Which Social Media Platform(s) Are Right For Your Organization

Which Social Media Platform(s) Are Right For Your Organization

Blog, Social Media

Which Social Media Platform(s) Are Right For Your Organization

In today’s digital age, social media has emerged as a powerful tool for nonprofit organizations to connect with their audience, raise awareness about their causes, and inspire action. However, with an abundance of social media platforms available, it can be overwhelming for nonprofits to determine where to focus their time and resources for the most significant impact.

Being on social media is an important part of a digital strategy, but not THE only important part. And a big part of success on social media is consistency. So a big disclaimer before we get into the things to consider when it comes to showing up on social. Start with one and do it excellently. Once you feel good about that platform, add on another. This blog post is by no means meant for you to automatically start adding in platforms that fit the criteria.

Define your goals

As with all things, understand what you’re trying to accomplish with social media. Is it raising awareness, getting more donors, finding volunteers, etc? It will likely be a combination of different things. Ensure that the goals you set for social media are helping you work towards bigger picture organizational goals.

For example, let’s say one of your goals is increasing your donor retention rate! In that case, a goal for social media might be tailored around getting donors to follow you on social media and/or reshares of your posts by your followers.

Or, maybe you’re trying to build more brand awareness. In that case you might have KPIs around comments on posts or direct messages.

Goals on social media can be very different depending on what the end result you’re looking for is. Without these goals, though, you’ll spend way too much time on a social media strategy that isn’t supporting your business.

Know your target audience

Different platforms definitely cater to a different demographic. Understanding who you’re targeting will help you prioritize the platforms you’re on and the types of content you’re creating.

If you are looking to reach Gen Z and Millennials, then TikTok and Instagram are the place to be. Older Millennials and Gen X are more active on Facebook. Are you trying to target businesses? Then maybe a focus on LinkedIn is a bigger priority. Moms or women 25 – 50, might want to look into Pinterest.

Go back to your goals and figure out what the biggest priority audience is to help you reach those goals. Start with the platform that is best suited to hit that demographic. It’s not about where YOU feel most comfortable, or the loudest board member, or volunteer. Stick to the data of who is using what platform and take the personal opinions out of it.

Create platform specific content

If you remember in the beginning, I mentioned starting with one platform that you can do well before adding in more. This next piece is why!

Yes, of course, you can repurpose content on multiple platforms. We do this all the time. However, different platforms prioritize different things.

If you aren’t creating short form video then there is no reason to be on TikTok. If you don’t have blog or video content to send people to, then Pinterest isn’t going to do you any good. You get what it, right!

Get really clear about the platform you’re going to be posting on and ensure that what you’ll be posting will connect with your audience that’s there.

Other things to consider are the captions you create. You might use hashtags on some but not on others. On some platforms you might have a more formal approach and others more causal. Even when it comes to repurpsoing, consider the audience there when writing your caption.

Do some research

Research what other organizations are doing on social media. Take a look at the types of posts that are getting them the most engagement. This is to copy them but instead to get ideas about how successful posts are being created so you can make it your own.

There are several types of organizations to research.

– those in your area of services.
– those that are outside your geographical area but serve a similar community.
– those that are of similar size to your organization.
– those that are in similar poplation areas like you are.

You can learn a lot by what people are already doing to help you make decisions about where you choose to participate.

Follow the data

If you’re already on some social media platforms, figure out which ones are giving you the most engagement. Double down there and see what kind of impact you can create instead of spreading yourself too thin.

Then, double down on the exact types of posts that people are really enjoying. We can have all the ideas in our head, but the market will tell you what they want.

If you’re just getting started with social media, give it time. It’s a long term play but you won’t know what types of decisions to make if you don’t get started.

Review you analytics ever 30 days to see how things are trending. If you’re tracking towards specific goals then the data will clearly guide you in the decisions you make.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, it all starts with meeting your audience where they are. This is going to help you reach more of the right people and engage with them where they’re most comfortable. Social media is meant to help you start conversations. So get out there, start chatting and sharing content that people want to engage with.

 

    How to Use Conversations to Craft Website Copy

    How to Use Conversations to Craft Website Copy

    Blog, Website

    How to Use Conversations to Craft Website Copy

    Very often we talk with clients that view their website as separate from the rest of their business. They see it as a place to showcase everything they do and almost a choose your own adventure for visitors. This mindset can lead to a website that exists but doesn’t provide value to your team, donors, community, etc.

