The Ultimate Social Media Guide for Nonprofits

To say that social media is one of the most useful technologies of this modern age would be an understatement. Billions of people have social media accounts: it’s no wonder why organizations everywhere are taking advantage.

Social media is more than just a website where we can chat with friends; it is an outreach tool businesses and nonprofits use to reach wider audiences and increase awareness of their brands.

If you run a nonprofit, the potential for gaining new followers and raising more funds for your cause is huge. It’s time to take advantage of the opportunity and utilize the power of social media. 

As you explore the various possibilities of social media, consider partnering with a nonprofit marketing agency. These experts enhance your social media strategy and specialize in helping nonprofits reach their objectives.

And here’s Jason on what it’s like working with a digital marketing agency:

With that goal in mind, we’ve prepared this comprehensive guide to social media for nonprofits! Let’s discuss how to make the most of social media marketing and implement our techniques into your strategy.

Benefits of Social Media for Nonprofits

No organization can deny the power of social media in today’s age. Its numerous benefits make it one of the most attractive tools for taking your nonprofit to the next level.

Let’s go over some of the benefits of social media for nonprofits:

Gain More Members and Volunteers

Social media gives nonprofits an opportunity to speak to millions (or even billions) of people and make their missions and goals known. More exposure and awareness means more people to help your cause. 

With the right lead generation and member retention strategies, you can find a large following of loyal members, volunteers, and donors. Not only does social media attract more volunteers and donors, but it also attracts potential brands and sponsors that can support your nonprofit’s missions and events. 

Various social media platforms are handy for connecting and partnering with professionals (looking at you, LinkedIn) and influencers (looking at you, basically every social media app ever). You can share information on your cause, and they can offer support in likes, comments, subscribes, and—most importantly—sharing your content or becoming a casual (or formal) spokesperson.

This is an incredible way to collaborate on various initiatives. After all, who can think of ASPCA commercials without Sarah McLachlan’s music? When team-ups are good, they are powerful. Those commercials raised over 30 million dollars for the ASPCA in two years in the 2000s. They’re still played today on YouTube and other apps, along with television. 

Essentially, the more people you have on your team, the faster and easier it is to fulfill your outreach missions, host successful events, and raise more funds that go toward making a difference.

Increased Funding

With more followers comes more fundraising opportunities. Social media isn’t just for sharing cute videos and funny memes; social media allows accounts to raise funds (the guidelines and rules for this depend on the app in question). 

With the wide reach of social media, people all over the country or even the world can send in donations.

This is unlike traditional fundraising methods like direct mail or cold calling, which take much more time and energy. Donations from social media come in faster and tend to take up less budget. Now, social media users can donate from the comfort of their own home—or while outside it. That makes it even potentially more powerful than commercials tied purely to television, like in the past. 

Improved Engagement

Thanks to social media, you can engage with your audience, which makes it feel like you all know each other. Basically, it’s establishing a brand. A strong brand means stronger relationships with members and donors. 

Charities can interact with their audience in a variety of ways on social platforms. For instance, interactions could look like sharing regular updates and relevant content aimed at educating people on current and upcoming issues or the latest happenings in the organization. 

Your account can also respond individually to comments and messages, engaging in meaningful conversations with members, professionals, and other nonprofits.

These days, a nonprofit organization can’t really be a one-way street where people simply give a donation, and then that’s it. People are looking for emotional connection and the real feeling that they made a difference. That comes with a personal connection to the organization and the cause. 

Cost-Effectiveness

Unlike traditional marketing like TV commercials, radio ads, and billboards, social media is one of the most affordable marketing methods. The most popular social media platforms (like Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram) are free. The costs associated with creating posts tend to be low (or at least lower than television ads), and sharing these posts is free. 

Of course, promoted posts come at a cost, but typically not a very high one. If you’re planning to spend a little extra on paid social media ads, you’re still spending relatively less compared to traditional media.

