The Best Social Media Marketing Resources For Nonprofits

Social Media Marketing Influencers

We reached out to social media influencers asking if they would share their answers to the following question:

What is your number one social media tip for nonprofits that want to grow and retain their audience online?

Here’s what they said:

Social Media Marketing Statistics

Want to know what platform you should be leveraging to maximize your impact?

We’ve put together a list of the most up-to-date stats on how nonprofits are using social media to make a difference.

Social Media Marketing Strategies

Let’s face it, there are a ton of resources online that claim to have the answers to your social media woes.

Often times this requires shifting through many useless articles in the hopes you’ll find one that will make an impact on your organization.

That’s why we’ve taken the guesswork out of the equation by curating only the best strategic marketing resources for Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, and Pinterest.

Social Media Marketing Templates

Whether you need help planning a social media strategy, conducting a social media audit, or drafting reports to prove results to leadership, we’ve got you covered.

Our curated list of industry-leading templates is guaranteed to help with your next social media campaign.

Social Media Marketing Tools

Software development has exploded in the last 10 years giving way to an overwhelming number of free and paid social media tools.

Admittedly most tools are a waste of time and money, however, we’ve managed to track down a few exceptions to this rule and provide a brief overview of how nonprofits can leverage them to get results.

Social Media Marketing For Nonprofits

Case studies of nonprofits winning at social media is an opportunity to see the strategies in action.

Here we take a look at how some of the top nonprofits are leveraging social platforms to get results (and how you can do the same).

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING INFLUENCERS

What is your number one social media tip for nonprofits that want to grow and retain their audience online? That’s the question we asked social media and fundraising experts.

Of course, we didn’t ask just anyone. We asked influencers who have built a successful online brand by leveraging social media to grow their audience in the tens of thousands.

Here’s what they had to say:

Julia C. Campbell, @JuliaCSocial, 14.7K Followers

Author and national speaker writes:

Nonprofits need to understand that “social media” is not just a  marketing tool that needs to be leveraged for their benefit. These powerful platforms have completely revolutionized and changed the way that humans consume information as well as the way in which they interact with each other.

Your traditional fundraising, marketing, and outreach materials cannot just be cut and pasted into these channels. You cannot put a square peg in a round hole. Social media content needs to be carefully, creatively crafted for the specific channel,  ALWAYS with the audience in mind. Before posting, ask: What do they want to know more about? What kinds of stories are they craving? How can we get their attention and make a deeper connection?

 Tweet Julia’s quote!

Devin D. Thorpe, @devindthorpe, 44.4K Followers

Forbes Contributor, keynote speaker, and champion of social good writes:

Have a strategy for social media. Just posting a lot isn’t a strategy. You want to know what your goal for social media is. Your goal for Twitter should be different from your goal for Instagram. You can use a Facebook page in very different ways from a Facebook group. Have a strategy for using all of these tools (yes, the platforms are tools) for building relationships you can use to build your nonprofit.
 Tweet Devin’s quote!

Devin is a journalist, author and educator. He calls himself a champion of social good. He travels extensively as a volunteer doing service, as a journalist finding heroes and as a speaker sharing what he’s learned. As a Forbes Contributor he covers social entrepreneurship and impact investing, reaching an audience of over 1 million people. He’s produced over 900 episodes of his Your Mark on the World show featuring luminary change agents.

A bestselling author, his books—read over 1 million times—help people use money for good. He has helped nonprofits raise millions of dollars via crowdfunding. To tell stories, he draws on his entrepreneurial finance experience as an investment banker, CFO, treasurer, and mortgage broker. Previously he worked on the U.S. Senate Banking committee staff and earned an MBA at Cornell.

Like what Devin has to say? Want to learn more? You can! Learn social media in this beginners course!

Jay Frost, @GordonJayFrost, 17.3K Followers

Grantmaker, fundraiser, consultant, and serial entrepreneur writes:

Put Away The Megaphone! There are two fundamentals to all good fundraising. The first is to build relationships around the needs and interests of the donor. The second is to ask the right person at the right time for the right thing. This is made possible, of course, by having listened carefully and engaged actively with your supporters.

