Impact of Social Media on Nonprofits
Nonprofits use social media because it allows an organization to reach a much larger audience.
Since most nonprofits today are donation driven, many lack the ability to hire a professional social media expert. Having a social media plan and strategy is necessary for an organization to establish its brand and cast the net to a broader audience in order to stimulate growth.
Here are some ways to take advantage of the unique opportunities offered by social media to increase the success of your nonprofit:
- Post Interactive content to encourage engagement.
- Include hashtags or location tags to increase your reach.
- Use visuals to drive website traffic.
- Check in daily and respond to questions.
- Make it easy for followers to donate.
- Schedule social media content in advance.
- Measure the effectiveness of your strategy.
While taking advantage of these unique tips, your nonprofit needs to determine which platform it is going to use to spread the message about your cause.
According to the Nonprofit Tech For Good survey, around 97% of nonprofit companies use Facebook, 85% of them use Twitter, 61% use Instagram, and 63% use LinkedIn.
Facebook: This platform is highly successful due to posts that are short and keep the attention of the audience. Facebook allows for live events to be shared and this will improve the nonprofits visibility. For example, Facebook Live events inspire people to donate instantly to your nonprofits’ cause.
Twitter: This platform allows your nonprofit to be concise in your wording. Twitter allows live tweeting which is where supporters watch real-time updates of a fundraising event, increasing followers and donations.
Instagram: Nonprofits can specifically use Instagram live events to share fundraising events and allow followers to participate actively in donating. You can easily add donation stickers to your Instagram stories to inspire others to donate to your nonprofit’s cause. Instagram allows users to follow the nonprofit’s stories which leads followers to a live event to bring everyone together to support a common cause.
LinkedIn: Many nonprofits use this platform to connect with other businesses or with other professionals. With this platform, your nonprofit can also acquire new team members or volunteers.
Although there are many other social media platforms that exist today, these are the four best platforms that will help your nonprofit increase exposure and donations.
Lastly, here are some general social media tips for nonprofits to follow while posting on social media.
- Posting should be regular and consistent. Most organizations that post once a day or twice a day are more successful when it comes to social media analytics.
- Make sure you have a clear mission statement, bio, and image.
- Monitor the analytics of your postings in order to enhance your marketing strategy.
- Make sure that your website promotes social media icons on every page.
The Communications Team here at The Woolf Group specializes in social media strategy and content management. If your organization or social media platforms could use some bolstering in the new year, we are happy to assist and offer constructive feedback that will keep your clients coming back for more.
Lindsay Vaughn, TWG Social Media Specialist & Strategy Consultant