Challenges of Social Media for Nonprofits

With all of the benefits that social media presents, there are also bound to be inevitable challenges. It’s best to be aware of these potential drawbacks before you begin your nonprofit’s social media campaign.

Staffing Requirements

Nonprofit organizations are not as big as commercial organizations. They don’t always have dedicated staff members to accomplish various tasks, such as a marketing or social media team to handle all responsibilities in the social media department.

Nonprofit members are left to deal with these tasks themselves, making it challenging to manage tasks outside social media. Keeping the quality of content up (and the posting consistent) is vital.

Budget Restraints

Since nonprofits don’t operate for profit, there’s often a lack of budget for social media and marketing tasks. Even though creating an account on social media is free, funding is still needed for content creation, sponsored posts, and tools for tracking analytics (although many of those, like Google Analytics, are free).

Another challenge that a nonprofit may face is budget restraints. In order to use funds effectively, nonprofits must come up with a clear budget plan that indicates where exactly they will use their expenses. Otherwise, it may lead to overspending or mismanagement of funds until there isn’t much left.

Training Necessities and Skill Development

Nonprofit teams may lack the specialized skills needed to manage social media. Social media requires a lot more than simply posting and sharing content. There may also be moments when the organization requires other expertise to create interesting posts and drive more attention, such as graphic design, video creation, copywriting, and tracking analytics.

Without the right training and expertise, nonprofits run the risk of posting poor-quality content. They may also find themselves posting too much or too little at the wrong times, leading to a lack of impressions and missed opportunities.

It is ideal to have someone on the team who has a strong grasp of all social media platforms and is familiar with the best practices of social media to get the best results.

Dealing With a Saturated Market

Social media platforms are bustling with nonprofits competing for the same audience. While it is always a good thing that other nonprofits are getting recognition (especially if it is one that shares the same goals and mission as yours), it is always better to have that attention be directed at your own nonprofit.

This saturation makes it difficult to stand out, especially for newer nonprofits competing against those who have been around longer and have a larger following. Getting more exposure may be a tall order, no matter how well-planned out a campaign is.

As a result, your team members must work twice as hard to win over new audiences, develop your organization’s identity, and create content that rivals that of other nonprofits.

Social Media Best Practices for Nonprofits

Social media for nonprofits may be easy to navigate at first, but there is more to it than just creating posts and uploading pictures. Maximizing its full potential involves implementing the right practices.

The following best practices are your ticket to a successful social media strategy.

1. Set SMART Goals

Before you begin your nonprofit social media strategy, determine what specifically you are trying to accomplish. This is where goal-setting and establishing KPIs are crucial.

The key to setting goals is to establish SMART goals—a catchy acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely.

For example, let’s say your goal is to increase your follower count. This is a good starting point, but it is too broad with no specific plans of action. Break it down further into SMART goals, with this example here:

• Specific: Increase our follower count on Facebook and Instagram by 50%.
• Measurable: Increase the number of followers on our Facebook and Instagram pages by creating and posting new content every two to three days (image-based, user-generated, etc.)
• Achievable: Create a content strategy of what to post and when.
• Relevant: More followers will increase our authority as a nonprofit and drive more leads our way.
• Timely: We will roll out this strategy on the first day of the month and run it for the next three months. We will collect and analyze the data every Friday.

Goals that are specific and quantifiable are easier to achieve and visualize. In fact, studies show that measurable, defined goals are more likely to be achieved. Working with set parameters helps keep us on track so we actively work toward our goals. The last thing a charity or corporation wants is to fall into the trap of relying on guesswork or assumptions.

2. Research Your Target Audience

A nonprofit marketing strategy is the most effective when it understands the audience and their unique traits: This is where conducting market research to learn more about your target audience comes in.

• Target Audience Defined: A target audience is a group of people who are most likely to be interested in your organization. You can have multiple target audiences, depending on their specific needs.

