Social media is the platform through which communication, advertising, and sharing happens now. Statistics show that since 2012, the average number of social media platforms per user has risen from three to seven accounts. In order to run a successful fundraising campaign, it is important to take advantage of all that social media has to offer in regards to strengthening said campaign.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM
Different fundraising campaigns will call for a different target audience; make sure to design your social media outreach to match the demographic you are targeting. Ask yourself what you want from the audience. How does your audience think? Which demographic are you looking for? Finding the right target audience will help you hone in on which social media platform to use. Each social media platform will attract a slightly different pool of people. Check out this year’s Social Audience Guide to see who is using what.
GET YOUR AUDIENCE TO INTERACT
Having an active audience on your social media profiles is a key to promoting an event – the more people that know about it, the more successful it will ultimately be. Use hashtags to allow your viewers to join in on the larger trends and conversation surrounding whatever it is you are fundraising to support. Strong interaction is key for spreading awareness.
TELL A STORY
Never underestimate the power of a compelling story. People like relatability, and social media is a great way to get your story out there. Whatever cause you are raising money for, find a relatable angle and promote that on social media. Too keep people interested, try releasing segments of the story once a day, or twice a week – the timing will depend on your own schedule. Instagram stories can be a great place to share videos and keep viewers interested and up to date on your fundraising campaign.
PROVIDE YOUR AUDIENCE WITH UPDATES
Providing real-time updates to your social media platforms makes donors and participants feel like they are working with you and seeing the shared goal actualize. Put a countdown bar on your websites, or on Facebook, to show the audience how far you’ve come, and how far you have left to go. Feeling included in this process can motivate people to donate to the cause. Social media can provide an easy way to raise awareness and market your fundraising campaign without having the hassle of hiring a marketing professional – and most of the time it’s free!