As experienced nonprofit specialists, you know that successful events are crucial for raising awareness and money to help your important cause. You want to produce an enjoyable and memorable event that will attract donors and help you meet your fundraising goals. Once you have your special event planned and scheduled, it's time to turn to social media to reach your target audience to boost attendance and get those donations pouring in.
Put the Internet and Social Media to Good Use to Make Your Event a Success
If you aren't using these to help your nonprofit raise money, you are missing a simple and effective way to reach your target audience. In fact, according to a survey from the Case Foundation, a whopping 88 percent of nonprofits indicated that they consider email and websites to be their most important communication tools.
Nonprofits are also seeing social media grow at an amazing rate, with followers up by around 40 percent. The success rate of using it is astonishing, so it is crucial for the success of your fundraising efforts to take advantage of it and online marketing tools to increase your event attendance and raise more money.
Tips to Increase Engagement and Attendance for Your Nonprofit
Although every type of business can benefit from social media marketing, each industry has a unique strategy that works best for their market. Nonprofits are no exception, as they differ from most companies because they are supported by donations from philanthropists, members, and supporters who donate when they feel compelled to help. Here are some creative tips for your donor audience.
Social Media Tips and Top Internet Tools for Nonprofits
Use Visuals to Attract Attention
Using photos or videos in your posts is a great way to get people engaged — especially if it spotlights donors, attendees, and other scenes from your community events.
Find Supporters in Your Area
The key to making a great invitation list for your event is to know the supporters in your area. Tools like Followerwonk let you quickly analyze your Twitter followers, using a map indicating where they are located. Then you can direct local event information directly to them.
Ask Your Followers for Their Opinion
Posts that pose a question to followers get 50 percent more attention than those that make a statement. Ask followers what they would do or what they like, and see engagement soar!
Receive Donations Via Texts and Tweets
If folks can't make it to your event, using an Internet tool such as Text-to-Give lets donors make donations from anywhere — at any time — as quickly as they can send a text. In addition, donations can be made via Twitter by using Charitweet. Register for online accounts to let your supporters donate by simply clicking your link!
Birds of a Feather
Make it a point to interact with other social media pages that are relevant to your cause. Connecting with and supporting other nonprofits and like-minded businesses who support your mission helps raise your page's visibility. Be sure to comment, share, and "Like" their posts to build your community.
Control Where Their "Click" Lands
Be sure to direct your followers to pages on your website where they can make a donation when they "click" on your post. It is important to have designated landing pages on your website to accompany your posts.
Follow Supporters
In addition to traditional news sources for press coverage for your nonprofit fundraising event, follow online contacts such as journalists and online publications who show interest in your cause. They are more likely to share your event news with their followers.
Capture Social Profiles
Each time someone registers on your website, make sure to ask for that person's social profile in addition to email address. Simply add social sign-in to your registration form to ask for people's info so you can connect with them as needed.
Google for Nonprofits
Google offers a variety of online tools created specifically for nonprofits. These tools can help you easily engage and connect with your supporters. They can help increase support and create greater awareness on a global level.
Social media is a great way for nonprofits to grow. An online social presence allows your organization to build a community of supporters, which will make your events so much more successful. Build your online presence to watch your events become more successful and see your fundraising proceeds grow.
Additional Resources
- Check out 9 Tips to Maximize Your Fundraising with Social Media
- Learn about How Libraries Use Social Media