For audience analysis, try segmenting your audience based on different criteria, such as:

• Demographic data: Age, gender, income level, etc.
• Behavioral data: Previous interactions with your nonprofit, donation history, etc.
• Psychographic data: Values, interests, lifestyle choices, etc.

3. Create a Buyer Persona

To know your audience even better, put together a buyer persona. Creating a buyer persona is a vital part of understanding consumer behavior (which isn’t just for corporations).

• Buyer Persona Defined: If a target audience is a more general idea of who is interested in your organization, a buyer persona is a more specific and personal representation of your ideal customer.

It’s like putting yourself in one of your audience member’s shoes and getting to know them and their unique situation. After all, even if you have many people in the same group, each person in that group is going to have different personalities, motivations, pain points, and so on.

Start by collecting using different data collection methods like surveys, interviews, or feedback. Organize your data according to different criteria; look for common points and patterns.

Once you’ve sorted out the data and identified common points, it’s time to create your buyer persona. This process is like creating a fictional character, a representation of your ideal audience member. Use the information gathered and come up with their personality traits and characteristics.

Once you finalized your buyer persona, use it as a basis for social media marketing strategies. This will help you come up with ideas that are personal and tailored to your ideal customer.

Here’s an example of a buyer persona: Emily, the Dog Lover. 

Buyer Persona: Emily the Dog Lover

Demographics:

• Age: 28
• Occupation: Graphic Designer
• Location: Urban area

Psychographics:

• Interests: Animal welfare, community events, art
• Values: Compassion, community involvement, creativity

Goals:

• To help dogs find loving homes.
• To use her design skills to help animal rescues.

Challenges:

• Balancing her job with volunteer commitments.
• Finding flexible opportunities,

Preferred Channels:

• Social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok
• Follows dog rescue organizations for updates and volunteer opportunities.

3. Pick Your Platforms

Different platforms are ideal for different objectives. Depending on your objective, each platform has its own strengths from which your nonprofit can benefit.

Some of the most commonly used platforms include:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• X (Formerly Twitter)
• LinkedIn
• TikTok
• YouTube

Facebook and Instagram are ideal for promoting your business and giving people an inside look into your nonprofit’s events, missions, and goals. Post here for lead generation and donor outreach opportunities. 

X (formerly known as Twitter) is mostly used for real-time updates and engagement. This platform is a good choice for keeping your audience in the loop and sharing relevant news and information. You can also use unique hashtags to increase visibility.

LinkedIn connects you with professionals and other companies that you can collaborate with and get as sponsors. The formal setting facilitates meaningful conversations with experts, fellow nonprofit owners, or people interested in your field. It’s a smart way to find people with the skills you need. For example, you could post looking for volunteer copywriters or connect with brands for potential sponsorships. 

TikTok and YouTube are two video-sharing platforms perfect for reaching audiences through short-form videos or longer videos (and shorter reels), respectively. You might post educational or informative content to keep your audience informed.

4. Create a Content Calendar

Content rules the digital world and is essential to developing a strong online presence. Posting is as much science as it is art. To make the most of your social media nonprofit campaign, create a content calendar.

A content calendar is a written schedule that tracks your content and where and when to publish it. Content calendars also list down future pieces of content to publish, content status updates, and potential content ideas.

Use calendars to keep your content strategy organized and consistent as doing so increases your chances of finding your target audience. 

Creating a content calendar isn’t simply a matter of picking a date for a post. A content calendar typically contains elements like these to guide your strategy.

• Post type: Are you posting an article, a social media post, images, or video? Give each piece of content a label so they can easily be spotted and organized.
• Overview of the post: What does this piece of content talk about? Write a brief summary of what your post talks about to make it clear to the rest of the team.
• Platform: Posting on the right platform makes a huge difference. Be sure to indicate which platform/s you are going to publish on.
• Date and time of publishing: Make sure the date and time of publishing are clear to prevent confusion and setbacks in the schedule.
• Post status: Have clear statuses (ex. Published, Pending, Editing) for each piece for transparency and easier monitoring.
• Visuals: Add a link containing the visuals or infographics needed (per post) for easier access.
• Metrics: Have a place to note metrics, such as clicks or rankings on Google. Try to schedule a regular audit to update social media metrics over time.

