5 Social Media Best Practices To Help Engage And Retain The Giving Generation

Posted by Tim Stansbury on 24 August 2016

With over 1,200 charity partners, we’ve had first-hand experience on how social media has a huge impact at any stage of the fundraising cycle. More than ever, donors are turning to social media for validation, information and inspiration!

According to Hubspot millennials, also known as the giving generation, are 44% more likely to trust experts (who happen to be strangers) than advertisements and 247% more likely to be influenced by blogs or social media.

Social media has become the bridge between you and the giving generation. Follow our tips to help maximise your organisation’s potential reach and luckily the only thing you’ll require in order to implement them is time!

1) Trends come and go

Keep an eye on trending topics. Not only is it interesting to take a sneak peek at topics that have caught the attention of people all over the globe; but its of great value to tweet and engage with topics that are trending locally and globally in real time. By including the relevant trending hashtag and keywords it will increase the visibility of your channel in search. You’ll also snag likes, re-tweets and followers along the way!

However, its important to relate the trending topic back to your target audience, think about the value the topic may bring to potential donors socially or economically. If the content is relevant you’re likely to retain your followers and attract like-minded ones.

If you’re accessing your Twitter account via a desktop you can find trending topics simply by tapping on the notification icon! It will even allow you to adjust the location so you can view the most relevant trending topics!

2) Time is relative

Keep in mind when the people you’re targeting are likely to scroll through social media, such as lunch breaks, commutes etc. If you catch them at the right time your content is less likely to get lost within all the other content being pushed out and likely to be seen by your audience. An engaged audience is one of the greatest assets a non-profit can have.

However, if you’re pushed for time social media management platforms like HootSuite allow you to auto schedule. So instead of manually scheduling the time you’d like your content to be shared you simply hit the ‘auto scheduler’ button and Hootsuite will release the content at optimum time.

3) Don’t over do it

On the other hand, publishing too much content through your channels can have a detrimental effect. If your audience feels like they are being bombarded especially with irrelevant content they will unfollow your channel.

4 to 5 relevant posts or tweets per day is optimum to keep followers engaged, informed and happy!

4)Tone of voice

Use your social channels to help bring your charity to life. Your social channels give you an opportunity to showcase your brand identity, personality and voice on a daily basis! Giving your channels a succinct tone of voice will make your channel memorable and approachable as a company.

Try to match your tone of voice with your company ethos.

5) Respond, don’t react

Always respond, even when the feedback is negative. By responding not only are you defusing the situation but you’re taking responsibility which goes a long way in making sure the problem doesn’t escalate.

On a similar note, ensure you engage with all positive feedback even if its just a like. Followers are likely to continue to engage with your content if they know you’re watching and interacting with them! According to an article published by Brand watch 500 million tweets are sent each day.

6) Engage with your peers and target market

Look at what others in your community, sector and donors are doing and engage with their content by liking, commenting and sharing. This shows that you are on top of current trends and are active in your community. Its also a great way to grow your following.

If you’d like further tips and tricks on how to utilise your social media channels please contact us.

Tim Stansbury

Director and Fundraising Consultant

Tim joined Givergy in 2010, overseeing the early stage growth of the business to 50 employees across five international regions, supporting over 4,000 events worldwide. With a passion for leadership, business growth and exceptional standards, Tim is at the heart of all clients needs both in the UK and worldwide.