48 Ways to Use Social Media for your Nonprofit
Danica Kombol
48 Ways to Use Social Media for your Nonprofit
:Post by Guest Blogger, Danica Kombol of #48in48ATL Sponsor, Everywhere Agency
The way nonprofits raise funds today is dramatically different from the old model of snail mail appeals and phone-a- thons. We live in a googleable world, and we learn about causes via our Facebook feeds and what we read online. In our digital age, the role a website plays in a nonprofit’s success is more important than ever.
NonProfit Technology Network’s latest study shows web visitors are donating more than ever before. Visits to nonprofits’ websites are increasing (16% in one year), and social media growth is booming – with nonprofits reporting a nearly 40% growth in their Facebook fans alone. The nonprofits I know are phenomenal at doing good but struggle mightily with doing much of anything powerful with their digital and social media presence.
This year, my company, the Everywhere Agency is joining forces with the host of talented developers, marketers, designers and marketers behind 48in48.com to help build 48 websites in 48 hours. We’re bringing our specialty skill of helping nonprofits strategize on the role social media can play for fundraising, building awareness or even assembling a core of volunteers.
According to the Case Foundation, nearly 90% of all nonprofits are on Facebook, but few of them are using it right. Three-fourths are using social media as a megaphone, to broadcast information and alert their community about events. While this may seem like a great way to get your nonprofit’s core point across, nonprofits who use social media this way are missing the point of the medium. Social media, when leveraged wisely, creates a community and amplifies a conversation. We’ll be doing workshops throughout 48 in 48 around how to use social media to build awareness of your issue, communicate the need and, once you’ve built a community you can broadcast to, invite and encourage them to donate.
Nonprofits come to me all the time wanting an overnight ice bucket challenge similar to the ALS phenomenon to raise oodles of funds. I tell them that the ALS ice bucket challenge was a fluke sensation and not replicable, even if you come up with a more clever antic than throwing a bucket of freezing cold water over your head.
You don’t have to come up with a gimmick to be successful on social media. Understanding how the various platforms work and how you can grow your audience is step one in nurturing a new digital donor base. During our time at 48 in 48, we hope we can help nonprofits uncover a series of simple, practical steps they can take to develop their social media presence and use it to measurably benefit their cause.
