The word “engage” is defined as “to occupy, attract, or involve.” As a nonprofit organization, you’re all too familiar with these action verbs. The industry demands that you create a sense of involvement with community members through events or announcements, attract certain donors for fundraisers, and occupy the attention of future volunteers.
In every sense of the word, you are a master of engagement, but communicating via social media can be an entirely different beast. There are a handful of proven strategies used to enhance meaningful conversations with your audience on sites like Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and more. At beMarketing, our social media experts implement precise tactics to accelerate your company’s awareness and get your stories in front of the right people.
Below is a list of three social media marketing tips to amplify your organization’s engagement that we call the “3 be’s.”
be Personal:
Your nonprofit is a collection of passionate, dedicated, and unique people who have all made the choice to work toward societal good. Introduce your amazing cast of characters to your community! Showcasing pictures of your employees or posting some of the behind-the-scenes activities helps to put faces to the name of your organization.
Use social channels to celebrate birthdays or highlight that specific volunteer or donor that made an impactful contribution. This reminds your followers that there are real humans, with real emotions and benevolent intentions behind their screens. It also gives viewers a look behind the curtains inside your day-to-day operations, legitimizing your efforts and quenching some possible curiosities.
be Conversational:
Possibly the most common way to boost social media engagement is by simply being conversational. When you are scheduling a content spreadsheet for each month, make sure to include 2-3 posts that encourage your followers to “comment” their response, “tag” a friend, or share a personal experience. This variation of social media marketing can break the barrier between company and consumer, producing a sense of involvement and a leveled relationship.
Engagement doesn’t end with a simple question or a prompt in the caption, however. Below your posts, there are even more opportunities to converse with your audience. Take the time to “like” comments, write genuine replies, or even further conversations by asking additional questions. These personal interactions, (although they are through digital mediums), can make real-world impressions on the people you wish to engage with.
be Collaborative:
Your nonprofit thrives on consistent collaboration with other organizations, corporate partners, and volunteers. A nonprofit social media marketing campaign should be no different. Almost every social media platform equips you with the ability to tag these companies or groups in your posts or mention them in captions and the comment sections. This helps you to promote essential relationships, attract new audiences, and possibly establish future partnerships. It’s also a great idea to utilize certain hashtags that are relevant to your organization and your mission. Hashtags create a broader interest-based community that spans far beyond zip codes.
beMarketing has helped nonprofit organizations develop and manage engaging social media content for over 10 years. Our innovative, data-driven marketing approach is designed to deliver sustainable growth and profitability. We work diligently on your behalf so that you can focus on what’s really important: your cause. Connect with our team today to find out how we can elevate your social media presence!