As a digital advertising skilled, I’ve tried a number of methods through the years. And one factor I’ve realized is that advertising nonprofits requires a specialised strategy.
Not like companies, nonprofits don’t promote services or products. As an alternative, they need individuals to help a noble trigger.
Their advertising finances can be normally restricted, however social networks come to the rescue. They’re free, run 24/7, and have a world viewers already current.
On this information, I’ll clarify how you can use social media for nonprofits and share a few of finest practices when creating content material on every platform.
The best way to Leverage Social Media for Nonprofits
In response to HubSpot’s 2024 Social Trends Report, 82% of entrepreneurs discovered that social media advertising was efficient for his or her manufacturers.
Specialists who’ve labored with charitable organizations additionally vouch for social media as an efficient marketing strategy for nonprofits.
Will Yang, head of progress and advertising at Instrumentl, says, “It permits direct interplay with the viewers, permitting nonprofits to foster private connections with their supporters — a necessary facet of fundraising and advocacy work.”
We’ve established that advocating on your trigger on social media works. However does that imply advertising on all of the social media channels is the most effective transfer? Not a lot.
Whereas it’s nice to have a diversified nonprofit social media technique, specializing in too many platforms directly makes use of up a variety of time and sources.
So, as an alternative, I recommend choosing two to 4 platforms that work finest for my trigger and sticking to them till you attain your social media objectives.
My favorites are Fb, Instagram, TikTok, and X. Since every platform has its distinctive options and consumer preferences, it’s best to observe completely different methods to maximise my content material’s affect.
1. Fb
I’ve been utilizing Fb ever since I acquired my first smartphone.
However regardless that it’s one of many oldest social networks, it nonetheless stays the most well-liked amongst manufacturers. HubSpot’s analysis discovered that 65% of B2C manufacturers use Fb as one among their high advertising channels in 2024.
And that is true for nonprofits as effectively. The 2023 Nonprofit Tech for Good report states that 96% of nonprofits have a Fb Web page.
Take into account No Kid Hungry, a charity group that goals to finish childhood starvation within the U.S. The nonprofit has gained over 318,000 followers by commonly posting about its campaigns and actions on its Fb Web page.
Numbers apart, I desire Fb on account of its simplicity and flexibility. I’ve had success selling all varieties of content material, from texts and movies to infographics and polls. Let’s have a look at some methods I observe.
The best way to use Fb for nonprofits:
- Livestreaming. In comparison with pre-recorded movies, livestreams give organizations greater engagement charges. You may present real-time updates about your nonprofit’s actions by livestreaming them. On the identical time, viewers could make donations by the livestream itself.
- Utilizing the donation button. Throughout a fundraising campaign for unsheltered individuals, one skilled created a devoted Fb Web page with a donation button. This made it simpler for supporters to make donations as soon as they visited the web page.
- Becoming a member of Fb teams. Teams permit nonprofits to succeed in a world viewers that shares the identical ardour. You may publish on completely different Fb teams to ask for donations or volunteers. You can too handle your individual group, the place you’ll be able to share updates with supporters.
2. Instagram
With 50% of B2B and 53% of B2C manufacturers energetic on Instagram, it at present ranks because the third hottest social media platform amongst companies. In actual fact, 23% of brands obtain the best engagement on this platform.
Nevertheless, Instagram solely promotes visible content material codecs like photographs and movies. This could pose a problem in the event you desire writing about your model. Nevertheless, Instagram can unleash creativity.
Utilizing numerous reel templates, memes, and different social media developments for nonprofits, you’ll be able to flip critical charity data into enjoyable content material your viewers will love.
Hilarity for Charity’s Instagram publish lately grabbed my consideration whereas scrolling by my newsfeed.
I like how they used a well-liked reel template to create a playful ambiance whereas educating the plenty about Alzheimer’s illness.
The group spreads consciousness in regards to the situation utilizing its personal mascot, trending audio, and an eye catching message.
The best way to use Instagram for nonprofits:
- Partnering with influencers. Influencer advertising is one of the key strategies to extend viewers interplay, and Instagram is a good place to seek out public figures who’re keen about charitable causes. You may ask influencers to create reels showcasing their help on your trigger.
- Cross-sharing. If I make a publish on Fb, I can share it on Instagram with one click on. So, even in the event you’re low on time, you’ll be able to shortly run a marketing campaign on two social media platforms directly.
