With all that can come up on a daily basis in the nonprofit world, especially for a smaller organization, the idea of setting into motion a social media strategy is surely daunting. But an area most nonprofits are likely more comfortable with is that of fundraising strategy. Luckily, one of the most important decisions you need to make before launching a social media campaign is one very familiar to fundraisers everywhere – that is, who are you trying to reach?
Social media, like fundraising, is not necessarily about catching everyone. There just isn’t enough time and energy available to connect with everyone that you could ideally reach.
So who do you prioritize in this situation? Well, it really comes down to a choice for each and every nonprofit. Do you continue to build relationships that you have with long-term donors or volunteers? Do you attempt to grab the attention of a new audience in order to build community? Who do you target of that new audience? And what do you want to say to that new audience?
These choices are not easy, but an important step in the right direction of social media strategy is making these tough choices. Because without them, you will be talking to everyone and no one at once. Building a community online can be difficult – but especially so if you aren’t sure who your community is, or what you want your community to be.
In addition, understanding the different platforms you are using, whether it is Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and the common actions and practices on each, will also lead to greater success. Are you hoping social media acts as a traffic enhancer for your nonprofit’s website? Then YouTube is likely not the place for your organization to start. Want to create an online customer service center for your organization? Twitter might be the right bet. Knowing what your end goals are for your new online community and what tools are right to getting you there is a great for future social media success.
What is the most important part of a social media strategy? Determining your audience. If you don’t understand your audience, and what you want their call to action to be, you will struggle in finding success in the social media space.
What are you willing to sacrifice in order to focus on your new goals? Who, exactly, are you trying to reach?