Why is social media important for non profits?
In short; non profits that aren't engaging with social media are missing a huge opportunity.
It's easy to think of social media as a beast you need to keep feeding, that doesn't give you the instant results you crave at a time when you and your team are feeling squeezed. I hear you. Here's why you should keep going (or get started!) - and how to keep it manageable so you don't burn out and lose your momentum.
Social media allows you to interact with people where they are already spending time. Did you know that, on average, Facebook users check their account 8 times a day?* That's 8 opportunities each day to tell them about what you do!
Your social channels can help you build a community around you of people who are interested in what you do. These are prospective donors, volunteers, event participants and people who will share your message with others. All of these people are invaluable to a non profit - and they are out there, waiting to find out more about you.
Regular posting helps you stay front of mind with your audience and nurtures them through the process of getting to know, like and trust you.
You are ultimately humanising your organisation - both in terms of the people who work there and the people you help. Real people are much easier to identify with than mission statements.
You are starting conversations with people who want to know more. It's a much easier ask for someone to send a DM on Instagram or ask a question in the comments on a post than it is for them to call an information line or look for the answer on your website.
If you think of your social media as the top of a funnel, your posting and engagement is constantly filling the pot of people who you will then take on a journey from stranger to supporter by other means - likely a combination of paid ads, email sequence or newsletter.
You are showing the channel's algorithm that people are finding your content interesting, which in turn will give you better reach both for your organic content and your paid ads.
Social media is another vehicle for telling people how they can support you - make sure your donation link and/or newsletter sign up link are on your bio, and you talk about these within your content!
That's all very well, but how do you stay consistent with your activities without feeling overwhelmed?
Firstly, don't try to be on all the channels. Pick 2-3 to get started with based on who you want to talk to, and where you know they already spend time, and focus on those. If you feel drawn to test other channels by all means do that, but don't feel like you need to jump on every trend. You don't need to dance to make an impact.
Your goal is to build a community and engage rather than broadcast and retreat, so decide the number of times you want to post a week and stick to it. It doesn't need to be every day if that's not feasible - consistent posting 3 times a week is better than a few weeks of intense activity and then nothing because it all got a bit much.
Your key metric is engagement - yours with other accounts, and your prospective supporters with you. Set aside time within your team to spend time engaging, rather than just 'posting and ghosting'.
Ask for help - if you have no idea what you should be talking about on your social channels, or you struggle to find the time for content creation, talk to a specialist (like me!) who can put together a strategy for you, or take your social media off your hands.
If you have any questions on organic or paid social media, do drop me an email on alex@socialclimber.london. I'd love to hear from you!
*Source: https://www.websiterating.com/research/facebook-statistics/