This document provides 17 tips for nonprofits to effectively use social media. It begins by highlighting the impact social media can have on nonprofits, including increasing donations, volunteers, and event participation. It then details each tip, such as finding your social media voice, using visuals, showcasing stories, capitalizing on trends, and setting goals and metrics to track performance. The tips emphasize engaging audiences emotionally and through people's stories, as well as promoting profiles, live tweeting events, and empowering staff and volunteers to advocate on social media. It stresses showing progress, testing strategies, and using tools like Facebook Insights to optimize efforts over time.

1. 17 Social Media Tips & Tricks for Nonprofits
Melissa Mathews
August 1st 2014

2. TODAY’S AGENDA
1. The Impact of Social Media
2. Nonprofit Examples
3. Setting Goals & Measurement

3. Where do I even start?
3
• 68% donate money
• 53% volunteer
• 52% donate clothing,
food or other personal
items
• 43% attend/participate
in a charitable event in
my community
• 40% purchase a
product to benefit the
cause or charity
• 25% contact my political
representatives by
phone, mail or in person
• 15% organize an event
in my community
But I know I should start because…
…it matters to my audience.
#handittocleveland

4. Tip #1 Find Your Social Media Voice
Who the heck is
this guy?
#handittocleveland

5. Tip #2 Pick the right channels #handittocleveland

6. Tip #3 Promote Your Profiles Everywhere #handittocleveland

7. Tip #4 Inspire Emotion #handittocleveland

8. Tip #5 Use Visuals
Use tools like
picmonkey.com &
piktochart.com
#handittocleveland
*Note: Image on Twitter
should be 1024 x 512 pixels to
show up in feed

9. Tip #6 Showcase people and their stories #handittocleveland

10. Tip #7 Capitalize on (relevant) trends
• Visit daysoftheyear.com to find out fun
or important days/weeks/months
• Hashtagify.me helps you find popular
hashtags
• Stay up to date on
popular news that
doesn’t always relate
to your nonprofit
#handittocleveland

11. Tip #8 Optimize Your Social Profiles
• Use keywords in the about/company
info section.
• Be consistent with boiler plate
language.
#handittocleveland

12. Tip #9 Remember Location Matters
Let Cleveland Empower Your Nonprofit (even if it’s
national)
• Helps local SEO
• Adding a complete address to your FB page
activates Facebook Location allowing people to
check-in and review
• Google+ can help you takeover the SERPs
#handittocleveland

13. Tip #10 Live Tweet From Events
Not only your own events, but other events you attend
or even webinars.
Use tools like Storify to highlight top influencers or tweets
#handittocleveland

14. Tip #11 Keep in mind your staff & volunteers are your biggest advocates
• Make sure to inspire social media activity among
staff, especially founders/leaders
• Reinforce best practices and optimized profiles
• This means volunteers, too!
• Encourage them to share

15. Tip #12 Show Progress & Proof
• Celebrate successes. Your followers already believe in you, and they want to see that their
support is making an impact.
#handittocleveland

16. That’s great, but how do I know if it worked?
And if my time invested was worth it?
Don’t worry, there’s still 5 tips left!

17. Tip #13 Set SMART Goals & Objectives
Awareness
Retention
Driving
Action
Examples:
• Increase email list sign ups through social
media channels by 500 names by October
31, 2014.
• Increase brand mentions online by 25% by
August 1, 2015.
*Must be specific, measurable, attainable,
relevant & time based.
#handittocleveland

18. Tip #14 Track important metrics over time
Make a list of the metrics that would show you
insight into reaching your goal.
#handittocleveland

19. Tip #15 Use free tools to help you find the data you need
• Facebook Insights
• LinkedIn Analytics
• Google+ Analytics
• Google Analytics – advanced to track ROI
• Set up goals & UTM Parameters

20. Tip #16 Create a social media calendar
Leave room for flexibility but try to stick to a theme
#handittocleveland

21. Tip #17 Never Stop Testing
• Social media provides great audience research for free
• Possible tests:
• One hashtag vs. 2 or more
• Time of day
• Call-to-action vs. no call-to-action
• Questions vs. statements
• Post length
• Pictures & videos vs. plain copy
#handittocleveland

22. THANK YOU
QUESTIONS?