Social Media for Nonprofits
How to make time for social media, know exactly what to post, and use it to engage donors and inspire community.
Ask any organization why they don’t ‘do’ more on social media, and I’m willing to bet they have two answers: they don’t have time and/or they don’t know what to post.
For nonprofits, the first of these two big challenges is often magnified by small teams stretched too thin, wearing far too many hats, and juggling too many balls at once.
But what if we could simplify social? What if we could put the right strategy and tools in place to make it easier for you and your team?
And what if we could put energy into social media marketing not just for awareness but for community building, donor engagement, and as a direct fundraising tool so we could see and measure its impact?
Well, good news: we can. And with the right strategy, using social media to help reach your organization’s biggest goals is easier than you think.
Let’s begin by reframing social media for nonprofits not as one more item on your long to-do list but as an engine for drumming up community engagement and generating donor dollars. If we do social right, we can make your time and efforts spent on social media work as an investment into the growth of your entire organization.
To do so, I hope to empower you with five rules for nonprofit social media marketing.
Rule #1: Social Media is Not a Strategy
Here’s where most organizations take a wrong turn. Most organizations – not just nonprofits – put together a “social media strategy” that lives in a box on its own. The reality, however, is that a social strategy is merely an extension of your marketing strategy and your strategic plan.
Social media efforts are arbitrary until you first define your marketing goals and then determine how your social media channels will help get you closer to them. Only then can a social strategy help your team understand the role social media plays in helping you reach your organization’s biggest goals.
Rule #2: Run Your Social Media, Don’t Let Social Media Run You
Just as with any aspect of your nonprofit, you need a goalpost and a road map to know where you’re going and how to get there. This is especially true with social media marketing because, without a goal or plan, you can easily spend a lot of time posting content without any results.
Once you have a marketing plan with organizational goals, it’s time to create a plan for how your social media efforts will move you closer to meeting them.
Being strategic about social media efforts is how you ensure the time you spend is valuable and producing a return. And being strategic starts by answering three questions:
Where is my community online?
You don’t need to be active on Tik Tok if your community is not on Tik Tok. Determine where your community is active and focus your efforts there. How do you find where they’re active? Ask! Surveys, industry research, and even picking up the phone and having a good-ole-fashion conversation with members of your community about how they prefer to hear from you is what it takes.
When you determine where your audience is online, focus on those channels – and only those channels (to start).
Why do my donors donate?
When your donors write you a check, they’re choosing your organization over every other organization. Why? What about your mission and efforts resonates and motivates them to write that check?
You likely know the answer to this question, so the next question becomes equally as important: what type of content will reinforce their belief in your organization – and inspire others to feel the same?
THIS is where the social magic happens.
What does my organization do better than any other?
Chances are there are other nonprofits out there working towards the same goals and advocating for the same or similar causes. So, how are you different? How are you helping in ways others aren’t?
While you may not be fighting for dollars against other organizations – after all, you’re working towards the same end goal – you do need to find ways to distinguish your organization in the minds of your donors and community so that your social media efforts build an awareness that generates community engagement - and donor dollars!
Put your answers to these three questions together, and you have meaningful, motivating content that reinforces your unique ability to serve your community placed directly in front of your audience.
Rule #3: Talk About Your Community, Cause, and Mission - Not Yourself
One of my favorite quotes about content marketing comes from David Beebe:
“Content marketing is like a first date. If you only talk about yourself, there won’t be a second.”
These wise words ring true in social media marketing, perhaps more so than in any other marketing discipline.
You’ve heard of the 80/20 rule, and it applies to your social media marketing efforts as well. Only about 20% of your content should involve asking donors for support or asking your community to attend an event or fundraiser.
The other 80% must be about those you serve. When you’re developing content, forget about what you do and focus on why you do it; the impact you’re making. With your WHY as your compass, you’ll create emotional connections with your community that motivate them to get involved and take action.
For the science behind the power of sharing your WHY and the fact that it is the only real way to drive behavior, I implore you to read Simon Sinek’s “Start with Why” if you haven’t already. It will recalibrate the way you think about influencing donor and community behavior to create meaningful impact through your organization.
Rule #4: It All Comes Down to Smart Execution
Rules #1-#3 won’t get you very far if your social media execution falls flat. Remember the two most common barriers organizations face with social media marketing– they don’t think they have time, and they don’t know what to post. Here’s where we fix that.
