There is more to social media than just cute videos of cats and television spoilers. There is so much good that can be achieved using the social media. Being able to engage a wide audience is the true power of the social media. And the best way to do that is by way of a nonprofit fundraising campaign where people may be positively involved in.
Here are some simple ways to spread the work about your fundraising campaign:
1. Consider your campaign. It's important to think through the fundamental elements of the fundraising campaign before diving into social media. What are your goals? Who is your target audience? Learn where your donors, advocates, and volunteers are and what social media platforms they prefer. Start the conversation there, rather than trying to be everywhere at once.
2. Create your own message. Uniqueness is one feature common in all social media channels so make your posts uniquely fit for each audience. Do away with the approach that is "cut and paste." Create your own unique posts for every channel. Remember that there are important differences such as Twitter setting a limit of 140 characters which means your posts should be short and sweet. With Instagram you can post a photo and a quick burst of information, and YouTube will enable you to create videos.
3. Call for a connection and be connected too. It is a two-way street when it comes to social media that when you start with it, you should be able to "drive" conversations. Donors need to be responded to individually even when it only calls for simple "thank you". Establish involvement in the conversation you have generated for your followers where you may retweet some of the posts and links from your influencers. Seek out companies and organizations you may be able to work with and be in groups in Facebook or LinkedIn as well as Google+ communities with them.
4. Experiment with different types of content. Try different approaches to see what works. If you see a particular day of the week, time, or type of post garners more response, continue in that direction. Pay attention to feedback you get from followers and adjust your posts to fit what inspires or engages them. Most social media platforms now include some type of free analytics that can be used to gauge response and measure effectiveness.
5. Urgency - a "must-stressed value." Indeed social media is concerned with the present. So, give them updates on your campaign's progress and how long before you can actually reach your goal. People are enticed by the possibility of them taking part of a monumental mark so when you call for "a few more dollars to go," they are most likely to donate.
6. Focus on impact. Use social media to thank donors and volunteers for their contribution and let them know specifically how their gift will be used. Let them see the real impact of their donation by breaking it down to show the results (i.e. "For each $50 that is donated, we can buy 5 pairs of shoes for children in need.") Consider creating a thank you video using testimonials from those receiving the benefits of the campaign. Spotlight volunteers and donors to showcase their stories and why participating in your cause is an important part of their lives.
7. There should be a call to action. This is something that should be present in some of your posts in social media venues so your followers can take the succeeding step. They can be reminded to "help spread the word" or "share this" and even "get your tickets here" or "click here to donate now" should they be interested to share your story.
8. Turn your network into an army. All of your hard work to build a successful network of real-world volunteers, donors, and ambassadors can translate into a similar approach for fundraising efforts via social media. Invite followers to chime in with their ideas and testimonials. Encourage them to raise money or promote your campaign through their own channels. Contests are great ways to drive participation and expand your network of contacts. By asking people to share your campaign, you are increasing exposure since now their own friends and followers will become aware of your efforts.
Nonprofit fundraising is possible through the powerful tool that is social media. Just remain conversational and not really aggressive. You can always opt to create a conversation evolving around your campaign which people may be willing to share over directly asking something from them. Because of this, you and your followers could form a certain connection as they learn more about your organization and consequently give your campaign the "edge" over others.
Because of the campaigns and donations being "sharable" in most any well-known social media channels, InstaGive creates this online donation as a true social experience. Registration for InstaGive is simple and fast, so perhaps you'd like to learn more about this program at Truist.
Here are some simple ways to spread the work about your fundraising campaign:
1. Consider your campaign. It's important to think through the fundamental elements of the fundraising campaign before diving into social media. What are your goals? Who is your target audience? Learn where your donors, advocates, and volunteers are and what social media platforms they prefer. Start the conversation there, rather than trying to be everywhere at once.
2. Create your own message. Uniqueness is one feature common in all social media channels so make your posts uniquely fit for each audience. Do away with the approach that is "cut and paste." Create your own unique posts for every channel. Remember that there are important differences such as Twitter setting a limit of 140 characters which means your posts should be short and sweet. With Instagram you can post a photo and a quick burst of information, and YouTube will enable you to create videos.
3. Call for a connection and be connected too. It is a two-way street when it comes to social media that when you start with it, you should be able to "drive" conversations. Donors need to be responded to individually even when it only calls for simple "thank you". Establish involvement in the conversation you have generated for your followers where you may retweet some of the posts and links from your influencers. Seek out companies and organizations you may be able to work with and be in groups in Facebook or LinkedIn as well as Google+ communities with them.
4. Experiment with different types of content. Try different approaches to see what works. If you see a particular day of the week, time, or type of post garners more response, continue in that direction. Pay attention to feedback you get from followers and adjust your posts to fit what inspires or engages them. Most social media platforms now include some type of free analytics that can be used to gauge response and measure effectiveness.
5. Urgency - a "must-stressed value." Indeed social media is concerned with the present. So, give them updates on your campaign's progress and how long before you can actually reach your goal. People are enticed by the possibility of them taking part of a monumental mark so when you call for "a few more dollars to go," they are most likely to donate.
6. Focus on impact. Use social media to thank donors and volunteers for their contribution and let them know specifically how their gift will be used. Let them see the real impact of their donation by breaking it down to show the results (i.e. "For each $50 that is donated, we can buy 5 pairs of shoes for children in need.") Consider creating a thank you video using testimonials from those receiving the benefits of the campaign. Spotlight volunteers and donors to showcase their stories and why participating in your cause is an important part of their lives.
7. There should be a call to action. This is something that should be present in some of your posts in social media venues so your followers can take the succeeding step. They can be reminded to "help spread the word" or "share this" and even "get your tickets here" or "click here to donate now" should they be interested to share your story.
8. Turn your network into an army. All of your hard work to build a successful network of real-world volunteers, donors, and ambassadors can translate into a similar approach for fundraising efforts via social media. Invite followers to chime in with their ideas and testimonials. Encourage them to raise money or promote your campaign through their own channels. Contests are great ways to drive participation and expand your network of contacts. By asking people to share your campaign, you are increasing exposure since now their own friends and followers will become aware of your efforts.
Nonprofit fundraising is possible through the powerful tool that is social media. Just remain conversational and not really aggressive. You can always opt to create a conversation evolving around your campaign which people may be willing to share over directly asking something from them. Because of this, you and your followers could form a certain connection as they learn more about your organization and consequently give your campaign the "edge" over others.
Because of the campaigns and donations being "sharable" in most any well-known social media channels, InstaGive creates this online donation as a true social experience. Registration for InstaGive is simple and fast, so perhaps you'd like to learn more about this program at Truist.
About the Author:
Sebastian Troup loves blogging about philantrophic solutions for businesses and non profit organizations. To get more details about company charitable giving campaigns, or to find help setting up a charitable fund, please check out the Truist.com website now.
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