At Transform Consulting Group, we see many organizations launch services and programs in response to an obvious need in the community or a gap to address. Your organization is getting into your work, because you have a passion for a cause. Too often nonprofits spend their time on making their programs and services amazing and not enough time on their marketing efforts.
We don’t expect you to be a marketing genius. We want to equip you with simple tools so that you can do what you do best. It starts with basic marketing practices.
We launched our Marketing 101 series with 5 Tips for Building Your Brand. In this blog, we are focusing on your social media presence and will provide simple tips you can immediately implement with little time, budget, or resources.
First, you may be wondering why invest time in social media? Social media is continuing to grow every day – with over 86% of adults now using some sort of social media platform. It is a simple, low-cost way to promote your organization.
There are numerous social media platforms you can decide to utilize for your nonprofit. We understand your time is limited and recommend choosing 1 or 2 social media platforms to get started. There is no reason to spend time on every available social media site and stretch yourself too thin. By choosing 1 or 2 platforms, you can spend the necessary time making sure your efforts get the biggest bang.
There is a little science to choosing what social media platform to invest in, and it really depends on your audience and message. However, we suggest at least starting with Facebook. In the ever changing world of social media, Facebook is still the largest platform, with over 3 billion users! Other options to consider are Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Youtube, and the list goes on. Regardless of your chosen platform, these best practices can be implemented!
5 Ways to Enhance Your Social Media
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Post Regularly
Your followers need to hear from you consistently. Your posting schedule will vary depending on your social media platform. On Facebook, you should post at least once a day. On sites like LinkedIn, you may find that posting 3 to 5 times a week is most appropriate for your audience.
This may seem daunting at first which is why we recommend scheduling your posts when possible. On Facebook, for example, you can schedule as many posts as you want for free by starting a post and then navigating to your Meta Business Suite.
There are also many tools available for scheduling posts on multiple social media sites. We have used Hootsuite and now use HubSpot to schedule posts for Transform Consulting Group.
The hardest thing about posting regularly is coming up with compelling and relevant content! When crafting your content, consider posting the following:
- Articles related to your cause to demonstrate your knowledge of the issue areas you are addressing;
- Event information for upcoming activities within your organization or community;
- Data and statistics that highlight your impact and successes;
- Pictures of your work in action (pending client approval/permission);
- Content shared by partners or other organizations in your network.
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Utilize free analytics tools
On most social media platforms, there are built-in analytics tools you can use for free. (Facebook calls these tools “Insights” and you’ll find the tab on the left side dashboard. LinkedIn has a tab called “Analytics”).
These tools are only useful if you know what data to track. Here is an example of the data we monitor on Facebook on organic posts:
- Visibility – We want to know how our posts are resonating with our audience. We look at this by tracking likes, follows, reach, and impressions.
- Engagement – The more engagement you have, the more likely Facebook is to show it to your followers. Analyze clicks, comments, post shares, and reactions to optimize your content.
- Impact – Make sure your website has Google Analytics so you can look at how much web traffic is coming from your social platforms. Then track acquisition > social > network referrals report.
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Use visuals
Photos and videos perform better on all social media platforms. Avoid posts that just include text, but instead upload images or videos that capture your followers’ attention. Always make sure to include a photo when posting links to articles or a page on your website.
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Experiment with ads
Facebook Ads can be a small financial investment for a big return. When you “Boost post” on Facebook, you are turning an existing post into a paid ad that can reach a wider audience. This ensures that people who don’t currently follow your page can see your content!
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Engage with “Fans”
Respond quickly to messages, share partners’ posts, “like” comments on your wall, etc. The more you engage, the more often your company will pop up in people’s newsfeed!
At TCG, we are passionate about helping you move your mission forward. Are you interested in partnering? Contact us today and learn more!