Putting together a social media plan, the right tools, and a team with clear direction on what type of content to create and how to create it are your next steps.
Here’s what it looks like.
The Plan
A plan is more than a list of ideas for social posts. It’s a series of information that drives the type of content you create and where you share it.
At its most basic level, a social media marketing plan should consist of the following:
Content Pillars: Three to five “buckets” of content that, together, communicate your organization’s message, purpose, and impact. These pillars are your content’s foundation. Examples may be community stories, events, education about the importance of your cause, or others. Your marketing goals will help you define your pillars.
Every piece of content you create, with the occasional and inevitable exception, should fit into one or more of your pillars so your content is focused and driving toward your larger marketing goals.
Content Calendar: A calendar - usually a spreadsheet – should plot out annual events, quarterly content focuses, monthly topics, and individual posts. With a calendar, there’s no wondering, “what should I post today?”
The Tools
The right tools to help you push out content as easily and efficiently as possible are key to maintaining your social media activity. Here are a few tools I recommend using. Most have free versions so you can see which one works for you.
A Content Scheduler: Planning out your content ahead of time – using your content calendar – is one of the most important aspects of smart social execution. If you leave content creation to the last minute, something urgent will come up and steal your attention, which reinforces the belief of not having time to post on social media…there’s that big social media barrier again.
Scheduling apps that I’ve used and like include Later and Loomly. Canva and Hootsuite are also widely used. Some are more user-friendly, while others have more robust features. Try a few using free trials and see which works best for you.
A Graphic Design App: Social media is visual. Having great photography and a way to incorporate that photography into graphics is a must. If your organization is small and your marketing team does not include a graphic designer, Canva is a great beginner tool for creating post-worthy graphics and videos.
Custom graphics, however, are always more powerful and on-brand, so for Mac users, programs like Pixelmator Pro in the hands of a graphic designer should be the goal, especially for more established nonprofits looking to strengthen their brand presence on social media. For Windows or PC users, Adobe Photoshop is a great tool.
The Team
You can develop the best social plan, get all the tools in place, and create the most compelling content ever created, but your social media team will always hold the key to your social media success.
And conversely, your team can only be successful with the right plan and tools to make it all happen.
What else does your team need to be successful?
Writing & Communication Skills. This is at the top of the list for a reason. Many nonprofits stick the task of social media management to the youngest employee or volunteer because they know how to use Instagram. This should not be the criteria for a quality social manager.
Your content must represent your organization. The tone of voice, style, and consistency of language are critical to your social efforts. Content must speak to your audience in a way that represents your brand and its personality and values. Make sure your social manager understands the organization’s goals and messaging – and can put it all into words.
Experience with Social Media Platforms. A social manager should have a basic understanding of what makes quality content, how to create it for each social media platform you’re using, and how to push the right buttons to make it all work.
Enthusiasm. Your social team must be excited about getting out there and sharing your organization’s story and mission. That excitement will flow into the content they create and have a better chance of engaging with your audience.
A Knack for Storytelling. Social media is simply one more opportunity for your organization to tell its story. Whether it’s a video series spotlighting your community members and the challenges they’ve overcome, or a series of posts demonstrating the impact donors have made on your cause through their generosity, your content is always telling a story. So must your social media managers.
Rule #5: Get Started!
Social media is best learned through doing. Take the time to get a plan in place but, once you do, jump in and start swimming!
With these rules in mind, and the right plan, tools, and team, get ready to watch your social media efforts strengthen community relationships and drive results across your entire organization.
And if you’re looking for help with social media, our team is always here to lend a hand. Contact us to get your social media marketing started.
Join Us for a Free “Social Media for Nonprofits” Webinar on October 18
Beam Consulting is excited to announce its webinar on “Social Media for Nonprofits” with Beth Meiklejohn, and Dani Beam on October 18 from 12:00pm – 1:30pm EST/ 9:00am – 10:30am PST. We’ll break down ways to develop your organization’s social media strategy with tips and tools to make social media easier for your team and boost engagement with your community.
About The Author
As co-owner and Chief Content Officer (CCO) at Headline Consultants, Beth oversees the delivery of fresh, engaging content for smart, savvy brands across a wide array of industries. Having worked in marketing agencies for the majority of her professional career, Beth has the experience and know-how to build content strategies and marketing campaigns that align with our clients’ business goals. She has a passion for storytelling and applies that passion to help create connections between our clients, their customers, and the communities they serve.