If you need some extra help creating your content calendar, consider hiring an agency that specializes in content marketing services to help you put your calendar together and create an overall content strategy.

5. Work With a Nonprofit Marketing Agency

Instagram has over 200 million active businesses, showing off everything from matching pajamas for dogs and their owners to business courses. To get your message heard among all the viral products and silly dances, a nonprofit needs social media.

Social media for nonprofits can be a lot of work, given the lack of expertise and resources. However, when you have a nonprofit marketing agency on your side, you don’t have to worry about lackluster campaigns or static engagement.

A nonprofit marketing agency partners with nonprofit organizations to increase engagement and funds, bring more attention to your cause, and refine all marketing strategies to bring measurable results.

What better people to partner up with than the experts? These agencies (like us at Digital Authority Partners (DAP)) consist of professionals with years of experience and knowledge in all areas of marketing, including social media.

With the help of an agency, you get access to many expert-level services that will drive your nonprofit to new heights. These include:

• Custom marketing strategies
• Search engine optimization
• Audience engagement/review responses
• Email marketing
• Content marketing
• Website design and development

There is a lot of work that goes into choosing the perfect agency to partner with. Start by doing research on reputable companies that partner with nonprofits. Look at their credentials, experience level, and case studies to get an understanding of how they operate.

At Digital Authority Partners, we’re proud of the work we’ve done with our nonprofit clients and are honored to help them help others.

Take a look at the recent work we’ve done for The Magnificent Mile Association:

6. Establish a Social Media Policy for Nonprofits

Social media has laws and guidelines about what you can post, how you respond to comments, and more. To ensure compliance and avoid the risk of penalties, write a clear social media policy for your nonprofit.

A social media policy details all rules and regulations for using social media to promote your group. These policies follow the guidelines of each particular app in question (as well as state and federal guidelines).

Start by defining your nonprofit’s goals, what you hope to accomplish using social media, and for whom. What potential challenges might you face online? These questions help define the scope of a policy and identify all parties involved.

Appoint key people who can access your nonprofit’s social media accounts and be in charge of posting and overseeing all activity and analytics.

The next step is to establish the rules and expectations for using social media. Clearly state what should (and should not be) posted, how often, and how to respond to negative feedback. Guidelines should align with the nonprofit’s mission and vision.

As more people engage with your nonprofit, maintaining data security is crucial. Protect your audience’s personal information with strong data security measures. 

Such measures might include:

• Securing payment gateway
• Encrypting sensitive information
• Updating software on a regular basis
• Following PCI compliance standards (with credit card donations)

7. Track Your Social Media Benchmarks

Social media benchmarks are a guide to determine how a marketing strategy is doing.

Some important metrics to track include:

• Engagement rate: The engagement rate measures the number of interactions (likes, comments, shares) your post has. It’s an indicator of how well the content is performing.
• Conversion rate: Conversion rate is the percentage of people who clicked on a specific call to action (making a donation, signing up for a newsletter, and more.). This shows that a campaign was effective enough to win a response from your audience.
• Awareness metrics: Awareness metrics such as impressions, reach, and views are essential in knowing how many users have seen the content. 

Competitor analysis is another aspect. Other nonprofits have social media accounts too, so it is worth checking out how they present themselves and what their metrics look like.

Look for nonprofits who share a similar cause and review their marketing campaigns. This includes what kind of content they are posting, how often they post, and how they interact with their audience. These give you an idea of what to adjust in your social media campaigns.

Since there are several metrics and numbers to track, consider working with an analytics agency. 

Social Media Tips for Nonprofits

Now that we’ve reviewed the best practices, we can cover seven tips for social media for nonprofits.

