At Informatics we have a lot of nonprofit clients, both locally and nationally. As such, we understand that time and resources can be limited, making social media a low priority on the marketing totem pole. Although it is easy to push social media off, it isn’t recommended! In fact, social media should really be one of the most important players in your overall digital marketing strategy.
According to Waggener Edstrom, 55% of people who engaged with causes via social media have been inspired to take further action. Embracing social media and dedicating both time and resources to it will help improve your online fundraising and here are 5 ways to go about it.
1. Empower your Followers
More likely than not, your social media followers are intrigued, inspired by, and even dedicated to your cause and your organization. That’s why they follow you! So, why not utilize their brand advocacy and ask for their help?
Whether you want to spread awareness or are looking for donations for a specific fundraiser, it’s okay to ask your followers to share or retweet your posts and spread the word. Take it one step further and start a social media campaign that requires people to share your post. Need inspiration? Look at the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge! Through this social media campaign, users were spreading awareness about ALS, tagging friends, and donating money all at the same time.
2. Create a Donation Facebook Tab
If your nonprofit has a Facebook presence, utilize those customization options to drive donations! Use a third party tool, like Tabsite, to create a special donation tab that drives traffic to your online donation form. This will allow your fans to easily navigate to your donation page from Facebook. Better yet, you can use an app like Donate Social to allow fans to donate without even leaving Facebook!
3. Create a #GivingTuesday Campaign
Have you heard of #GivingTuesday? If not, head over to our blog and read about it when you’re done here! #GivingTuesday is a global day dedicated to giving back and it occurs on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. It is essentially a built-in day for nonprofits to seek donations, volunteers, and other forms of community involvement online. If you want to get more involved on social media, start planning your #GivingTuesday campaign today. Get all of the details squared away in advance so that you are ready to rock the day when it rolls around.
4. Advertise and Set up a Google Analytics Goal to Track
We know “advertising” sounds scary. Advertising means money and nonprofits aren’t usually in the position to throw it around, considering they’re focused on putting it toward a good cause! The thing is, social media advertising can be cost-effective and can ultimately lead to a greater ROI! Promoting a Facebook post about your online donation page for just $10 a week can help get your post in front of more eyes, especially since brand organic reach is now as low as 2%.
If you do opt to advertise, just make sure you set up a goal in Google Analytics so you can see which donations came from Facebook.
5. Produce YouTube Videos
Online video is increasing in popularity by the minute and it is time to jump on the bandwagon! Create a YouTube page for your nonprofit and start reaching donors in a fun, new way. Online video provides the opportunity to speak to fans through visual means, strongly affecting emotional outcomes. Spend a couple minutes telling your story and tugging at the heart strings of potential donors. Be sure to link to your donation page in your description and include a call to action to donate in your video.
Now it is time to start fundraising! If you need assistance with social media for your nonprofit, contact Informatics.
Stay tuned for the rest of our nonprofit digital marketing blog series over the next few weeks:
10 Features of a Successful Nonprofit Email Design
6 Reasons Your Nonprofit Must Be Blogging
Nonprofit Ultimate Guide to Search Engine Optimization
