6 Twitter Setup Tips for Nonprofit Fundraising

I am continuing my Social Media Summer Series geared towards increasing nonprofit fundraising and engagement which I introduced at the beginning of the month with 8 Social Media and Online Basics for Nonprofit Fundraising. I followed it up with 7 Facebook Page Set-Up Tips and 6 Facebook Considerations for Nonprofit Fundraising and Outreach last week and I am continuing this week with a focus on Twitter. I have written about Twitter earlier in 5 Tips to Integrate Twitter into Nonprofit Fundraising and Outreach Campaigns but there is so much more to explore with this versatile platform. .

Also known as micro-blogging, Twitter messages are limited to 140 characters which is enough to transmit relevant and insightful messages that can help increase donor and supporter engagement. Twitter is also great way to introduce your nonprofit organization to new supporters and other organizations. The set up of your Twitter account will contribute to the success of your social media marketing plan and the effectiveness of your presence on this platform. The following are six key setup tips that nonprofits should consider during the implementation and integration phase:

Image courtesy of inboundmarketing.co.uk

1. Twitter Army. Due to the nature of the Twitter platform and its 140 character tweet limit, the platform is more of a personal and individual experience. Ideally there should be a main account for the organization that is maintained by 2-3 (trusted) individuals and depending on the size of the nonprofit’s organization there should also be individual accounts of employees or volunteers that share the nonprofit’s tweets with their own network. This will help grow the follower base of the nonprofit and further personalize the cause.
2. User Name & Avatar. The ‘Username’ of your account should be the brand name of the organization or the individual. Avoid using short forms or acronyms, as this may limit how often you are found, unless your organization is well known by its acronym. The main account should have the nonprofit’s logo as the avatar just as individual accounts should have the picture of the individual. Pictures should be no bigger than 700k in either PNG, GIF or JPEG formats.
3. Bio. Also limited to 140 characters, your bio is one of the key components of your profile and should contain the link to your organization’s website and hash-tagged keywords that are specific to your cause or organization to help supporters find you.
4. Personalized Page. Uploading a background or design that is consistent with and best reflects your nonprofit’s brand image will make your Twitter page stand out. The image should not be larger than 800k and also in PNG, GIF or JPG formats. The main benefit of customizing the display background picture is that it can add information about your organization including contact information and it can include specific details on a current campaign or appeal. Using the same background display picture across all the organization’s Twitter accounts will keep it uniformed. Consistency is important especially as marketers believe it takes 7-12 impressions to build brand trust and loyalty.
5. Set Up Lists. Use lists to organize those you follow and help isolate the tweets you want to see in your timeline feed. These lists can be made private or public. On the upper right hand corner click on the down arrow, then on Lists and on Create Lists. Some list name ideas include: Donors and Supporters; Nonprofit Organizations; Nonprofit News, Resources & Info; Volunteers; Board Members; Vendors and Partners; and Industry Leaders & Experts. The possibilities are many, but it’s important to set up your lists so they make sense and are specific to your organization.
6. Goals & Objectives. It’s important that you set goals and objectives for your Twitter marketing initiatives, as these help establish benchmarks and metrics to determine success and your return on investment. Main goals and objectives should include: increase brand and cause awareness, build supporter base and strengthen supporter/donor loyalty. Metrics to measure can include click through rates, follower retention rates, mentions, number of followers and the reach of your tweets. These can be tracked through third party tools which will be covered in my post tomorrow.

Once set up, you are ready to begin using Twitter and start engaging and expanding your followers. Remember every impression is a step in the right direction. Check back tomorrow for the second part of my Twitter focus with how to maximize your efforts.
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Miratel Solutions is a Toronto call centre, eBusiness, and letter shop mail house specializing in professional fundraising services including telephone fundraising, online fundraising, lottery services, donation caging, donation processing and other donor management services. We are committed to our CSR business values in all contact centre services and mail house operations and advancing the missions of the nonprofits we proudly serve.