Social media is well documented as a necessary marketing platform for all nonprofits. They allow you instantly connect with millions of users who represent every demographic under the sun.
Everyone knows promoting your nonprofit’s events, services, and fundraisers on social media is a good idea, but many do not know why, or more importantly, how, to do it. There is a lot of information out there about length of Tweets, amount of hashtags, which hashtags, when to post to the various feeds.
What you might not have heard are some more unique strategies to promoting your nonprofit. Some techniques that are not covered in your run-of-the-mill blog. Here are a few of those strategies that could help your nonprofit go viral.
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Promote events that might not be events
Sounds crazy, right? Wrong! Each month your nonprofit should choose an event to promote. It could be Earth Day, Women’s Heart Awareness Month, Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Centralizing your social media strategy around an event will help your nonprofit convey a more consistent message throughout the month.
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Get visual
Creating images, infographics, or any other visual will translate your message in a new way. With social media feeds ostensibly saturated with the Tweets, posts, and calls to action from their peers and other nonprofits, it becomes imperative that your nonprofit’s message stands out.
Use bright colors, a unique layout, or make a splash on new image focused social media feeds. Images are much more likely to go viral, and are more pliant as they are able to be shared across all social platforms, instead of being relegated to one or two.
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Talk back
Host a Twitter chat or Reddit AMA. Dedicate a #hashtag to questions that your social media team is dedicated to answering. Give your followers the opportunity to respond to you, and ask any questions that they might have. This gives your followers the opportunity to not only engage with your feed, but it continues to build up that relationship you’ve been fostering with your followers.
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Give away ANYTHING
Run a contest on your social media feeds and give people the chance to win something by interacting, Retweeting, or liking a post on your social media feeds. This drives engagement and shows your nonprofit is fun, and doesn’t take themselves too seriously.
The object you’re giving away doesn’t have to be gilded gold, either. Find the left over pens from last years fundraisers, or t-shirts from the company picnic and free up some space in storage. You’d be surprised what some of your followers might do for a stress ball or bobble head that’s been laying around the office!
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Measure metrics
Following up your innovative work with metrics reporting is a sure fire way to ensure success. Find out what works, what doesn’t, and what you can improve in. Question why the response was greater on Tuesday over Thursday and watch your numbers rise to the rafters!