Considerations for Social Platforms

Social media for nonprofits is user-friendly and informal in nature, but just like with all traditional and digital means of marketing, there are specific requirements to follow. These requirements are different for each platform; read through them to avoid penalties. 

For example, as of June 2024, Facebook requires all pages to have at least 100 followers and be at least 60 days old before you start livestreaming. LinkedIn requires something similar—accounts must have at least 150 followers.

When using Instagram for fundraising, look over these requirements:

• After you enroll, you have to get approval to use Facebook’s fundraising tools
• Your account is an Instagram business account
• Connect your Instagram business account with your nonprofit’s verified Facebook page
• Check if you are eligible to add donation stickers on Instagram

Channel Integration

Social media is a giant network that connects people across different platforms. This giant web of platforms is a good way to expand the reach of your nonprofit.

Use this interconnectedness to branch out to other platforms. For example, Facebook and Instagram are already under the same company, Meta. They’re intertwined: You can post the same thing to both platforms simultaneously. This is a great way to reach out to your followers who may not be on the other platform.

It’s also a good idea to include your website or social media accounts at the end of your email newsletter or blog articles. When your audience is finished reading, they can easily find your social media profile or website to learn more about the nonprofit.

Be Responsive

Being responsive and practicing open communication with anyone inside or outside your organization helps establish your credibility. It shows people that you’re reliable, trustworthy, and accommodating.

Consider setting alerts or notifications as well so that you and your team can stay on top of communications and messages. This allows you to write a speedy response so people don’t wait for too long.

Partner With Ambassadors

Everyone loves a good collaboration, and partnering with ambassadors, influencers, and even other nonprofits helps spread the word to more people and leads to greater membership opportunities. It also allows you to gain more funding for events and missions.

Before you reach out to anyone, determine what kind of collaboration you’re aiming for. It may be for the long-term or a one-time event. Try to outline your ideal collaboration before sending a message.

Research relevant partners who share interests and goals with your organization. Even if you partner with a fellow nonprofit, it’s not about competition, but rather working together to reach a common goal.

Make Your Supporters Feel Valued

Your supporters and donors are the life and soul of your nonprofit. They play a huge role in helping a nonprofit exercise its missions. We want them to feel valued and appreciated for all they’ve done.

Sending out an automatic thank-you donor email is a wonderful way to offer immediate gratitude. Merge tags or dynamic tags allow emails to go out with a personalized touch, with the donor’s name or the donating company’s name. 

You can also do this through a shout-out post on Instagram to thank people or groups for significant gifts or volunteer efforts. Sending small gifts (like magnets or stickers) is also appreciated.

You can also ask volunteers to send you a note about their day of volunteering and maybe a photo they took as a form of testimonial. If they give you the OK to repost this, this form of content is a fantastic form of social proof.

Utilize Videos

Video consumption is one of the hottest types of content today, with short-form video platforms like TikTok, Instagram stories, and YouTube reels taking the world by storm.

Video content is easy to consume, engaging, and gives people an inside look into what your nonprofit does. Your videos don’t have to be Spielberg-quality; brief highlights of your events or interviews with members are great. 

Share Your Impact

You worked hard! Be loud and proud about your achievements. Use social media as an avenue to celebrate wins—both big and small.

You can do this in a variety of ways, such as a simple post announcing that you’ve reached your fundraising goal accompanied by a thank you message to all who contributed. You can also share highlights from a successful event and talk about the difference it’ll make.

Sharing stories from those you’ve helped is another way to do this. It’s always a good feeling to hear a firsthand story from someone whose life you’ve positively impacted. It also inspires people to do the same, which can lead to more attention to your nonprofit.

Successful Nonprofit Social Media Strategy Examples

When used correctly, social media can become a powerful tool to propel your charity forward. Read about how DAP used social media to help nonprofits achieve their goals.

LifeMoves

Let’s talk about DAP’s work with LifeMoves:

LifeMoves is a nonprofit focusing on solutions combating the housing crisis and homelessness. This organization works to end the cycle of homelessness by providing stable housing, counseling, and other critical resources. 

