Does Social Media Work for Nonprofit Organizations?
There is only one answer to this question, “Yes, it does,” and moreover, such work is incredibly effective. It is difficult to imagine a flourishing business that does not take advantage of social media. Why shouldn’t a nonprofit organization do that too? It was estimated that almost 90% of charitable organizations take advantage of social media and half of these organizations admit that it has helped raise funds. There are several reasons for this.
Nonprofit
A corporation or an association that conducts business for the benefit of the general
public without shareholders and without a profit motive.
The Free Dictionary by Farlex
Firstly, stakeholders are always interested in news concerning organizations they give money too. This interest results in raising even more funds and attracting new people. Secondly, social media is a cheaper alternative to costly marketing strategies, so nonprofits appreciate that as they have no extra money to spend on advertising. Thirdly, these websites are suitable for collaboration of such organizations and sharing experience. Moreover, they help to attract new stakeholders due to the numerous feedback of constituents.
Are you ready to make use of social media too? Here are several tips for non-profit organizations joining the social media community.
Tell your story
For every developing organization, people should be aware of its existence and products it offers. The same thing should be done with charitable organizations that require drawing a bigger number of stakeholders. Social media is a great place where you can tell the story of your organization with a wide representation of facts. There are many ways to show your achievements: news, blogs, photos, video fragments, groups, etc. They will not only promote it to masses but also show people your accomplishments.
Own the good you do
Only use a positive voice and never focus on negativity. It is always important to stay positive in every situation. No matter how difficult it is to gather money, you should be grateful for every dollar received. Social media websites offer a variety of ways to thank your followers and stakeholders. You can also support your followers by posting funny pictures or anecdotes. Try to respond to negative reviews without the emotional influence and admit mistakes if there any with the promise not to make them in future.
Listen
Pay attention to other people’s viewpoints on your organization and online activity. Track other people’s conversations about your organization. There are discussions on a variety of topics and some of them may raise questions that might have a negative impact on your followers. If you track such issues, you will always have a chance to prove your side of the story and keep trust within your organization.
Find and engage influencers to help spread the word
You can use social media not only to communicate with influencers but also track their search results. As soon as you find someone, your task is to engage him or her by offering exciting content. Never ignore communication. Ask questions and learn about their preferences. Moreover, social media can gain popularity for your organization across the globe.
Give Fans a Reason to Follow You
Providing interesting content is not enough to keep fans engaged. You should be ready to look for other ways that will inspire people to follow you. For example:
- Creative posts;
- Including images or videos in every post;
- Always giving responses to followers;
- Changing or rotating both profile photos and banners;
- Tailoring content in accordance with each social media platform strengths and demographics;
- Encouraging tagging, etc.
Invite Conversation and Interact with your followers
The main goal of the group administrator is to offer topics for discussion and invite as many people as possible. Stay on top of trending issues that are relevant to your brand or business. Offer your followers a contest to provide content to your company and they’ll win something in return.
Use Hashtags
You can opt for two main ways of hashtag use to increase the number of followers:
1. Build a strategy to use popular hashtags. You can find them on Hashtags.org and Hashtagify.me.
2. Take part in current events and trending topics
Track and Measure Your Results
Never forget to track the results of your work. By doing so, you can see whether your efforts are successful. You should also demonstrate the impressive results of your work to display your great leadership skills and convince that your organization is worth investing, as well as adjust content to your user preferences.
