Your nonprofit fundraising efforts have moved beyond donor letters, but you’re still new to the world of social media fundraising. Social media fundraising efforts can complement your existing campaigns or encourage you to develop new strategies that are uniquely suited to digital sharing. Here’s how to move into the social realm while remaining grounded in your ethics and your message.
1. Create Your Online Persona
Social media marketing and fundraising is a dialogue with your donors and your community at large. Before you pursue a specific fundraising strategy, you need to know who your organization is when you’re online. Consider what sorts of social media posts you’ll share and what other organizations you’ll support. Think about the tone you’ll set when you’re using social media to promote your fundraising campaign. Are you hard-hitting or fun and friendly? Everyone who connects with community members and donors on your behalf should understand how you’d like to present yourself online. Those who have a pleasant online conversation with you will follow your cause, invite their friends, and may donate as well.
2. Get to Know Your Community
Social media is sociable, and that’s its superpower. It allows you to ask questions of your donors and your community at large. Develop a deeper understanding of your donors’ interest in your nonprofit work and the campaigns that they respond to by asking them direct questions and tracking the results. Ask questions, listen, and let the conversation inform your future interactions with your donors.
3. Create a Targeted Campaign
After your conversation, you might decide to promote your fundraising through social media. Before you go all out with the promotion, make sure that you understand your social media platform. Twitter’s ideal for short conversations and information sharing, while Instagram is a quick and visual medium. Wherever you decide to share, create versions of your campaign that suit the platforms. Track how well your campaign is received on each platform so that you can adjust your strategies or choose different platforms in the future.
4. Experiment With Content
You want to create a campaign that draws people in and encourages them to donate and share. However, you can’t expect perfection on the first try. Experiment with different messaging, from an urgent tone to a tone that invites them to join the party. Try out different images, link to new content on your site, and develop unique CTAs. Think of your social media campaign as an experiment, and encourage your nonprofit to try, fail, succeed, and most of all, learn from experience.
Donor Engagement and Digital Stewardship Webinar – This webinar reviews how organizations increase their credibility and conversion rates with potential donors by looking at global giving trends, content personalization, and new technology that show gifts’ impact.
5. Make Your Impact Visible
Don’t just ask for donations; make their impact visible. Use social media to thank your donors, applaud your successes, and share stories of the people you’ve helped or the changes you’ve achieved through donations. Encourage your network to share this impact with their friends, drawing them in as donors as well.
When you’re looking for social media fundraising support, Electric Kite is here to help. Download our white paper: Increased Giving Through Better Donor Relationships and learn how you can engage the community and build your donor base with a suite of fundraising strategies.