    Instead, what if your website could:

    • help you reduce the number of emails you get.
    • bring in donations while you sleep.
    • encourage people to reach out to you for partnerships, sponsorships and collaborations.
    • increase your impact on your community.

    Having a website that is running parallel to your offline and online marketing and fundraising strategies will support your efforts and make it easier for you to do your job. It will support you in building better relationships, and most importantly, building trust.

    The key is using the every day conversations you’re having to craft the language, topics and impact stories featured on your website.

    Website Copy Gone Wrong

    It is very common that website’s are written to talk about the organization instead of engaging with the visitors of that site. It’s time to meet them where they are and address their pain points.

    Review your website copy as if you were a potential donor. Is it a bunch of jargon that they don’t understand? Does it highlight all the things you do without really sharing stories or impact?

    Here are a couple of examples!

    Adopt a dog today!

    vs

    Bring home a furry companion for the whole family

    or

    Afterschool care for kids 5-12.

    vs

    Find peace with a safe, STEAM driven, afterschool program your child will love.

    How do you start writing copy?

    Looking at a blank page with a blinking cursor can be daunting. And yes, you could go straight to AI if you wanted, but it probably wouldn’t truly connect with your voice and your audience.

    The best place to go is to the conversations you’re already having. The way people in your community talk and feel about your organization is very telling. I mean perception is reality right!

    Why do people say yes?

    There is nothing better than when you get a yes from a donor. While that’s all well and good, it’s not just about the $$$ that’s beneficial to your organization. It’s also about WHY they said yes.

    Ask donors why they have chosen to give to your organization. Make note of the exact words they use. Those words are how they personally connect to you and your cause.

    What one donor says shouldn’t be what you replace all your website copy with. But pay attention to things that multiple donors say.

    Why do people say no!

    While hearing no isn’t the best feeling in the world, it doesn’t mean no forever. There is also much to learn when it comes to a no.

    Are you not communicating the work you do in a way they can understand?
    Are you not addressing their motivations for giving?
    Is it not the right fit for them?

    Nos give you great information that might be missing from your website. They let you know what isn’t abundantly clear.

    What questions do people ask often?

    Think about when you were out at a coffee shop or at a networking event talking to a complete stranger. When you shared the organization you’re with what their inital reaction? What questions did they ask you about the work you do for the community?

    The questions you get asked often will give you a clue to the clarity you are sharing about your impact to the community at large. It will also tell you what part of your program or service is most visible or is most exciting to the public.

    These things don’t always align with what you’re spending the most time on, but it’s important to understand how the public is viewing you, your work, and your impact. 

    If it’s in alignment with what you’re doing then great! If not, that’s ok too. It just means you have some work to do with your messaging and communication.

    Where do you use this information on your website?

    Now that you’ve gathered this information, it’s time to think about how we can use our website to best communicate it. Here are a few ways!

    FAQs

    Create a Frequently Asked Questions page. This is a great resource for people needing more information, as well as great for search engines to understand what your website is all about.

    To populate this start with the common questions you get asked, go to your team and have them help populate questions, and think about the emails and phone calls you get to pull common questions as well. BONUS: by having a well curated FAQ page you can start to minimize the questions coming in via email and phone calls that take staff time!

    About Page

    Ensure your about page is clear and prioritizes your organizational goals. Don’t confuse people with everything you do, but let people know what your mission is and what you’re doing to make it happen.

    Review Your Services Page

    Ensure you aren’t using a lot of jargon. People don’t take the time to fully read what you write (I know, 😂). Keep the language easy for people to understand to they can process more of the information quickly.

    Again, make sure you’re highglighting the biggest priorities near the top and add the lesser priorities farther down on the page.

    Donation Page

    You know sharing impact is critical on your donation page. Here it is really important to have your messaging clear and reflecting what work you’re doing RIGHT NOW! 

    You may need to change some of these statements over the year, but this is a great place to reinforce where you need support right now and to reinforce the offline conversations you’re having with donors and potential donors. 

