Navigating Social Media For Nonprofits

With 2023 behind us, the new year offers nonprofit organizations an opportunity to evaluate their current social media practices. At Marino, we recognize the challenges of today’s ever-changing social media landscape and why it’s more important now than ever to advocate for change. Having a strong social media strategy is essential for nonprofits to effectively communicate information, engage your audience, and further advance your mission.  

Here’s five tips to help your nonprofit stand out in 2024.

1. Understand Your Audience.  
   While every nonprofit supports a specific cause, it’s critical to align your social media strategy with your audience. Be mindful of which platforms your target demographic is on and what content they’re more likely to interact with. In addition, take advantage of metrics to monitor what’s working and what’s not. By tracking KPIs like impressions and shares, you can measure success and gather tangible insights. Meanwhile, stay on top of trends in your industry and follow other nonprofits to see how they engage with their followers and what resonates. As a result, you  will earn your followers’ trust which in turn can make them feel empowered to give back.
2. Leverage Videos on Social Media.  
   Video content plays a key role in storytelling on social media. Given the algorithms on social media and constant information overload, it is important to do what you can to catch and hold your audience’s attention. Whether it be a message from your CEO or a real-life testimonial, nonprofit videos can deepen emotional connections, demonstrate your organization’s impact and more.
3. Engage with Partners.
   Connecting with key partners is another way to grow your audience. This can be as simple as tagging and mentioning them in posts and liking or sharing their content. You can also share collaborative posts when joining forces on a special initiative. During nonprofit events, upload behind-the-scenes content with your partners that makes people excited to learn more. When your own nonprofit is tagged, it is a great opportunity to share the post on your Instagram Story, repost and/or comment on it to raise visibility.
4. Maintain Consistency.
   Consistency is key. It is vital that your nonprofit organization posts regularly on social media to keep your audience informed and engaged. By building a monthly content calendar, you can stay organized and highlight valuable programs. Similarly, look into scheduling posts in advance on social media management platforms to save time. While it’s important that your organization is active on social media platforms, it is equally important to be posting with purpose. Every post should remind your audience why they want to support your organization and the good it serves the greater community. The style of your content should also be in line with your brand. When possible, use the same color scheme and typeface on graphics, Instagram Stories, etc.
5. Use Nonprofit Social Media Hashtags.  
   Hashtags are a quick way to spread the word about your nonprofit work and help your organization gain additional followers. For example, create 1 – 3 hashtags to promote specific events. You can also use hashtags on larger national days like #GivingTuesday or general hashtags throughout the year like #educationequity. Of course, be selective when choosing hashtags to avoid your post coming off as spam or irrelevant.

Your organization’s social media channels ultimately serve as an extension of your nonprofit’s brand and the vision you have for the world. By implementing these strategies, your nonprofit will be able to reach more people on social media to ultimately help broaden your reach, raise awareness of your mission and generate support.