Social media is a powerful tool in reaching many people. Not-for-profit companies should, therefore, take advantage of the huge spread of social media to use it as a fundraising and marketing tool.
Benefits of Social Media for Non-Profits
There are many reasons why not for profits should have social media pages, including:
Helps in brand awareness: If organizations need people to know about their existence, then having a social media page should help with that. Social media is free and it opens people up to a global audience, hence increasing visibility of the brand.- Increases credibility: There are people who need to see the activities of a not for profit organization before they get convinced to donate or support their causes. Using social media is a good way of showing some of the activities an organization is engaged with, hence boosting credibility.
- Saves money: Embracing social media as a marketing strategy is a good way of saving money. If a not for profit company does not have an elaborate budget that allows them to advertise and pay for endorsements, using social media platforms such as Facebook, blogs, Instagram, Twitter, and many others goes a long way in saving costs.
- Effectiveness: Once you have defined your audience and you know how to communicate with them, using social media is quite an effective tool.
Guide to Using Social Media
If you do not master the right tricks on the use of social media, you will fail. The best guide that could help is:
Be Consistent: A mistake that most not for profit organizations make is to only post when they have an activity coming up, or when they need support. This comes off as being selfish, and only remembering to reach out to social media users when their help is needed. Be consistent with your posts and make regular updates on the activities you are engaging in.- Be Engaging: Using social media as a marketing and fundraising strategy requires not for profit organizations to focus on building a relationship with the users. People will only want to support you if they can trust you. This means that you should be engaging through feedback, and even commenting on posts that you think are relevant to your cause. Share items that have been posted on the user’s social media platforms so that they feel validated.
- Choose the Right Platform: It is encouraged to be in as many social media platforms as possible. You, however, need to prioritize the social media platform bases on where your target is. For instance, if you want to involve more young people on your project, social media platforms like Instagram would work better than if you were to use Linkedin that is considered more professional.
- Avoid Controversy/Being too Political: It is unwise for not for profit organizations to take strong positions in controversial topics unless the topics align with their mandate. You do not want to get caught in social media debates about religion, sexuality, politics, and such topics unless you are advocating for upholding human rights.
- Be professional: Using social media does not give you a ticket to flaunting all the rules of professionalism. The posts should be in line with the existence of the not for profit. The posts should be checked for spelling and taste so that people can take the organization seriously.