- Utilizing Instagram Tales. You need to use Instagram Tales to construct curiosity amongst your followers and get them to go to your profile. Tales usually embrace sneak peeks into your newest campaigns, shoutouts to supporters, and a few behind-the-scenes photographs of volunteers working.
3. TikTok
With 39% of B2C manufacturers utilizing TikTok, this video-based platform is a stable alternative for social media advertising. It helps charities not simply by fundraising but in addition by rolling out new options.
For instance, in 2023, TikTok donated $250,000 to the Rare Impact Fund whereas introducing options like sleep reminders and screen-time limits to help psychological well being.
TikTok’s demographics largely consist of individuals below the age of 34. This implies I can simply attain Gen-Zers and youthful millennials on the app.
Different nonprofits also use TikTok for growth and elevated attain. American Cancer Society, as an example, has constructed a superb presence on TikTok and has gained over 26,500 followers.
Xavier English, co-founder of Supermix, shares the following pointers: “If you happen to’re making an attempt to succeed in a very extensive viewers of individuals in a youthful age bracket for a trigger that has mass attraction, you’re most likely extra more likely to discover them on TikTok, which has a youthful consumer base.”
The best way to use TikTok for nonprofits:
- Creating video content material. I commonly create movies about subject actions, fundraising campaigns, and occasion planning. This exhibits supporters how I’m spending their donations.
- Utilizing Donation Stickers. I additionally ensure so as to add Donation Stickers to all my movies. This fashion, followers can straight make donations with out spending time trying to find a hyperlink.
- Importing brief movies. TikTok permits video uploads of as much as three minutes. Nevertheless, I add shorter movies which can be lower than 30 seconds as a result of these get essentially the most engagement.
4. X (Previously Twitter)
Trendy companies are shifting their focus to video-based platforms, which explains why solely 31% of B2C manufacturers view X as a high social media platform. Nevertheless, I nonetheless contemplate X an excellent nonprofit advertising channel.
Nevertheless it’s not simply me. Different nonprofits have had nice outcomes on this platform. Take into account Oceana International, an NGO devoted to saving and restoring the oceans. It has amassed greater than 496,000 followers on X.
X has an enormous movie star presence, which suggests you’ll be able to seize the eye of celebs who is perhaps serious about working on your trigger.
Creating content material on the platform can be simple, because it permits customers so as to add brief captions to pictures and movies.
Nevertheless, what’s tiring about X is that I must publish every day. In any other case, engagement charges shortly die down, and it turns into tough to extend your attain as soon as extra.
The best way to use X for nonprofits:
- Organizing content material into threads. X posts (previously tweets) have a restrict of 280 characters. However I’ve discovered that threads are a good way to get across the restrict. Not solely do they permit me to share extra data, however they persuade the X algorithm that my posts are partaking.
- Posting throughout prime time. The trick is to publish at a time when customers are most energetic. That’s once I get the best engagement. In my expertise, 12-3 PM is the most effective time to publish on X.
- Utilizing actionable CTAs. One other means I enhance my engagement on X is by utilizing calls-to-action like “Share in the event you help this trigger” or “100k likes, and we’ll set up free well being checks this month.” This encourages individuals to work together with my posts by likes, reposts, and feedback, rising my attain.
- Creating branded hashtags. Utilizing fashionable hashtags may help you attain a big viewers. You can too create your individual hashtags and encourage followers to make use of them of their posts.
Equally, tons of of different nonprofits have efficiently created social media campaigns on platforms like Reddit, Threads, and LinkedIn. The platform you select is determined by your aim and the demographics you need to goal.
Meagan Jackman, president and CMO of The Harkey Group, offers steerage that will help you select the perfect platform:
“If a nonprofit wants company donations, the staff ought to flip to LinkedIn. If there’s a youth nonprofit seeking to converse to folks, they need to leverage Fb. If the message is informational, YouTube is a good medium.”
The final word aim is to be the place your audience can discover you.
Help Your Trigger By means of Social Media for Nonprofits
You’ve most likely confronted a justifiable share of struggles when advertising your nonprofit organizations. Nevertheless, constructing a robust social media presence on Fb, X, TikTok, and Instagram made it simpler to succeed in a world viewers that shares your ardour.
By following finest practices and social media developments for nonprofits, you’ll be able to leverage your social media accounts to create model consciousness and interact along with your audience.
Editor’s observe: This publish was initially printed in June 2022 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.
