In case you missed it, when we launched our website we provided a guide to help your organization set up and maintain a presence on LinkedIn in our Resources section on our website.
Only an estimated 30% of nonprofit organizations maintain a presence on LinkedIn. If your organization is already active in this space, below are some tips on how to maximizing your LinkedIn engagement.
Engage your board – We’ve previously suggested that you encourage your volunteers to list their involvement on their LinkedIn profile. We suggest that you personally reach out to each member of your Board of Directors and explain its importance. LinkedIn is not just a tool for you to research donors, it’s a way for donors to research you. By having your board members list their involvement with your organization, you increase your influence and potentially drive more new users to learn about your organization.
Get active in groups – There are myriad groups in LinkedIn that cover a wide range of topics. Choose a few that fit your organization and get involved in the conversation. Don’t just encourage people to go to your website – no one likes a spammer. You can comment on other posts, be active in brainstorming challenges, and share articles that are relevant to the group. The value that your activity provides the group will lead people to your profile and charity.
Who are your followers? – Pay attention to who is following your organization. Reach out to them and make sure that someone from your nonprofit is connected to them. By following your organization, these individuals have moved from passive engagement to connected participant.
Look at your insight stats – Data is always helpful. LinkedIn provides interesting statistics that measure your relevancy and demographic information of those that view your profile or follow your organization. Any measure that helps you understand your organization is valuable. Share this data with your staff – you never know what you can learn from it.
Highlight job opportunities – If you’re looking to add a staff person to your team, highlighting your job on LinkedIn is a great way to attract better talent. Don’t leave this to just your HR staff person – encourage your CEO or other leadership to share the job opportunity.
We are big proponents of LinkedIn for networking – it’s one of the main reasons we included our profiles on our About page. Don’t miss out on an amazing opportunity to engage with your constituents in this dynamic space.
Justin (he, him) is a Principal and Co-Founder of Social Change Consulting. He has over fifteen years of nonprofit experience, with expertise in online fundraising, digital communications, and data management. Justin helps organizations connect their communication strategy to their income development needs. When he’s not on the clock, Justin is exploring Berlin, running, listening to too many podcasts, and drinking too much coffee.