you as a subject matter expert in your field. Lean into this by creating useful and shareable content such as explainers, tutorials, how-to guides, tips, etc. that relate back to your mission and brand. Users not only want to be entertained on social media, they also want to be informed.

Keep it short and sweet – In today’s digital-driven world, attention spans are waning. It’s important to capture your audience’s attention quickly and keep the message concise. Packing a punch on social media is more important than being overly detailed – save that for your email newsletter or print publications.

Post on a regular basis – Timelines and newsfeeds move quickly, and the reality is that you’re always competing for your audience’s attention on social media. Creating and posting content on a regular basis gives users more opportunities to see your content and keep your organization top of mind. Try creating a social media calendar to stay on track.

Talk back – Social media is not a one-way street. To increase your organization’s social media engagement, you need to engage with others as well. Share another organization or content expert’s post, ask questions in your captions, take polls, respond to comments on your page, and leave comments on other pages. Engagement goes both ways!

Need Help? Call My Philanthropy Team!

Social media offers a world of possibilities for nonprofits, but we know that not every organization has the capacity or expertise to do it consistently well. If you’re in need of a social media partner, My Philanthropy Team has a team of consultants with digital media, design, and digital strategy expertise. We’re waiting to help organizations like yours take advantage of social media to amplify your mission and create new fundraising opportunities along the way. Give us a call today!

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