Ten Tips for How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media

Running a nonprofit can be very fulfilling, but also exhausting - we know that doing great work isn’t easy! Part of that work is telling your organization’s story, which is important to running a successful nonprofit and executing your mission. One of many ways to tell your nonprofit’s story is through social media. With so many channels and nonprofits with so little time, the task can often seem daunting. But with over twenty years of combined marketing experience, our team of nonprofit experts has created these tips as a guide to get you started on a successful social media plan.

1. Know who your audience is, where they are, and what bandwidth you have to create content for them

Social media is a whole world in itself, and the key is knowing who you want to most reach and then identifying which platform(s) those people are spending their time on. It’s important to know which platform’s culture works with the type of content that you have the bandwidth within your organization to create. Think about who’s using the platform and if those are the people you want to reach. 

A good way to start is to choose one, maybe two platforms at the most, and do those well. Pick the ones that are ideal for where your target audience is, and familiarize yourself with those platforms. 

2. Pick your most important platform, create the content for it, and then adjust and edit the content for other platforms

In an ideal world, each platform would have its own content that speaks to a specific audience, but we live in the real world where we have time constraints, budget restraints, and limited resources within our nonprofit teams, so you have to make sure that the time you spend on social media is worth it. Mix it up. A good rule of thumb to remember is not to post on the same platform, with the same content, on the same day. Create a rotation so that every platform has a different piece of content each day.

3. Leverage emotional appeal on social media to tell stories that drive supporters to action

Every great story has strong emotion at the heart of it. And that goes for social media too. Adding an element of emotion to your content appeals to supporters on social channels. It helps them connect to the work that your organization is doing and showcases it, especially on Instagram.

For example, if you’re hoping to leverage Instagram as a way to recruit volunteers, think about ways in which you can potentially pull from your internal network and create a fun campaign. 

Perhaps you create a volunteer spotlight of the week asking a volunteer what their favorite takeaway is from their volunteering experience, and use that to create a short video or graphic to post before your next big event to attract potential volunteers. Think about ways you can bring emotion through all of the stories you tell on social media.

4. Every post you create should drive user engagement and action 

Creating successful storytelling is based on knowing how to structure and plan the narrative that you are trying to convey. This means understanding the purpose within your story, your audience, and how to set up a call to action within your narrative and posts. With every piece of content you create and share, you should be thinking about what the engagement and call to action are for your audience.

Nonprofits can leverage social media for fundraisers, and campaigns, driving awareness of your mission, recruiting volunteers, and using social media is one of the best ways to build your community and network with limited resources. Leverage any impact that your organization collects, along with your own personal networks that you already have. Consider collecting testimonials from your volunteers, donors, and internal supporters.

5. Know what content your audience wants and create it

Put yourself in your audience’s shoes, and create content they want to see that provides value to them. And make sure you’re sharing it where that audience is spending their time. The key is providing value and establishing expertise relevant to the target audience you want to be reaching, and where they are spending their time.

6. Create engaging content that showcases your organization’s mission at work

One of the best ways to create engaging content on social media that ties to your mission is to convey the importance of why the work is being done. Highlighting tangible ways that your organization strives to meet its mission is a good way to frame your social media strategy. 

For example, if community revitalization is part of your mission, then creating a “Project Highlight” and sharing what your organization has accomplished each month can be a good way to demonstrate impact on your social channels. Perhaps you were able to complete 5 community gardens, or paint 10 new school murals. Then as an added bonus, you can throw in a call to action (CTA) on how to get involved with your organization with the next project. 

7. Use social media tools that are available to create and maximize your content

As a nonprofit, you might not have the resources on your team for a dedicated social media person. The good news is there are lots of ways that you can schedule social media in advance.

The Social Media Content Calendar template on the Resilia Nonprofit Platform is a great way to help you ensure social posts are scheduled or planned ahead of time, and then the work can be divided amongst your team.

There are also several social media scheduling platforms you can purchase that allow you to create a month’s worth of content, but this depends on your organization’s budget and available resources.

Be sure to have someone appointed to oversee social content management and responding to any user engagements such as comments, questions, or concerns that come up on posts. This allows you to build trust with your community and keeps you active on your social channels. 

8. The best time to post varies for your audience and every platform

In general, the best time to post is when - or just before - your followers are online on that platform. This varies for every audience. On most platforms, there are analytics - sometimes called insights - tabs that will show you when your followers are most active on the platform by day of week and time of day. This can help you decide ideal posting times. Using a platform like SproutSocial to manage your social media can also be helpful, as it suggests ideal times to post. 

When it comes to successful social media, consistency is just as important, if not more, than frequency. For example, if you know you can only consistently manage posting 3-4 posts a week on Instagram, then consistently do that, rather than trying to do it every day and falling off.

9. If you’re a new nonprofit, start by creating quality content to build an audience  

Growing an audience is often less about the content you post, and more about your engagement on social media from your own account (with the exception of TikTok, and to some degree LinkedIn). A great way to start is by seeding your account - no matter the platform - with high-quality content. If you’re a brand new account, you can post multiple things in a row even on the same day so it’s not a blank page.

Then, if you have people you have already engaged with (an email list, your own friends/family/etc) invite them to follow your organization on social. Spend some time every day engaging with the type of people that you would like to follow you on social.

10. Have a social media policy in place for your nonprofit 

Before you begin posting on social media, ensure that you have a social media policy in place, or a media release form for any participants to sign if they’re giving any type of testimonial or if you’re planning to show them in any videos or photos.

This can be as simple as including a media release line on a waiver, such as an acknowledgment that the participant gives the consent to use any images, recordings, etc., for the benefit of the organization. This is especially important to include when hosting large events, like a walkathon, for example, where group pictures are more than likely to be taken and shared!

Ready to tackle social media for your nonprofit? Sign up for FREE here and gain access to Resilia’s free resources:

📌 Social Media Calendar Template

📌 4 Tips for Nonprofits Utilizing Social Media

📌 Introduction to Social Media Channels