Do you have more questions than answers about engaging your audience and raising money with your social media appeal?
You’ll need to determine which social networks are the right fit for your organization and what content is most likely to inspire your audience to follow you and stay engaged. And that’s just scratching the surface!
According to Nonprofits Source, 55 percent of people who engage with nonprofits on social media take some sort of follow-up action. Your social media appeal is a great way to find new audiences who care about your cause as much as you do. Then, it’s up to you to guide them to take that next step.
Here’s what you need to know if you’re struggling to make an impression on social media.
Extending your story.
As you know, donors should be able to tell when messages in different mediums are part of the same campaign. And this holds true for social media!
The best way to do this is through the story you tell. So, let’s think about the story you’ve told in your year-end or spring appeal and how we can apply it to social media.
Hint: It’s not just copy and pasting your appeal letter into a Facebook post and calling it a day!
Social media is a great way to break down your story into bite-sized pieces. Any good social campaign consists of many posts over a given time. So, think about ways to extend the shelf life of your appeals with social media.
Ask yourself, what was going on before the start of your story?
Then, use social media to provide context and create suspense by introducing the problem you’re trying to solve and why your organization is needed to make a difference. Ask them to follow your page and include a CTA that guides users to your website. There, they can sign up for your mailing list and learn more about what you’re doing to help.
READ MORE: Is your nonprofit suffering from boring storytelling?
Every platform has a purpose.
You know your social posts need to tie into your appeal’s main story and message. But you can’t do this the same way on every social platform.
Every social media platform has its strengths and weaknesses. And certain platforms appeal to some demographics more than others.
So, what are the right social media platforms for your nonprofit? It depends!
Facebook has become a favorite among fundraisers for its broad audience demographics and suite of built-in fundraising tools. And as the most widely used platform, Facebook is ideal for encouraging your audience to share with friends and family.
Instagram may be a good fit if your nonprofit has strong visual elements. For example, a museum would never run out of interesting items in its collection to share on Instagram.
But that museum wouldn’t want to post the same content on its Threads. This new platform functions similarly to X. So, feature short-form content and focus on audience interaction. It can be a great way to have more direct conversations and build relationships with your audience.
Facebook, Threads, and Instagram are all owned by Meta and designed to work together. So, link your accounts to keep your messaging consistent and reach audiences who may only be on one of the three.
READ MORE: Simple strategies to amplifi your social media outreach.
Leverage your networks.
Getting others to work with you is the most effective way to support your fundraising efforts with your social media appeal. So, take some time to look through your posts and see who your most engaged followers are.
You’re looking for anyone who regularly likes, comments on, or shares your posts. Then, make a short list of those people and cross-reference it with your database to see if they already give to your organization.
If they do, reach out and see if they’d be interested in serving as a social ambassador. All they need to do is share some of your posts with their networks.
The objective here is to use the audiences of your audience to get your message in front of as many potential supporters as possible. Your current supporters can help you tap into a new network of individuals with the same values as your nonprofit.
READ MORE: How to solidify strong relationships with new donors.
Putting it together.
It’s never too late to get started on social media. But we know that early adopters of new platforms have a leg up on their competition. So, don’t hesitate to get a head start by embracing new networks and strategies that can set your organization apart.
No single method of communicating guarantees success. But you have a better chance of standing out, making an impression, and hitting your fundraising goals with a robust social media appeal that supports your other fundraising efforts.
Remember, going surround sound isn’t about shouting the same message from different rooftops. It’s about creating a strategic sequence that uses one outreach strategy to build on the next and inspires someone to make a difference over time.
Need help thinking of new ideas for your next social campaign? Click here to chat with us!
