Fundraising ideas – report shows how to prepare your social media campaigns (part one)

Here at Miratel we are well versed in developing creative telephone fundraising campaigns and managing them effectively to maximize donor support. We also think it worthwhile to share ideas and information that can help your non profit improve its online profile, presence and overall awareness. Social media has changed the playing field for the better – being able to create grassroots awareness for your cause has never been easier, so long as you prepare yourself.

The two largest social media methods are of course Twitter and Facebook. Both have grown exceptionally in recent years, but you may ask yourself  just what do you need to know before putting these tools to work to help your nonprofit? I found an exceptionally detailed report over at M&R Strategic which fully explains how to develop a benchmarking process for a Social Media assault. The study features fascinating research already conducted by a number of large non profits which will help clear the smoke from some social media misconceptions. The report can really help you ascertain how to balance a targeted approach which will appeal to the most relevant people and also help use your time effectively.

An online ‘face’ is a formative necessity to increase the potential for your non profit and can test the water without spending valuable time and money on research, the people you want to appeal to are the same people you can interact with. When you are ready to begin a fundraising campaign via phone you will have a clearer direction on how to reach your goals.
Some important considerations from the report relating to Facebook

• About 2.5% of Facebook ‘fans’ take some weekly action pertaining to your page – adding comments, posts and likes (approvals)
• Facebook fanbase grew by 3.5%+ per month, the organic growth potential is high if you maintain your page efficiently
• Apply efforts to build a high fanbase, each new ‘fan’ helps create growth as their news feeds then share to all of their associated friends
• Typically an organization would post updates to their Facebook account about 6 times per week
• Don’t be shy…Facebook is social above everything else – encourage your fans to spread the word, they care enough to follow you, they will care enough to share.

Finding the right activity balance on facebook is extremely important. If you post too frequently followers may elect to ignore your newsfeed or even removed themselves for your fanbase, lack of posts can suggest a ‘dead’ page and not interactive or stimulating. Facebook offers a full set of stats and metrics that you analyze to better assess your demographics and measure the impacts of changing how you manage your page. Most importantly make some effort – put some thought into writing creative and engaging posts and always interact with your fans. Failing to reply to comments can make a fan feel like they walked into a restaurant and a server didn’t bring a menu over and say hello for 30 minutes. As you know at that point many people will simply leave the restaurant.

In part two I’ll have a look at the report’s findings concerning Twitter and how to use it to build your social network to help build your non profit upward!