Social Media for Nonprofits

In this economy, it can be tempting to flood your donors with information. You’re proud of your achievements and you want them to know that you’re spending their money wisely. Most of all, you want them to keep giving. But a lot of nonprofits fall in the trap of giving out too much info. As a result the donor becomes overwhelmed and tunes out.

This happened recently when I came home and found a very lengthy glossy newsletter from a nonprofit. I’m sure it was packed with lots of good information and it was obvious that a lot of time and money had been spent on the publication. But other than take a quick scan, I haven’t read it. Like many, the demands of a busy schedule leaves me with a limited amount of free time. And reading a long report on a nonprofit will often go the the bottom of my list.

The problem is that many nonprofits assume that we have nothing else going on in our lives and have plenty of time to study up on their work. They also feel the need to justify printing and mailing costs by cramming in as many facts as possible.  So they end up with a dense document that sits on kitchen counters, unread.

So why not send out your news in small bites that can be easily digested by your supporters. With social media, you can send out countless messages. This way of marketing is highly cost effective. With a blog, a Facebook page, and YouTube videos, you can maintain a steady stream of content that won’t overwhelm anyone. Keep your blog posts under 500 words. Have your YouTube video clips run between two to three minutes.

Social media provides you an easy way to deliver information to your supporters that won’t break your bank or try their patience.

Additional Resources:

• Convincing a Non-Believer About Social Media
• Get Inspired By Movies
• Define Your Importance In Your Community