Running a nonprofit is challenging. Fortunately, it’s easier than ever to raise money online. Here are four tips that will help any nonprofit improve their social media marketing strategy.
Define Social’s Role in Your Nonprofit’s Communications Strategy
It’s surprising how many organizations take a noncommital approach to their social media communications. They don’t have a codified standard way of speaking with the public, and that hurts donations.
That’s why industry experts speak about developing a “voice.” When a business or nonprofit entity talks to potential customers, they have to do so in a relatable way. These types of communications are rarely spontaneous. Instead, they’re carefully crafted and consistently applied.
Following the same approach is what separates the successful nonprofits from the ones who have trouble raising funds. Find a voice, apply it evenly to social communications, and do it consistently until the seeds begin to sprout.
Determine What You Want to Accomplish
Most marketing fails because it doesn’t have a well-defined purpose. Without knowing the precise objectives, it’s tough to structure winning campaigns. For nonprofits, it’s vital to understand the goals that make up the marketing process.
With the “reason to be” understood and a proper marketing strategy in place, it’s easier than ever to advertise and track all interactions with donors accurately. Ask your team pertinent questions to help develop a process that will bring in new donors effortless while getting established ones to give more.
Who are our ideal donors? Develop a persona and know it so well you dream of meeting the person every night.
What do these people want to know? What information can you provide to a worldwide audience of donors to pique their interest?
How do these people want to be spoken to, and what is the best voice for our organization? With the ideal person in mind, talk directly at all times as if you’re engaging with a single donor.
Are we using all the technology possible to benefit our cause? Are you using geofencing advertising to find new people? Is your tracking up to speed? It’s vitally important to have the best technology in place.
These questions should help seed a discussion that leads your team to a deeper understanding of developing the ultimate social voice. Contact us now to discuss how our unique tech solutions help nonprofits grow.
Identify Your Target Audience
Marketing fails when the wrong audience receives the message. It’s no different for nonprofit fundraising. If you don’t select the optimal audience, you can forget raising significant funds.
Consider the DLIB formula to dial in precise targeting.
Demographics – it pays to know all the essential criteria for potential donors. That includes their age and gender.
Location – if your group is locally based, you’ll need to define the area. Otherwise, you may go after a wider global audience.
Interests – Marketing only works for interested parties. Dial-in hobbies, associations, and passions that group people together. If they’re the kind that donates, you have a match.
Behavior – advanced targeting allows for behavioral data to enter the mix. Do these people already donate? If not, your marketing may need a different objective.
Choose the Right Networks
It takes much time to develop an audience, no matter which social platform you choose. However, if your message doesn’t resonate on a service, you’ll face an uphill battle getting the positive results needed. Rely on the experience of others in your field to determine if an investment is worth it.
There’s no reason to be anything other than platform-agnostic. Social platforms are constantly evolving and changing their rules, so a flexible approach is best. Twitter and Facebook remain vitally essential channels, but they are old channels, well-established, and competition is vast. That may encourage your team to look to greener pastures on emerging services.
There are more options than ever to consider, so don’t feel bad if you feel a bit overwhelmed. Even professional social media marketing agencies are challenged to keep up with the constant changes in an ever-expanding social ecosystem. That fact won’t change soon. Younger users are switching to more niche networks, and more players than ever can play a part in your marketing mix.
Ask a few questions before investing too much in any given social network.
Does your audience use this network? There’s no point trying to market if the audience is not there. Do thorough research before jumping in with both feet.
Can people donate easily through the platform? If they can compensate your organization directly, that’s a bonus. It also means the platform is amenable to nonprofit growth.
What rules will impact your fundraising efforts? Always check the fine print to see what’s the site expects of your organization.
Armed with a new way of looking at social media marketing, your nonprofit can make giant strides in fundraising. If you have any questions at all about how our services help contact us now.