5 Tips for Non-Profits to Get Social
May 13th, 2013 by
Due to financial limitations, many non-profits find it difficult to increase their online presence. It may be difficult for local non-profits to compete with the big brands that are creeping on their digital space. Yet there are a few ways for non-profits to interact with their target audience online for very little out of pocket expense. What is this magical tool that non-profits should be utilizing? Social media, of course.
Social media outlets prove to be great tools to capture, engage, and inform your supporters. It works as a way to provide a face to your cause and keep your loyal audience up to date. A recent study by Craig Newmark reported that 92% of non-profits are on Facebook and 90% are on Twitter. Non-profits are spending more and more time investing in their social media marketing. However, simply signing up for your social media account isn’t enough. How do you reach your audience? What do they want to hear? What will get them excited?
Five quick tips for non-profits when crafting your social posts:
- Sneak Peeks: everyone appreciates a good inside scoop! Are you about to launch a new product or event? Why not let your social media audience get the inside information first. This will create buzz around your brand!
- Insider Photos: you most likely know that pictures are a great addition to your social posting and should be worked in whenever possible. Including behind the scenes pictures is a great way to engage your fans and highlight your supporters. It provides a great “this is what happens when you aren’t here” anecdote. Team Gleason does a great job of including behind the scenes shots to keep their Facebook Fans engaged and sharing interesting content!
- Keep your posts relevant: is there an upcoming organization event? Post about it! Is there local breaking news? Tweet it! The beauty of social media is that you’re able to comment on things as they’re happening. You want to stay relevant and timely.
- Link to your site: how do you expect your social media to impact your web traffic if you don’t link to your site? When appropriate, link back to your site so fans can learn more information. Links work best when paired with an eye-catching graphic. Check out what The Museum of Modern Art did with a link to purchase tickets online.
- But don’t always link to your site: yes, you want to drive site traffic, but you have to do it carefully. There is nothing social media users hate more than the self-obsessed page. The majority of your posts should be great and engaging content. Self-promotion should be the minority of your updates.
And don’t worry, non-profits. The social media sites want you to succeed! Facebook even recently released a resource center for non-profits. So get to posting and watch the fans and site visits increase!