LifeMoves wanted to boost donor and community engagement but needed to increase their social media presence. Our team at DAP created a social media strategy backed by a user-friendly, mobile-first website redesign. Our fractional CMO expert defined the year-long strategy and reported on it along the way.

With investments in paid search, paid social ads, and A/B testing on email marketing, LifeMoves finally saw the results they hoped for.

Donors and participation at their annual flagship event increased by 19x, with their marketing campaign garnering over two million impressions and 3,100 clicks. These strategies led to a significant improvement in LifeMoves’ visibility and support for their cause.

Frequently Asked Questions About Social Media for Nonprofits 

Why Is Social Media Important for Nonprofits?

Social media is important for nonprofits because it increases online visibility and drives more awareness to your organization. Platforms like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and LinkedIn all have large audiences, making them ideal places for gaining new members, donors, and supporters.

Social media is also very accessible and cost-effective, making it a breeze to share information and updates, promote events, and encourage involvement. In addition to social media, try out SEO tips for non-profit organizations to increase traffic to your website and achieve higher search engine rankings.

What Are Social Media Guidelines for Nonprofits?

Social media guidelines are your set of rules and regulations for using social media to promote your nonprofit. These may include:

• Maintaining a consistent tone of voice for all posts and platforms
• Responding promptly to comments and messages
• Being transparent with your company’s goals
• Keeping people updated on the organization’s activities and developments
• Practicing data security and privacy of donors and all stakeholders
• Diversifying content across all platforms

How Do You Increase Social Media Presence for Nonprofits?

One way to increase your social media presence is by sticking to your content calendar and maintaining a consistent posting schedule. Post relevant and valuable content regularly.

Some organizations might communicate with followers personally to build trust. Responding to questions and comments and acknowledging their posts and reviews helps build online communities. You might wish to share valuable, personal stories to connect with followers on a deeper level and cultivate a sense of community.

You can also increase your social media presence by collaborating with companies that complement your organization. It can be a worthwhile opportunity to reach out and work together in the ultimate win-win situation. 

How Many Times a Week Should Nonprofits Post on Social Media?

In theory, posting two to five times a week (of high-quality content) is recommended. 

The number of posts a nonprofit sends out typically depends on its resources and audience size. Larger organizations tend to post more, but no one wants to fall into a slump. Posting frequently is a big part of keeping the audience you have and attracting new ones. That being said, quality content wins out over quantity every time!

What Is the Best Social Media Platform for a Nonprofit Organization?

The best social media platform for one group might not be the same for another. Your goals, target audience, and content type you produce will define this. Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram are the three most used social media platforms. Don’t feel tied to one, however! A snippet of your most recent YouTube video can be posted on Instagram and you can link your latest blog to your Facebook. 

Other platforms, like TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), Snapchat, and more may work for your nonprofit, too. Ask your consulting agency for recommendations specific to your organization. 

Who Can Help With Social Media Marketing for Nonprofits?

Anyone on your nonprofit’s team can help with social media marketing, such as volunteers or advocates for your cause. You have a lot on your plate—professional digital marketing services (like us at Digital Authority Partners) can develop and track a personalized social media marketing campaign for your nonprofit. 

At DAP, we specialize in helping nonprofits reach their goals through our award-winning social media strategies. With our team of experts by your side, you don’t have to save the world alone. If you’re Batman, we’re Alfred—giving you what you need to succeed. 

Social Media for Nonprofits: Talk to the Experts

Many companies, nonprofit or otherwise, have mastered social media and have grown to be incredibly successful. Your nonprofit could be next!

If you need a helping hand, Digital Authority Partners can help. By partnering with us, you will learn essential social media tips from successful marketers with years of experience in social media management and marketing.

Nothing is too challenging for our team of social media professionals. We’d love to set up a time to talk and work together on bringing your nonprofit to new heights.