Fundraising for nonprofits relies on donations from social media followers more and more. It’s a good idea to keep the 80/20 rule in mind when it comes to fundraising using social media. This means no more than 20% of your posts should make a direct appeal for donations and the other 80% of your posts should be interesting or emotionally-driven content. Additionally, you must educate your followers about your nonprofit organization and your cause or area of expertise. We have discussed how nonprofit organizations can harness the power of social media before. Now we’ll delve deeper into the best ways for nonprofits to leverage social media for fundraising.
Appeal to your fans. With peer-to-peer fundraising, your followers can widen your network for you by soliciting friends and family for donations. Encourage your dedicated followers to share their personal stories and host Facebook Fundraisers.
Use the power of storytelling. Your story is your most powerful tool. Tap into the different types of storytelling appeal to specific audiences. For example, people will share emotional stories on Facebook while Instagram is a much more visual experience.
Make your website mobile friendly. According to the Charitable Giving Report, more than 21% of online donations were made on a mobile device in 2017. It only makes sense to adapt your nonprofit’s strategy to include mobile users. Moreover, adding tools like “text-to-give,” mobile-optimized donation forms, mobile payment platforms such as Apple Pay and PayPal, and nonprofit giving apps will give you a definite boost.
Focus on one or two social media channels. Unless you have a large staff devoted to social media marketing, it’s virtually impossible to keep all of your social media accounts updated at all times. In fact, you’re better off choosing one or two platforms. Then focus on engaging your followers.
Create a memorable hashtag. Fundraising for nonprofits on social media requires a unique hashtag. In fact, when your donors see you on Facebook and on Instagram with the same hashtag, they know it’s all part of a larger fundraising effort.
Take advantage of free Facebook fundraising tools. Are you taking full advantage of Facebook? Facebook has built a set of fundraising tools specifically for the nonprofit sector. These tools make it easy to collect donations from followers. In addition, Facebook has dropped its 5% processing fee for nonprofits (personal fundraisers must still pay a fee). Also, the social network launched a $50 million matching fund for good causes.
Don’t forget to say thank you. People love to be thanked for their support. Engage your donors and thank them for their generosity. A small gesture of appreciation can make a big difference when it comes to repeat donations (Good360).
Above all, it’s essential to have a clear plan for your social media campaign. Here are a few tips on setting yourself up for success:
Create a title for your campaign.
Create a unique hashtag to use across your social platforms.
Decide on the length of the campaign.
Make a content plan and schedule.
Design a unique landing page for the campaign.
Set up a plan to track benchmarks along the way.
Decide which team member is responsible for each part of the campaign.
Consider using a social media management tool like HubSpot or Hootsuite to schedule posts in advance (TechSoup).
Instagram Stories lets you post temporary, 15-second photos or videos, as well as stream live video. Nonprofits can use this feature to broadcast things happening in the moment. Followers can stay up-to-date on events, volunteer news and fundraisers. This is a great way to promote fundraising for nonprofits (Hopsie).
Computer Resources of America has provided businesses with consulting and tech solutions for over 25 years. We assist nonprofits with their social media, as well as other productivity-enhancing information technology.