Social Media Works for Non-Profits

Businesses and organizations in every industry have felt the sting left from a faltering economy. Corners are being cut, cutbacks made and budgets reduced, not only in online marketing but in all aspects of business. Non-profits haven’t gone unscathed and have seen a decrease in donations and in some cases, the number of people willing to help out another when they are struggling themselves.

Social media is here to stay. Some people have even gone as far as to say it’s an evolution in the way we market our organizations and communicate with our customers. Many non-profits have looked to social media to help ease the burden of a bad economy for several reasons.

Cost-Effectiveness: For the most part, social media is free. Signing up and claiming a stake on a social network doesn’t cost a thing. Hiring consultants, strategists and social media directors is where some large organizations are choosing to spend money.

Potential to Reach Mass Markets: The ability to reach world-wide markets is at your fingertips. You can connect with supporters in your local community, across the country or in another hemisphere.

Increase in Participant Conversion Rates: Social media is an optimal place to post links to websites where people can make a donation, sign up to volunteer, or take a stand themselves.

Personalized Communication: Responding to comments and feedback from followers can be personalized on social media. It’s a place for people to interact, ask questions and pass along thoughts and ideas.

Snow-Ball Effect: Social media has its own version of the snow-ball effect. Lots of people view who their friends are following who they “like” and are networking with. Gaining new followers from existing followers can garner far more support than many people think.

Social media is a community built for sharing. Is your non-profit using social media? What tips are you willing to share?

Taking a Stand on Social Media for Non-Profits

Has your non-profit turned to social media yet? If not, your organization is missing out on the potential to gain a loyal following of supporters. Social media is a great place to take a stand and promote your cause.

Your Vision

What sets your non-profit apart from others? What is its vision? Your vision should be easy to discern on your social media pages. Are you working towards living in a world where no child goes hungry at night or living in a neighborhood without gang violence?

Whatever your vision, everyone that visits one of your social media pages should sign off knowing exactly what it is you strive for. They should also know what obstacles are standing in your way and what changes need to be made to rectify the situation.

Your Motivation

What has motivated you to take a stand? Use personal accounts, testimonials, pictures and statistics to show people exactly what is fueling your desire to fight for something. The way you present the things that motivate you is extremely important.

Your presentations should be relatable and easy to understand. Use graphics and analogies to get your point across. Break things down and compare them to the happenings of everyday life.

Conversions

After clicking through your social media pages, your followers should be educated about your cause and feel as motivated as you to take a stand. Encourage them to take action. Provide an incentive.

For example, the American Red Cross has partnered with Dunkin' Donuts in the past and given away free bags of coffee to each person who donated a pint of blood.

A successful social media marketing campaign converts followers into participants. Provide an easy way for your followers to do this by providing a link to your website where they can make a donation, find a location to volunteer, and so on.

Social Media for Non-Profits - Update Your Status and Tweet During Peak Times

As a non-profit, you know why you use social media but are you using it at the most productive times a day? Whether you are using social media to build your brand, increase your conversion rates, or take a stand and spread the word about your cause, reaching a large audience is imperative.

It is also important to post updates and tweet during peak times to reach out to those who are already following you. Currently, Facebook and Twitter are two of the most popular social media platforms. When your followers sign in, your non-profit profile should be one that they see.

Typically, Monday is the day that people begin perusing Facebook in droves. The weekend has come and gone and everyone is starting a new work week. Tuesday and Wednesday have peak numbers as well. These three days are when people click through their friends pages and pages they like and comment the most. The best times to reach these people are from noon to 6 p.m.

Twitter does have its peak times during the day when it sees more people logging in. The best way to gage what time is best for you to tweet is to keep track of which times you gained the most number of followers and responses. For instance, if you’re tweeting when most people in your region or target audience are asleep, you’re not very likely to be seen or gain new followers at that time.

Twitter’s peak times, which vary depending on which part of the world you are in, are best during the work week. In the U.S., Twitter begins to wake up around 9a.m. and gets busy again around noon. Once 3 p.m. rolls around Twitter begins to light up, then again around 6p.m. When you first begin to track when people are most likely to follow you, focus the majority of your tweeting during these times.

However please note that these times are just suggestions if you are just getting started. As your social media campaigns progress, you should be tracking your analytics to discover which times are indeed the best times for your organization to post content to social media profiles.