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Social media strategies for nonprofits: Engaging your community online
As the digital landscape has evolved, social media has become an indispensable tool for nonprofits. Social media platforms directly connect nonprofits with supporters, potential donors, and new audiences. They can help leverage limited nonprofit marketing budgets into powerful social media campaigns that generate big impact. Over half of the people interacting with nonprofits on social media eventually donate or volunteer. But driving engagement takes more than just posting content. Nonprofits need strategies to connect with and engage their audience. Read on for actionable nonprofit social media strategies for success.
Understanding your audience
To be effective, social media for nonprofits must be built on a foundation of audience understanding. Start by asking the important questions: Who are your supporters? What are their demographics? Are they readers or video watchers? How tech-savvy are they and where do they spend their time online? Know who your audience is and what they respond to.
Audience research should guide both content creation and which platforms to focus on. Investing in tools like Google Analytics, social media insights, and surveys will help identify users who are aligned with your mission.
Choosing the right platforms
The best social media platforms for nonprofits will vary by organization. Each offers slightly different benefits. Knowing where to focus your efforts will increase the effectiveness of your outreach.
With over three billion users, Facebook is the largest social media platform, especially for the over-30 crowd. Its built-in fundraising tools include event pages, fundraising challenges, and donate buttons. Facebook is ideal for nonprofits looking to build awareness and engage a broad audience.
Instagram caters primarily to a younger audience between the ages of 25 and 34. As a visual storytelling platform, it is best used for sharing high-quality images and short videos. Captions let you tell more about your nonprofit, and comments allow personal interaction with followers. The Stories feature allows you to post real-time updates and share content from other accounts.
X (formerly Twitter)
X is the platform for real-time news updates and conversations. This platform is great for posting timely updates, thought leadership, and engaging in conversations about current events. It gives nonprofits a megaphone to amplify their mission’s intersections with pressing issues and connect with relevant influencers and stakeholders.
Known for professional networking, LinkedIn is where folks go for job searches, networking, and talent recruitment. Nonprofits will find it useful for building relationships with corporate sponsors, volunteers, and professionals interested in your mission. LinkedIn shines at sharing case studies, organizational news, or thought leadership content. An older, more educated professional audience makes this a good place to attract potential donors, find board members, or network with other nonprofits.
TikTok
Creative, attention-grabbing content is what TikTok is all about, making it perfect for engaging younger users. For nonprofits and campaigns targeting younger audiences, TikTok’s short video format offers the perfect way to capture attention quickly and spread awareness virally. The right platform for your nonprofit will be the one where your audience is. Prioritize the platforms that align with your organization’s audience and build a strong presence there.
Creating engaging content
Once you’ve identified your audience and selected the best platforms, the next step is content creation. Nonprofits have an advantage here, as they’re uniquely positioned to share powerful stories about their work that drive emotion, awareness, and action.
Types of content that perform well on social media include:
Videos
Videos are one of the most engaging types of content on any platform. Short videos can showcase your nonprofit’s work, highlight beneficiaries, or share success stories.
Images and infographics
People love eye-catching visuals that simplify complex information, and because 90% of information is absorbed visually, infographics can increase retention dramatically — as much as 400%. Infographics are great for communicating statistics and data related to your cause. Particularly effective infographics are often shared widely.
Storytelling
Emotionally touching stories are the lifeblood of nonprofits. Don’t just share facts — tell stories. Feature beneficiaries, volunteers, or staff. Create narratives that people can emotionally connect with. This is where nonprofits excel, with the ability to tell human stories that inspire.
For all content, keep these best practices in mind: Use strategic goals, establish key performance indicators (KPIs), pair strong visuals with clear calls-to-action, track performance, create a content calendar, and above all, stay authentic. Audiences recognize and respond to genuine content.
Building community and engagement
Social media is more than just a broadcasting tool; it offers a two-way street for interaction. Engaging with your social network builds a sense of community around your nonprofit that can turn passive followers into active supporters.
One way to build community is with user-generated content (UGC). Encourage your followers to share stories or create content about your cause. Launch a campaign asking supporters to share photos, videos, or testimonials related to your organization. This provides valuable content and engagement.
Use interactive features. Host live sessions, ask questions, and create polls. These simple actions can boost engagement, making followers feel like active participants in your mission. Engagement leads to loyalty, and loyal followers are the ones who will champion your cause.
Promoting campaigns and events
For promoting campaigns and events, consistency is key. A content calendar can help ensure that your messaging remains cohesive as you maintain a consistent presence across platforms.
Use hashtags to increase the visibility of posts. Research trending or causespecific hashtags and incorporate them into your content. This can amplify your reach and connect you with a broader audience interested in similar topics.
When promoting events, leverage all platforms and consider using paid promotion options, such as Facebook Ads or promoted posts, to extend your reach even further. The goal is to spread the word widely and efficiently.
Measuring success and adapting strategies
Social media is a dynamic place. Tracking your social media performance is necessary for refining your strategy. Key metrics to monitor include engagement (likes, shares, comments), reach (how many people saw your content), and conversions (clicks, donations, sign-ups). Tools like Google Analytics, Facebook Insights, and other platform-specific analytics can provide valuable insights into what’s working and what’s not.
Without reviewing your metrics, you won’t know where to improve. Social media success requires learning, adapting, and always refining your strategy based on the data at hand.
Ready to start promoting your nonprofit on social media?
A strong social media presence can make all the difference for organizations working to change the world. However, few nonprofits have the capacity for a full-time social media professional.
If your nonprofit needs assistance with social media management, content creation, or any other aspect of digital strategy, Fiverr freelancers are here to help.
- SLT Consulting can handle all aspects of social media — content strategy and calendars, static posts, stories, reels, and videos. They offer tiered social media management packages that include from 12 to 25 posts per month.
Check out Fiverr for Nonprofits to learn more about how organizations like yours are leveraging freelance talent.
