Marry McAleavey is a content writer at TheEssayService.org writing company. She is also a social media enthusiast and exciting content lover.
Are you having a hard time getting people to like and share your nonprofit posts on Facebook? You’re not alone. Most people go into Facebook promotions without a clue. Some get lucky, while others are left floundering on the shore struggling to ride the social media waves back out to sea.
Facebook is currently one of the best platforms for successfully promoting an organization, if you know how to use it. This is partly due to the fact that there are now well over one billion users. In order to make yourself visible to the masses, you need to use posting techniques that optimize the fan experience.
Whether you’re a volunteer or the director of your organization, the first thing you’ll want to do when promoting your nonprofit via Facebook, is read this guide to get you started. That will help the wheels begin to turn and you can lay the groundwork for a professional page presence. Once your nonprofit’s basic info is public, you can read on and learn to really increase engagement with your posts.
And remember, an effective Facebook campaign often starts with compelling social media visuals. Venngage’s nonprofit templates will get you started.
Can You Creatively Tell the Story of Your Organization?
The number one nonprofit on social media, TED, didn’t gain nearly 9 million fans without understanding the power of story. In this area, they seem to have a lead in the market due to the nature of their organizational structure, founded to spread inspirational ideas from the experts in many fields. If you take a look at their Facebook page today, you’ll see a pinned post from December 21 that perfectly showcases an example of telling the story of an organization.
Here, TED creatively compiled a montage of the best ideas shared by speakers in 2015. The post received over 6,000 likes and nearly as many shares. If it’s the reach you’re going for, story will definitely help you get there.
You may not be so lucky to have a nonprofit structure that is built on videos that are just sitting there, waiting for you to mash them together. You do have your own story, however. Share your organization’s narrative using images, nonprofit infographics, written accounts, and videos. Remember, stories have an introduction, a climax, and a resolution.
For further understanding of how to use this knowledge for your own gain, take a look at what the social media platform itself had to say about the value of storytelling. The article provides real, insider data relating to quality Facebook engagement that is fueled by story.
Have You Showcased Micro-Volunteer Opportunities?
A perfect compliment to good story posts, micro-volunteering is a kind of virtual volunteer opportunity that participants can conduct with just a little effort, usually from a smartphone or other electronic device. This is a great way to get people to engage on your Facebook page and help out your cause at the same time.
Some visitors will be interested in helping you reach your goals by investing their own time and energy to help. Others will like the fact that you highlight volunteer opportunities on Facebook because they can see, in real time, what difference your organization is making in the world.
In November, 2015, UNICEF promoted a micro-volunteering opportunity to get fans involved in their #BeAThinker campaign. They posted a photo album of others around the world participating in the campaign, and prompted fans to do the same.
By simply posting a photo of themselves with the accompanying hashtag along with their own thoughts on the matter, visitors to the Facebook album were invited to get involved. This provided a way for fans to contribute to raising awareness from the comfort of their own homes. Besides, you can maximize your reach by applying the same hashtag on other platforms, like Instagram.
If you come up with a good plan for posting a micro-volunteering opportunity on Facebook, you can promote traffic to your post via Skills for Change and Help from Home. Check them out.
There is a Better Way to Share Your Fundraising Events
Whether it be crowdfunding online or a live event, Facebook can change the game of the entire for your nonprofit. How? Well, the events aren’t just for kids’ birthday parties. Here’s a step-by step guide for announcing a fundraising event:
1. In advance, create events directly from your page timeline to ensure that the post will be instantly seen on your wall, then pin it to the top of the page for new visitors.
2. Invite all fans and friends to the event.
3. Ask colleagues and those within the organization to invite their friends and followers.
4. Share the Facebook event url on your personal profiles as well as across other social media platforms.
5. Post updates on the event page daily, from when the initial invites are sent until the campaign is complete.
6. On the day you launch your campaign, create a milestone for the event to remind fans what you’re up to. You can create another milestone when the fundraising is successful if you like.
- Your final post should always be a thank you note to participants and/ or a survey, if you’re seeking additional insight about the campaign audience.
These simple steps are going to make a huge difference in the way you run your fundraising events on Facebook. Try running Facebook analytics for the events that you run before and after implementing this advice. You are sure to see huge gains in traffic and conversions.
Summary
After reading through this, you should have a better understanding of storytelling for your organization, a clear picture of micro-blogging post, and an idea how to properly run your next Facebook event. For improved engagement, start applying these ideas to your social media marketing immediately.
Bonus: 5 Must-Have Infographic Templates to Supercharge Your Nonprofit