Social media can be both good and bad. While it can inspire people to overshare, it also is a great way to reach others. If you run a nonprofit organization, having a social media presence is a must.
To gain the maximum benefit from your social media accounts, you should be posting consistently. For nonprofits, these posts can include everything from statistics about your work to photos and videos of events. The key is to stay on message and to post regularly.
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Why Should Your Nonprofit Have a Social Media Presence?
Social media may not be your “thing,” but it is still important for businesses and nonprofit organizations alike. According to current research, approximately 72% of all Americans use some form of social media. Many people often search for organizations on sites like Facebook before seeking a website or phone number. If you want people to find you, it is critical to have a social media presence.
There are a lot of benefits to social media marketing, including building trust, gaining insights on followers, and building your brand. Even if you don’t have the budget for buying ads or promoting content, you can still take advantage of the power of social media by posting regularly on top sites like Facebook, Twitter (X), LinkedIn, TikTok, and Instagram.
Consistent posting can ensure that your content is appearing in your followers’ feeds, which increases the potential for them to see and engage with your content (including doing things that you want them to do, such as donate, volunteer, or share a post). This is particularly crucial if you aren’t paying to promote content, since it can be harder to reach followers given the various updates to social media algorithms.
Social media posts also helps to build trust, especially when you are posting news and information that is relevant to your mission. For example, if there is a big piece of legislation related to your work or something happening in the news, your followers will look to you for information and guidance. Being a source for this information can be a great way to show that you are a credible, trustworthy organization.
Finally, regular posting is a good way to achieve your goals, whether that means getting more donations, letting people know that your nonprofit can help them, or having more people sign up as volunteers. Many of the traditional ways of reaching people in the community - such as mailers, radio spots, newspaper ads, or even billboards - simply aren’t as relevant today. If you want to hit certain targets, then reaching people online through consistently posting on social media is vital.
35 Great Ideas for Nonprofit Social Media Posts
Knowing that you should be posting on social media is the first step. The next part is much harder: figuring out what you should post. Ideally, you should make a social media calendar so that you have a better idea of what you will be posting and when you will be posting it. Using a calendar is also a good way to ensure that you are posting regularly.
If you’re stuck on what you should be posting, we have some great ideas below. These concepts can be tailored to suit your individual nonprofit’s needs - such as a heavier focus on fundraising if your organization is low on funds.
Facts Related to the Type of Work You Do
If you want to be seen as a credible source of information about your mission, gather facts and stats about your work and post them. For example, if you run an environmental nonprofit, you could post facts about climate change or how a particular issue costs your community. You can make a graphic to post these facts or post them alongside a picture or video.
Share Curated Content
Many nonprofits are working towards being leaders in their field, but may not be positioned as the experts - yet. Sharing content from organizations and leaders with widely-known expertise can help to build credibility.
Use Quotes
A quote can be an easy post, particularly if it is relevant to your work. You can also share inspirational quotes or a quote from the leader of your organization.
Show Off Your Impact
One of the best ways to get people engaged with your mission is to show the good that you are doing. Creating posts that demonstrate your impact - such as statistics on the number of cats you have helped to find homes through your rescue work - can inspire others to join or support your work.
Jump on Hashtags
If something major is going on in the world, there will likely be a hashtag for it. Hashtags can also be used for various campaigns, such as #MeToo. If there is a trending hashtag related to your work, be sure to use it for your posts.
Highlight Fresh Voices
Too often, we only hear from certain people - to the exclusion of younger and/or more marginalized voices. A great way to get more people involved with your mission - especially young people - is to feature fresh voices, such as a high school student who ran a donation drive for your charity.
Ask Followers to Answer a Question or Poll
Let’s face it: people want to feel important! Asking your followers for their opinions or experiences on something can be a great way to create engagement and even get feedback.
User-Generated Content
Sometimes, the best content doesn’t come from you - but from your followers. If something is happening, like a “wear red to show your support for this cause” day, ask followers to post pictures and either tag your organization or use a particular hashtag.
Share Content from Your Website
One of the best - and easiest - social media posts is content from your website. Whether you want to post a recent blog post, a donation page, or a link to recent a YouTube video, this is a fast, effective way to drive people to your website.
Show Behind-the-Scenes Action
While this isn’t possible for every nonprofit, sharing photos and videos of the work that you do can be great for engagement. For example, if you run a food bank, you could post videos of volunteers sorting donations.
Thank Your Supporters
Many nonprofits rely on community support to achieve their mission. At least a few times a year, you should thank your board members, donors, and volunteers in a social media post.
Profile Donors
Many people donate to a nonprofit because the cause is near to them. For example, parents may donate to a nonprofit that helps people with substance abuse disorder after losing their child to an overdose. If you have donors who are willing, you could interview them or otherwise tell their story on your social media.
Tell Volunteer Stories
Volunteers get involved in charity work for a variety of reasons. Ask your volunteers for their “why” so that you can share it on social media - and potentially motivate others to volunteer as well!
