3 things to celebrate on your social media in the run up to Christmas
The nostalgia effect. Have you heard of it?
It's a phenomenon within marketing which says that connecting your brand, product or service with a positive memory or emotion from someone's past increases the likelihood of them considering spending money with you by 35%*. Have a think about what products make you feel nostalgic - even if they aren't the best quality, do you feel like you could be tempted to buy them again because they bring up feelings for you? For me, its Palmers's body lotion, which I used religiously through both my pregnancies and Pears soup (the orange one from the 90s), which was a permanent fixture at home when I was growing up.
How does this relate to non profit marketing you may ask. Well, nostalgia has the power to conjure up positive feelings and for your 2022 donors, volunteers and event supporters, it's important to keep those feelings front of mind if your goal is to keep that support coming in in 2023.
Now, non profit marketing needs to be sensitive in a way that product marketing doesn't always, but there are positive ways that you can call on nostalgia to conjure up feelings and memories within your supporter audience, to remind them of why they supported you this year and to keep you front of mind for next year.
So, in the run up to Christmas make sure your social media includes these posts:
A look back at 2022 and what you achieved. It's been a tough year but acknowledging the people your non profit supported and the lives it changed is so important. Not just for you and your team, but to remind your audience of the 'why' at the centre of everything you do, and why it's important to them.
A celebration of how much you raised or specific goals you reached. Reminding your donors that even small donations of time or money all add up and taking them back to their positive experiences with you not only keeps you front of mind, but helps re-ignite those positive feelings. This is a great one for your newsletter, and would make a cracking series of infographics on your socials.
And, not so nostalgic but just as important - a teaser of what you have planned for 2023. Your supporters are going to be as crucial as always next year, maybe more. Giving them a sneak peak of what you have coming up next year helps them feel included and like they are going on the journey with you. This is especially helpful if you have specific events you will need support for coming up in the new year that they can start getting excited about.
Your audience's socials, much like yours I'm sure, are full of bad news at the moment. Bringing some positivity within that doesn't lessen the struggles you've faced or the mountain you have to climb next year. But it gives your audience a reminder of why what you do matters, and why they should continue supporting you in whatever way they can - and that's a brilliant thing.