We’ve all been there: staring at a blank screen, desperately trying to create captivating social media fundraising content that resonates with our audience, while keeping up with the latest algorithms and trends.
It can feel like a daunting task but it’s necessary. In a world where billions of people spend hours each day scrolling through their news feeds, social media is ripe for cultivating generosity. From the Ice Bucket Challenge that took the internet by storm to Growing Mo for men’s health, when something catches on, it can lead to a chain of impact worldwide.
So, are you ready to harness the power of social media for your fundraising efforts? While incorporating insights provided in our webinar with Maria Bryan, we’ll demystify the content planning process, discuss trauma-informed storytelling, unpack resources, and help you create content that converts.
Maria Bryan is a nonprofit marketing and messaging strategist with more than fifteen years in the communications and marketing sector. She’s certified in trauma and resilience and holds the core belief that storytellers play an incredible role in making the world a healthier, safer, and happier place.
It’s no secret that a great story can generate movers and shakers. By taking a step back and shifting your mindset to see your social media and fundraising content as storytelling, you have the potential to drive action and change the trajectory of where people choose to commit their wallets.
While you’re in the process of figuring out your social media fundraising goals, let’s explore some common campaign objectives. These goals serve as a North Star, helping you direct their efforts and shaping the content you create.
Remember, these objectives are not mutually exclusive, and your social media strategy may encompass multiple goals simultaneously. The key is to define clear, measurable objectives that align with your overall fundraising strategy and tailor your content to support those goals.
To create impactful social media content, it’s crucial to have a deep understanding of your target donor audience. By gaining insights into their motivations, interests, and behaviors, you can tailor your messaging and select the best platforms for reaching and engaging them. Here’s why understanding your audience is essential for successful social media fundraising:
To pinpoint your target donor audience, consider the following strategies:
As always, different social media platforms cater to different user demographics. Consider the following platforms for reaching and engaging specific donor segments:
Remember, these are just a few examples, and the platforms you choose to prioritize should align with your specific goals and target audience.
Consistency is the bedrock of successful social media outreach, and a well-planned fundraising calendar is the key to achieving it. By mapping out your content in advance, you ensure a consistent presence on your supporters’ feeds while maximizing the impact of your messaging to align with specific campaign timelines. For example, by creating content specifically tailored to Giving Tuesday or year-end giving, you can leverage the momentum of these events to drive donations.
To create a well-planned fundraising calendar, consider the following tips:
One of the best tips Maria provides is to break your calendar down into a year overview.
A year overview provides a comprehensive snapshot of the upcoming year, allowing you to plan your fundraising activities strategically. This includes what Maria calls “warm-up” months. Starting in February (and again in August), these months serve as a “warm up” phase from a fundraising perspective. Instead of making financial asks, this period focuses on cultivating your audience as well as sharing the problems you aim to solve and highlighting the impact you have made.
Of course, during the warm-up months, you shouldn’t forgo calls-to-action entirely. It’s still important to include calls-to-action that encourage engagement. For instance, you can invite people to follow you on social media or subscribe to your newsletter. These smaller requests help foster ongoing interaction and maintain a connection with your audience. By gradually building a relationship and consistently sharing valuable content, you create a receptive environment that increases the likelihood of a positive response when you do make a larger ask.
Once you have your year overview, drill down further by breaking our your year into months:
Organize your content by categorizing it into thematic groupings-“buckets”-that help you maintain a balanced and engaging social media presence. Here are some key content buckets to consider:
Pro Tip: Remember to balance your content types and mix them strategically throughout your calendar to maintain variety.
If you’re managing social media across multiple platforms, it can get pretty overwhelming. It feels like there’s always something to do, and it’s easy to get lost in the chaos.
To stay on top of your social media fundraising content, use a calendar or scheduling tool. Think of it as your personal assistant, keeping everything in order and ensuring you never miss a beat. With the ability to schedule in advance, say goodbye to frantic last-minute posting or remembering to publish updates.
But it’s not just about organization and convenience. You want to know if your efforts are actually paying off, right? Scheduling tools let you monitor the progress of your campaigns, track engagement metrics, and measure the impact of your social media efforts.