Go Live
When you have something going on, such as an event, you can go live to show followers what you’re doing - and perhaps even inspire them to attend themselves. Just make sure that when you are going live, the content is engaging and that you have the consent of anyone that you film to post them on your page.
Offer Testimonials
Your nonprofit is doing important work and impacting people’s lives. Testimonials from people who are affected by your work can be a great social media post. For example, if your charity helps to buy supplies for teachers, you could ask the teacher to say a few words about how your work benefitted them and the kids in their classroom.
Statistics about Your Work
One of the easiest ways to inspire people to donate is to show how far their money will go. If you have the numbers available, you can post statistics about your work to highlight this factor. For example, you could create a graphic that shows how a $50 donation will help to provide 5 meals for a family in need.
Announce Upcoming Events
Do you have something going on in the coming weeks and months, such as a charity walk or a webinar? Your social media is a great place to promote it!
Success Stories
Many nonprofits create real change in the community and in the lives of individuals. If you can, consider telling success stories of someone who has benefitted from your services or “graduated” from your program.
Interviews with Your Staff
Nonprofit employees are notoriously overworked and underpaid - yet are incredibly dedicated to their work. Highlighting your staff can be a great way to show them appreciation, and to show off the important work that they do.
Photos and Videos from Events
If you host events of any kind, be sure to take photos and videos. You can post them while the event is ongoing, or afterward. Participants often like to see photos of themselves - and it may encourage others to engage with your work as well.
Related Issues in the News
If something is happening in the news that is linked to your work, then posting about it on social media is a good way to show that you are a leader in the field. For example, if you work with immigrant populations and the White House just announced a new initiative related to immigration, then it would be good to post about it along with your take.
Fundraising Solicitations
Nonprofits need donations to do their important work. Part of your social media strategy should include soliciting donations. This may be for a specific need - such as dog food for your animal shelter - or general fundraising.
Share Your History
Every nonprofit started somewhere - even if it is a relatively new organization. Sharing about your roots can help people see why you do the work that you do - and your dedication to the cause.
Information about Partners
Many nonprofits work with other organizations and community groups to achieve their goals. Highlighting these organizations can be a way to show your appreciation and demonstrate that you are a trusted agency.
FAQs
Do you find that people often ask you the same questions over and over, or that there are common misconceptions about your work? Take the time to answer these frequently asked questions, such as whether you accept donations of certain items or if you are open on weekends and holidays.
Give a Tour
Many people don’t ever get a chance to see the actual work being done. If possible, consider giving a tour of your facility to help people see what you do and your dedication to the cause.
Create a Challenge
One of the things that many organizations struggle with is getting people excited and invested in their work. Creating some type of contest or challenge - such as most money raised for an event - can be a great way of driving engagement.
Remind Followers Why You Do What You Do
With social media, it can be easy to get caught up in the numbers or try to find something cute or clever to post. It is important to take a step back and remind people why you do this work. For example, if you run a literacy program, you could post about the number of adults who cannot read - and how it affects their lives.
Share Fundraising Progress and Goals
If you are running a fundraising drive or something similar, then social media is a great place to share your progress. This can be a great way to motivate people to donate themselves, especially as they see you moving closer to your goal.
Profiles of Board Members
A board of directors is essential to any nonprofit. These positions often require a lot of work - without any pay. Writing profiles of your board members for your social media accounts can be a way to thank them and to show your credibility as an organization.
Infographics
Most people don’t want to read huge blocks of text or dig into numbers. Consider creating infographics for social media to make it as easy as possible to digest the information that you want to share.
News about Your Organization
Whether the local newspaper is writing about your event or you simply have an important update to share, social media is a good place to post about it. For example, if your long-term executive director is retiring and a new director has been hired, you can post about it on social media.
Celebrate Holidays and Awareness Months Related to Your Mission
If there are certain holidays or awareness months that are relevant to your work, then make sure to post something to celebrate it on social media. For example, if you run an org that provides services to wounded veterans, then create posts for Veterans’ Day.
Ask Followers to Share Petitions, Write to their Representatives, or Otherwise Get Engaged
When presented with a societal problem, many people feel overwhelmed or like they can’t really do anything to help. Give them something concrete to do by posting on social media when opportunities arise.
Post Throwback Photos
Throwback Thursday isn’t just for pics of you in college. It can also be a good way to show off how your organization has been in existence and worked in the community for years.
Improve Your Nonprofit Marketing With A Better Website
As a nonprofit, it is vital to have an online presence. In addition to social media, you should also have a functional, optimized website. Inclind can work with you to make your nonprofit website shine.
At Inclind, we work with nonprofits to create new, updated, and redesigned websites. We understand that nonprofit organizations have different needs than for-profit businesses. Our goal is to make your website simple, beautiful, and effective so that you can achieve your goals.
If you’d like to learn more about our web services for nonprofits, we’re available. You can fill out our online contact form or hit the live chat button to talk to one of our experts about your website.