Let’s face it – social media has become ubiquitous. Everyone from our grandmothers to our local pizza joint has an Instagram account now. Here are some tips on how to use social media to strengthen your organization.
1. Donors can give more easily. This study shows that young donors are twice as more likely to donate on their mobile device, compared to baby boomers. Giving to your organization will be that much easier if someone can do it while scrolling through their phone in line at the drug store.
2. You can reach a wider audience. Let’s face it, lots of people don’t open those email blasts that your organization sends out every month. We all do it – we click the “archive” button before even reading the content. It’s simple: that content will reach more people on social media. Facebook and Instagram ads make it even easier to get your message directly to the news feed of your target audience.
3. Two words: name recognition. A social media presence can go a long way in helping you to build a cohesive brand. People will be more likely to donate if your logo looks familiar, your organization’s name rings a bell, or if they’ve come across your event photos on their Instagram feed.
4. It’s a story-telling tool. One of the great uses of social media is delivering short, digestible pieces of information. If you don’t want to rely on every person reading your annual report, you can give them the information they need in small chunks. Tell a quick success story on Facebook. Post a photo on Instagram about someone that your organization has helped. Use Twitter as a way to wrangle up excitement about your upcoming event. Most people only want the headlines these days – and social media is the perfect way to give them just what they need to know about your organization.
5. Without it, you look out of date. You can deny it for a few more years if you want to, but social media is the future. Businesses have Instagram accounts. We get our industry news on Facebook. People read live Tweets if they can’t make it to an event. When a potential donor is trying to find out more about your organization, they will probably look for your social media first. You want them to find you.
by Michaela Flatley