With a plethora of calendars and scheduling tools available, it can be overwhelming to make a choice. To get your started, here’s a few we recommend:
Keeping track of various documents and your team’s schedule can get tricky. With Google Sheets and Google Calendar, collaborate with team members, track important dates, and easily share your calendar – all for free and in real-time.
Meta Business Suite is a one-stop shop where you can manage all of your marketing and advertising activities on Facebook and Instagram. Available on desktop and mobile, Meta Business Suite makes it easy to schedule posts, view insights, and respond to messages.
Buffer allows you to schedule and publish posts across various platforms, providing detailed analytics to measure engagement and campaign performance. While Buffer offers a free plan for individuals and businesses getting started with social media, additional features do cost.
Hootsuite allows you to manage multiple social media accounts, schedule posts in advance, and track metrics to assess the effectiveness of your fundraising campaigns.
To get started, sign up for a 30-day free trial of their team plan. However, once the trial period is over, you’ll need to start paying for ongoing access.
Bringing it back to storytelling, let’s illustrate how you can develop your content using a story arc framework.
Think of a story arc as a roadmap for captivating storytelling. It starts by introducing a problem that deeply resonates with a specific group of people. As the story unfolds, your audience can feel the pain and struggles. However, there’s a glimmer of hope—a unique solution emerges, bringing about a transformative change. The story concludes with aspirations for the future, leaving your audience inspired and eager to get involved. It’s like taking them on an emotional rollercoaster ride.
When it comes to social media fundraising, Maria is a big believer that harnessing the power of storytelling with a story arc framework can have a profound impact on engaging your donors. Drawing inspiration from brands like Pixar and StoryBrand, you can apply their storytelling techniques to your social media strategy.
StoryBrand emphasizes the importance of honing your message and crafting a compelling narrative that resonates with the desires and challenges of your donors. Similarly, the Pixar Pitch formula, featuring relatable characters, problem-solving, and transformative journeys, can be a potent tool for creating impactful and memorable social media stories that leave a lasting impression on your followers. By incorporating these storytelling frameworks, you can elevate your social media content and forge a deeper connection with your donors.
In addition to using your calendar, content buckets, and story arc, here are some things to keep in mind as you craft each post.
Whether you’re planning social media, a webinar, or a podcast, try to follow Maria’s “ Marketing Rule of One”. When you’re creating something, you should:
Remember, you don’t need to reach everyone at once or have several calls-to-action at once. Simplify the content you create and make sure everything you publish is intentional. Keep things clear and focused for your audience. As Donald Miller, founder of StoryBrand says, “if you confuse, you lose.”
Remember to always include a clear call-to-action. What do you want your audience to do? These can link your posts back to your campaign or donation page.
Another thing Maria highlights is that when it comes to social media fundraising, compelling content is the key to capturing the hearts of potential donors. By incorporating various types of content into your posts, you can create a multi-dimensional experience that resonates. Here are some essential elements to consider when crafting social media posts:
For a time-saving approach to managing your social media presence, consider batching your content
Content batching involves creating and scheduling multiple posts in one sitting, allowing you to streamline your workflow, save time, and gain a holistic view of your social media calendar. By dedicating focused periods to create and schedule content in advance, you can maintain consistency, improve organization, and maximize the impact of your social media outreach. So, carve out some dedicated batching time and enjoy a smoother, more efficient social media workflow.
Bringing a trauma-informed lens into nonprofit marketing is a passion for Maria. While it’s essential to address the pain points and challenges your organization aims to solve, remember to maintain an inspirational tone when highlighting your solution.
She explains that in order to put together a storytelling process that understands, honors, and protects story owners, it begins by:
As communicators and storytellers, we don’t want to skirt around the pain, but we can avoid proverbially twisting the knife by ensuring that our messaging respects the experiences of individuals involved.
And there it is! While we’ve covered valuable insights and practical tips to elevate your social media game, there’s a treasure trove of additional tips and tricks waiting to be discovered.
To dive deeper into resources like editorial calendars, social media calendars, marketing production calendars, and key messaging points, we invite you to explore the full webinar. Trust us, it’s a goldmine of knowledge and inspiration for your fundraising journey.
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