Sharing is Caring: Promoting Your Nonprofit’s Cause and Accomplishments Through Social Media
Growing up, many of us learned that modesty is a virtue and that it’s bad to boast about one’s accomplishments. In order to improve the visibility, name recognition, and the success of your nonprofit, however, it is necessary to promote your organization and its work in a smart, effective manner. In today’s blog, we’ll be discussing some of the ways nonprofit organizations utilize social media to raise awareness —and funds —for their causes!
Social Media Marketing 101: Knowing What to Share and Where to Share it!
Used for more than posting selfies and photos of your cat, social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and others have become important marketing channels. Maintaining an active presence on social media by regularly posting content, news, photos, and videos is a great way to increase awareness of your organization and engage users of social media. Whether you’re trying to spread the word about a fundraiser event you’re planning or want to share a few photos of some of the great work you are doing within your community, social media channels are the perfect place to do it!
Major Social Media Channels for Nonprofit Marketing
If you’re not already active on various social media channels, becoming familiar with how people interact on the different platforms can feel a bit perplexing at first—but fear not! A major reason why social media platforms have become so popular is their ease of use. Here are 5 of the most widely-used channels to familiarize yourself with:
- Facebook Founded in 2004, Facebook is one of the oldest social networking sites but has maintained its relevance over the years by adding features such as live video streaming and a messaging app to its offerings. With over 2 billion active monthly users, Facebook continues to retain its status as a popular social media and advertising platform. Facebook is posting photos, videos, news articles, and other content that might be of interest to users.
- Twitter Used by hundred of millions of people each day to share their thoughts and pictures with the rest of the world, Twitter is geared towards short-form conversations ( it currently enforces a strict 280-character limit) and the sharing (called tweeting) and re-sharing (retweeting) of stories, videos, and images.
- Instagram Meant for sharing photos and short videos, Instagram is a highly-visual medium that is ideal for posting imagery that can be edited with a variety of filters prior to publishing. Without the ability to insert links directing users elsewhere, Instagram’s utility as a marketing tool is largely based on brand-building—the media you post on Instagram should reflect the look and feel of your organization.
- LinkedIn Similar in concept to Facebook but geared towards professional networking, LinkedIn is another social media channel used by companies and organizations to raise their profile and attract talent.
- YouTube Owned by Google, YouTube is the most popular video sharing platform by far and has become an extremely effective marketing tool for individuals, companies, and organizations of all types. Creating a YouTube channel and posting quality content in the form of pre-recorded videos and live streams is a good way to promote your organization, raise awareness, and potential gain revenue from YouTube advertisers if you’re videos become popular enough!
Keep Your Posts Short & Sweet
When deciding what type of content to publish on your social media profiles, remember that most people use social media as a diversion. Posts and content should be kept short, sweet, and, whenever possible, fun! If you want to get serious about marketing utilize social media to best effect, it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with social media best practices for nonprofits.
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