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Navigating the choppy waters of social media management can be challenging when you work for a non-profit organization. Amidst the flurry of trivial advertisements and viral videos, getting consumers’ attention online may sometimes feel like an uphill battle.
But learning how to develop a strong social media strategy for non-profits is crucial for getting your message out there and accumulating healthy, sustainable engagement from people around the world.
Social media strategies need to be carefully curated to meet the needs and ambitions of a brand – or, in this case, a non-profit organization. And non-profits tend to require a different approach to typical brands, which means the strategy process can become more complex.
Fortunately, there is a wide variety of helpful tools, resources, and methodologies you can use to uplift the voice of your non-profit on social media and make powerful strides forward on its behalf.
The Importance Of Social Media Marketing For Non-profits
Social media can play a crucial role in the process of growing and strengthening a non-profit. Popular platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are all fertile grounds for sharing the mission behind your non-profit organization, attracting supporters, and promoting your cause.
Because non-profits don’t generate their own income, they often rely on donations and public appeal to remain sustainable. Social media is the perfect place to sow seeds of information and get the word out about what your organization stands for.
Setting up a robust social media strategy for non-profits not only helps organizations gain more visibility, but it can also serve as a launching pad for directing people to important resources. With the right social media strategy in place, your non-profit organization can receive the attention and activity it deserves.
1. Let your mission drive the content style
When it comes to effective social media marketing, your organization needs to be distinctive, authentic, and easily recognizable. This means creating and sticking to an appropriate content style.
The content your non-profit uploads to its various channels should not only be of consistently high quality but also reflect the nature of your mission. Use images, videos, and infographics that speak to your organization’s unique and authentic quality and what it stands for.
2. Use the non-profit account option on channels
Similar to the “business” account option found on Facebook and Instagram, users can now change their profiles to non-profits so that followers can verify their authenticity.
Changing your account into an official non-profit account also gives you access to unique tools like link-anywhere cards, fundraising tools, productivity resources, and donation buttons.
3. Insert donation buttons
Most non-profits need donations to obtain resources and implement the systems of their mission. Facebook and Instagram have built-in donation buttons that you can add to non-profit profiles to make this transaction more straightforward and accessible.
You can add these buttons by going to Settings and clicking Add Button. From there, you will be provided with a range of different payment options and preferences.
4. Upload easily shareable content
One of the best ways to ensure that your organization’s content gets shared far and wide is to create explicitly designed content with shareability in mind. Useful, well-designed infographics, for example, are popular forms of shared content that tend to get high rankings across channels.
Funny memes, interesting art, and high-resolution graphics are all excellent examples of easily shareable content. Just make sure they are relevant to your organization and appropriate for anyone to share.
5. Host regular live events and Q&As
Live videos are one of the most popular and active forms of social media content today. You can use your platforms as an opportunity to reach followers around the world as you host Q&As, public events, or discussions relating to your non-profit organization.
6. Utilize free resources and tools
An amazing variety of free resources and tools are available online to help you develop an A+ social media strategy for your non-profit – most of them are hiding right under your nose. Dominant social media channels such as Facebook and Instagram offer tools for evaluating growth and measuring KPIs.
Some of the specific tools these platforms offer include:
- Event creation
- Data insights
- Advertisement tracking
- Follower growth
If you want your social media campaigns to be successful, using tools like these is essential for capturing important data and measuring growth. They may be simple tools, but they are designed to be extremely user-friendly and highly effective for measuring basic metrics.
7. Make a content calendar
If the non-profit organization you work for likes to plan events and fundraisers in advance, you probably have them all mapped out over the following months – or even years.
You can use the same approach with content. Instead of coming up with content ideas each week, create a long-term content calendar that aligns with upcoming events. This is not only a more efficient way to plan content, but it can also be a great way to visualize the brand identity of your non-profit.
8. Share stories about your mission
Testimonies and real stories about your organization are ripe for being used as inspirational social media content. Studies show that real stories impact online consumers in a significant way and can make people feel more compelled to share, like, comment, and even donate funds to businesses.
You can share stories about the history of how your non-profit first materialized, the people who make it happen, and testimonials about the lives it has impacted over time.
9. Be authentic
One of the most important qualities of any successful social media campaign is authenticity. People want to feel like the content they consume comes from a tangible, sincere, and impactful source – especially when it comes to non-profit organizations.
How to Create A Social Media Strategy For Non-profits
You can go about creating a social media strategy for non-profits the same way you would make one for a regular brand. Start with brainstorming some key goals and KPIs for your organization and then troubleshooting some content ideas for the future.
Basic guidelines can include the following:
- Build a community – The more connected your followers are to each other and your organization, the easier it will be to lead a successful marketing campaign.
- Outsource marketing assistance – Non-profits are often led by small teams with limited resources. You can alleviate some pressure by outsourcing specific marketing roles to professional agencies, leaving room for more innovation and other priorities.
- Partner up with influencers – Influencers are some of the most powerful figures on social media, and many of them are open to promoting organizations and brands they identify with.
Consider what your priorities will be for the next few months or years. Is it gaining a certain amount of new followers? Is it reaching a fundraiser goal? Or simply promoting awareness for your organization? It is essential to stay true to the core mission and generate content that shows it in a good light.
Understanding your targets will help shape your non-profit social media strategy in a way that aligns most with your true mission.
Leveraging Employees and Volunteers to Boost Social Media Presence
The people that work for your organization are in a great position to boost its social media presence. With personal, insider knowledge about how it works and why it exists, employees and volunteers can be excellent vessels for communicating and engaging with potential supporters.
There are plenty of fun, simple, and interactive ways to use the concept of employee advocacy to propagate your social media presence online. These include the following:
- Foster a healthy workplace culture – The happier and more fulfilled your employees and volunteers feel, the more likely they are to promote your organization online.
- Communicate your vision – It is much easier to persuade people to post about a particular topic when they understand the whys behind it. Host a relaxed meeting to explain your social media campaigns and encourage employees to participate in them in an informed way.
- Offer incentives – Everyone loves a little treat. You can incentivize employees and volunteers to take part in your social media campaigns by offering rewards such as coupons or merchandise.
Employee advocacy on social media is one of the most effective (and underutilized) ways to grow brand awareness and attract followers from a wider pool of users. If you can get your volunteers and employees on board, your social media strategy will naturally become much stronger.
How Clearview Social Can Help
Feeling overwhelmed with the prospect of developing a non-profit social media strategy from scratch? There are resources available to assist with this. Clearview Social is an employee advocacy platform designed to help organizations generate more growth and revenue through their online channels.
If you are looking for an efficient team of experts to help your non-profit organization in the process of developing an airtight social media strategy, Clearview Social can certainly be your guide. Request a demo today and see what we can do for you!