    Blogs

    The questions you’re getting asked over and over make incredible blog content. If you’re getting a questions 2-3 times then you probably have 10-15 people in the community thinking the same thing. Having blog posts that can help you and your team provide additional resources to answer those questions saves you time, but it also builds trust and help you with your profesionalism.

    Also – if they’re asking you they are probably also asking search engines!

    Conclusion

    Communication face-to-face and digitally shouldn’t be siloed. Those conversations can be used to reinforce each other and help you spread the same messages regardless of how people find you.

    Start keeping track of these conversations and using the to reinforce your brand!

    6 Places to Promote Your Email List

    6 Places to Promote Your Email List

    Blog, Email Marketing, Social Media, Website

    6 Places to Promote Your Email List

    Building your email is is something that is extremely valuable to your organization. This gives you an opportunity to connect with people, share your impact and increase your donations. The critical thing is to keep growing your list. While there are several strategies for growing your list, don’t forget about the little things you can do easily to make sure people know that it exists, and what they will learn and gain by subscribing.

    Here are 6 different places you can let people know you have an email newsletter they want to get!

    Before you get started

    Building your list isn’t as simple as putting a quick form together to get their email addresses. People don’t want to get spammed and they don’t want to only get emails that are asking for donations. To get people to sign up you need to give them something of value. A lead magnet is the most common thing but not your only option. If you’re just getting started, think about what value you are providing in your emails. If you’re a pet adoption organization, it could be weekly discounts from your partner companies so they can save money on their pets. If you’re an enviromental organization it could be weekly tips on reducing your environmental impact. If you’re an after school program, it could be weekly resources to support your kiddos at home.

    Think about what it is you do and how you can support your community. Putting these elements in your email newsletter sign up is going to make it more likely that your audience will want to sign up to receive it. “Sign up for our newsletter” will not see as many results!

    Website footer

    Put your email optin right above your footer. Users often scroll all the way to the bottom of the page to find quick links and easy access to information. This is a great place to gain their attention and encourage people to sign up.

    Create a graphic to catch people’s attention and use a quick and easy form that includes first name and email address. In many website builders you can create this as a footer so it will automatically be added to every page you create. That saves you time and ensures that you’ll have an opportunity for people to sign up no matter what page you’re on.

    Blog posts

    If you’re creating blog posts then put your opt in in the middle of those posts. This is incredibly helpful especially if you have a lead magnet that relates to that content.

    For example, let’s say you are a museum and you’re writing a blog post about the achievements of Leonardo DaVinci to help promote an upcoming exhibit. Maybe in the middle of the post you have an opportunity for people to download a guide they can use to plan their trip to the museum and give them more information on what they’ll learn while they’re there. Then, because you have your opt in in the footer they’ll have another opportunity to join your email list after they have completed reading the post and made it to the bottom of the page.

    If you don’t have a unique lead magnet you can send for that blog post, that’s ok. Create an option for people to sign up with language about your newsletter that is more related to the topic of your post. In the example above it could say something like, Subscribe to our email list for more information on upcoming exhibits before they launch on our website!

    Contact page

    If people are interested in connecting with you the contact page is typically where they go first for all the information. Having multiple ways they can do that is critial because people like to communicate in different ways. They might want to talk to a person for a quick question. It my be a general inquiry with no urgency. Or it could be they want more information and email is a great way for that. Make sure there is an option there for them to get on your email list so they know they can get regular content from you and get to know you over time.

    Not everyone is ready to take action right away – they need to be nurtured and find trust in your organization. Giving them the option to build that trust through your email newsletter is a great way to do that.

    Pop up

    Yes, these have a love hate relationship! But they work! Testing how you serve them up is critical. Then, as long as what they’re getting is valuable for them you won’t make them mad. 

    If you don’t like popups you could also look at slide ins that come in on the corner of your page.

    Email signature

    Think about all the emails you send each day. You probably have your social media channels in your email signture but have you thought about putting a link to your email newsletter there as well? Mimic some of the text you have used in other places. This. isan easy way to get things in front of people you’re already connecting with.

    Social media bio

    If people are enjoying your content on social they’ll probably want a way to connect with you further. Your email list is perfect for this! Make sure its easy for them to find the link and take action. 

    Conclusion

    People may not sign up for your list the first time they see your email sign up. Or they might not be ready to dive in but soon they will be. Make it easy and clearly show the value so its a no brainer for people.

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