Embracing the Good in Social Media

By Dr. Jan Southern,
J. DelSUR Marketing Group

Social media. We use it to stay in touch with family and friends and wasting too much time watching TikTok videos or scrolling through Facebook. We love it. We hate it. But regardless, we use it.

Why not use it for good?

While social media has reshaped society in negative ways, there are many good reasons to embrace it.

Almost all churches, civic organizations and other nonprofits use social media to engage with their followers, reach a wider audience and directly fund raise for their causes.

Here are 5 ways you can use social media to support a cause you believe in:

1.     Share your passion

Let the needs of your organization and your passion for the cause shine through with compelling stories, images and video. As people read and watch the story of your cause, they may be inspired to join you on your journey.

2.     Expand your network

Use social media to meet others in similar organizations with parallel causes. You never know when a great partnership can develop, and you can both benefit from the relationship.

3.     Don’t forget to share

Promote your events and other content. If you belong to a church, do you share the messages or sermons from church on social media? This is the best way to grow your following and bring more people to what you love.

4.     Make it easy for your audience to give

Once you have established a following and have an engaged audience interested in your content, make it easy for them to give to the cause. Set up a form to gather their names and email addresses and put a donation link in your About section. Include the link in most of your posts as well.

5.     Know your audience

In order to really maximize the time you spend on social media, get to know your audience. Look at the insights section on Facebook to understand who your most engaged followers are and post more of the messages that appeal to them. Don’t assume your ideal person is on the social platform you use. Learn who your ideal “customer” is and choose the social media platforms where they spend the most time.

Social media is addictive and can be a major time waster. It can also be extremely useful if you look at it from a strategic point of view. It is here to stay so start using it to make the world a better place by sharing your cause for all to see.

Here are a few articles to help you with your nonprofit social media planning:

• How to Build and Mobilize a Social Media Community for Your Nonprofit in 90 Days (Available on Amazon)
• blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-for-nonprofits
  
• articles.bplans.com/a-nonprofits-ultimate-guide-to-social-media-marketing