Utilising simple social media strategies to fundraise your non-profit organisation can help outreach to donors and compel more people to give to your worthy cause. However, many organisations are not taking steps grow their online presence. Engaging the online community can compel a user to take action, to make a donation or provide volunteering services.
In a survey conducted by Hubspot, more than half of nonprofit organisations were found to have spent less 2 hours per week on their social strategies, in contrast to for-profit companies who spent an average of 6 hours per week on social marketing strategies. Furthermore, 74% of NPO’s were found to successfully use social media to publicise upcoming events and general posts about activities, but rarely, if ever, used social media to attract potential donors.
Whilst ultimate goals vary, whether selling a product or service to make money, or trying to attract contributions for a cause, revenue is always required, and this requires a marketing strategy engaging enough to produce high conversion rates.
With the benefits of using social media successfully pay off for a minority of non profit organisations, what are some simple strategies to motivate the majority?
Informative communication & social education
Social media allows nonprofits the potential to impact their audiences on a daily basis to remind them about the importance of a cause. Educating users about your purpose, why it matters, how their support can make a difference and how to donate can help improve fundraising and donor engagement.
By being consistent in engaging and informing social media communities about their message means that communities are more likely to support it, and engage with fundraising for that cause. Furthermore, social media can assist organisations in finding out more about their donor community and assist donors in understanding the importance of the organisations mission.
Successful non profit organisations even integrate journey mapping through surveys and polls to learn why donors are making their contribution which allows information to be analysed and responded to appropriately. Thereby, helping target their audience to a specific piece or appeal.
Inspiration and personality
To inspire donors, organisations need to show them why they matter and how they can help make a difference. Donations aren’t a business transaction, audience’s engage because of a human connection. Connecting with people on a personal level, and showing that you too are a person can help bring empathy and inspiration to donations.
By understanding a donor’s motivations makes for a more effective appeal. The key to building the human connection lies within building an effective donor retention strategy which a professional marketing agency can assist non profit organisations to deploy.
Aesthetic news posts
Multi-media, news, pictures, and graphics have higher engagement rates than those that don’t. By creating a visual image, there is a better chance to engage with the audience. Sharing links to volunteer opportunities and sharing the stories of how donors’ gifts are making a difference can help to impact donors in remaining loyal.
Such websites including YouTube, which has a non profit program, can help organisations receive special benefits which include extra uploading capability and branding capabilities of the highest quality through great video sharing.
Events
Social media platforms allow organisations to Invite followers to events which are a golden opportunity for nonprofits to promote, educate and engage with donors and therefore open a larger window to make an impact.
Facebook Ads, YouTube, and Twitter, Tumblr and Google Plus are all platforms that you be use to help promote fundraising events.
Accessibility and professional development
There are many tools and techniques to promote an engaged response from donors and these start with updating key user functions and features on the organisations website. Through Search Engine Optimisation, responsive web page design, and consistent use of effective social media strategies an organisation can continue to increase its reach and make an impact.
A professional web developer can help to improve clearer communication channels and therefore add value proposition to attract volunteers and online donations by enhancing helpful and engaging information.
As more communities become more impacted through social media, a recent study by Buffalo University on what contributes to social media communities donating found that a key determiner is the size of the social network audience and the reach of its website. Therefore, online donations can be influenced by the volume of friends an organisation has following. Consider reaching out and inviting and encouraging more friends to support your cause.
Citations:
Written By Daniella Smithson
- https://www.blackbaudhq.com/corpmar/cgr/how-nonprofit-fundraising-performed-in-2015.pdf? Organisations retain 58% of social media first-time donors, whilst offline donors have only a 29% retention, in a report published by blackbauld H.Q.
- http://www.donordrive.com/library “According to donor drive,21% of peer-to-peer fundraising dollars raised are the result of a direct click-through on social media”
- https://blog.bufferapp.com/social-media-non-profits “In a survey conducted by Hubspot, more than half of nonprofit organisations were found to spend less 2 hours per week on their social strategies, in contrast to for-profit companies whose average is 6 hours per week”.
- https://blog.bufferapp.com/social-media-non-profits “In the same Hubspot survey, 74% of NPO’s were found to successfully use social media to publicise upcoming events and general posts about activities, but rarely, if ever, use social media to attract potential donors”.
- http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0899764013485159 “As more communities become more impacted through social media, a recent study by Buffalo university on what contributes to social media communities donating found that a key determiner is the size of the social network audience and the reach of its website”
