Social networks and messengers are the main platforms where people spend their free time on the Internet. In social networks, people feel comfortable and such an atmosphere is the most successful for the user to get acquainted with the activities of your organization. Therefore, social networks for NGO are used actively and successfully.
It is important for non-profit organizations to integrate with social networks and similar platforms, and now we will talk about the benefits of social network integration, describe the most popular platforms and provide some actionable tips.
Why integrate social networks
Attracting attention
It is much easier to promote your organization in social networks. If the NGO only has a website, then the only hope of increasing promotion is advertising in search results or getting blog articles into recommendations. Social networks have more advanced algorithms that spread even small accounts or channels. The main thing is to create unique and interesting content.
Built-in donation tools
Some social networks serve not only as a tool for spreading information, but also for collecting donations. For example, in Instagram stories you can insert a button to go to the donation page, and in Facebook you can add a “Donate” button to your page.
In social networks, it is easier for people to donate and it is easier to spread your stories and posts. In this way, a story with a link to a donation can become part of a flash mob and be seen by thousands of people.
Contact with the audience
Social networks allow you to keep in closer contact with the audience.They will see your posts and stories every day, and they will even receive a message about a new post in messenger channels.
Close contact also gives clearer and faster feedback. You will instantly see the mood of the audience regarding your activity. You can conduct polls or answer questions in Q&A format.
Monitoring and analytics
Social media audiences are more active, allowing for more data to be collected. Accordingly, monitoring and analytics tools can provide much more information about your CA.
Young audience
Young people are more active in supporting social initiatives and it is young people who make up the majority of users of social networks. That is why it is very important for non-profit organizations to preach to a young audience.
Overview of popular platforms
Depending on the target audience, your resources and goals, you should choose different platforms:
- Instagram. Age of the most active audience: from 18 to 34 years old. The network is focused on photos, which should be taken into account when creating a content plan. Promotion is usually not done without a direct payment to the platform for advertising. But the audience here is quite solvent, and therefore advertising is appropriate.
- TikTok. Age of the most active audience: from 16 to 24 years old. The network is focused on video content, the creation of which takes much more time, but in TikTok it is much easier to get into trends, so promotion is more effective without paying for advertising on the platform.
- Facebook. The most popular social network on the planet, active users of all ages, but in our region it is from 25-30 years old. The content is mostly text, so it doesn’t take much time to create. Promotion is similar to Instagram — without advertising the platform will be difficult.
- Telegram. The age is also different, but the most active is the young audience: from 16 to 35 years old. The content is mostly text, promotion is extremely difficult – only buying advertising from other channels. Telegram is ideal for spreading information to an already formed audience that is interested in your activities and building a closer interaction – a general chat for community members to communicate with each other.
- YouTube. A popular platform with a diverse audience. Content creation is the most resource-intensive but profitable in its own way. On the platform, the promotion algorithms are extremely friendly, so even an unpopular channel can get into the recommendations. Suitable for large organizations with large resources.How to integrate social networks in NGO
How to fill out a profile
The profile is the face of the organization, so the design should be handled as responsibly as possible. Basic information to be provided:
- Logo of the organization.
- Title.
- Brief information or tagline.
- Activity.
- A link to a site or a page with links to other social networks and sites.
- Location.
It is important that the design style and the specified information are the same in all social networks. We also recommend using emojis to attract attention.
What to publish
Create content that will generate activity. Social networks provide many functions for feedback: comments, likes, reposts, etc. But the content should encourage activity – keep this in mind when creating materials. Ideas for posts:
- Fundraising campaigns.
- Photos and stories from the inside: about workers, holidays in the office and details of the organization’s activities.
- Reports on your activity.
- News of the organization: new employees, partners, events.
- News from the field of NGO activity.
In each post, make a call to action – donate or switch to other social networks. To stimulate the latter, you can create unique content for each platform.
When to publish
For convenience, create a content plan once a month. In this way, you will spend much less time on writing each separate material and will have a more comprehensive view of the content of the site and will be able to plan the results.
Use a comprehensive approach
Don’t run each social network separately. Promotion should work in a complex way – drive traffic between platforms.
For example, if a user is interested in you on TikTok, then drive him to Instagram (with calls to action, unique content and account integration). In Instagram, you can put more information in the profile and more links through services like Linktree: to the site, Telegram channel, Facebook, etc.
The type of content on different platforms is different, so by driving traffic you will increase the chances of engaging each individual user.
Follow the statistics
Track statistics to better understand your audience and adjust the direction of creating new content in the appropriate direction. There are dozens of services for collecting analytical data. In general, they provide information such as:
- Number of likes, reposts, comments, etc. (depends on the platform).
- The time the user interacted with you.
- User retention time.
- Demographic data.
- The reach and level of engagement of each individual publication.
Begin by entering your first and last name to establish your identity. The next crucial step is providing your email address; remember, it must be a business, branded, or corporate email, as generic email addresses are not accepted. This is to ensure a professional level of communication and to filter out non-serious inquiries.
You are also required to include your website’s URL. This is vital as it gives context and allows for a preliminary assessment of your online presence, which is integral to the audit process. Furthermore, you must clarify your status regarding NGO registration or your interest in Google Ad Grants. This information is essential for tailoring the audit to your specific needs and circumstances.
After you have filled in all these details with precision and care, review them to ensure accuracy and completeness. Submitting accurate and comprehensive information is crucial for a meaningful audit.