Unfortunately, many organizations just broadcast their needs and expect people to respond rather than engaging actively with current and prospective donors. But social networks are ideal for real interactive communication that can lead naturally expanded constituencies and growing revenues. On these platforms, we can identify kindred spirits, learn more about what motivates them, invite them to participate in activities of interest to them, and then, after building a relationship of trust, ask for their financial support of those activities.

That last step—the request for support—can and should be personal, just as all the gratitude we show must be real, immediate, and individual. The days of just hoping people will give to something that is important to our organizations are long gone. The rise of social networks has raised expectations for authentic, interactive, and responsive communications.

So, let’s make the focus to every communication the interests of our audience. Similarly, our crisis in donor retention can be addressed in large part by having substantial and authentic interactions with donors in their preferred environments. The rise of AI will help us in doing many of these things on a massive scale, of course, but it will never fully replace shaking hands, picking up the phone to say “thank you,” or sending a short video acknowledging a donor by name directly through Messenger, LinkedIn, or Twitter.

Let’s put energy into having real conversations. Let’s be willing to invite participation and financial support. Let’s be quick, enthusiastic, and generous in our public and private praise for those who make our work possible. And let’s remember that social networks are not a direct response tool but a place where human beings have chosen to live out a part of their personal lives. So, let’s put away the megaphone!

Tweet Jay’s quote!

Over his thirty years as a grantmaker, fundraiser, consultant, and serial entrepreneur, Jay Frost has worked with thousands of organizations to identify and pursue billions in fundraising opportunities for thousands of charitable organizations around the world. Jay has been recognized as one of America’s Top 10 Fundraising Experts by Philanthropy Media, one of the Top Experts in Fundraising by Klout, one of the Top Eight Fundraising Influencers by Elevation Media, and one of the Top Thirteen Excellent Fundraising Consultants by Double the Donation. Jay is a consultant to nonprofits and an advisor to companies serving the philanthropic marketplace.

He currently serves as Senior Partner at Jerold Panas, Linzy & Partners, an Advisor to DonorSearch, a Senior Consultant at Brian Lacy and Associates, and an Associate for the Resource Alliance. A popular speaker and trainer, Jay has addressed hundreds of meetings in the US, UK, Canada, Asia, and the Middle East. 

Tracey Ehman, @partnerinbiz, 9.4K Followers

Host of Women Speakers Associations #SpeakerChat and social media strategist writes:

If you want to grow and retain your audience online you need to determine what they are looking for, find the right keywords that will attract their attention, and use them within your social media posts on their own or as hashtags. Not only will these keywords and hashtags help you grow your audience, they will also enable your audience to filter out information that is relevant to them.
 Tweet Tracey’s quote!

Tracey Ehman, an Online Presence and Social Media Strategist, is the go-to person for enhancing your online presence, ensuring that you not only get “found” by your target audience, but that your website and social media efforts increase your revenues.

Tracey is also part of the Women Speakers Association (WSA) Executive Team, and host of the once a month WSA #SpeakerChat on Facebook LIVE.

Like what Tracey has to say? Check out her free report, which shares keyword marketing secrets that can help you be found online.

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING STATISTICS

Online giving to charitable organizations has continued to rise year over year, with an estimated $31 billion given in 2017, up from $28 billion in 2016.

Driving much of this growth is social media.

In fact, 55% of people who engage with nonprofits on social media end up taking an action, while 59% of those people make an online donation.

The statistics are more compelling when you dig into them by platform.

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING STRATEGIES

Click an icon to get started:

Leading the distribution of information for many nonprofits is social media.

According to one study from the University of Massachusetts’s Center for Marketing Research, 71% of charities and nonprofits say social media is useful for driving online donations.

However, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the hundreds of strategies, guides, tricks, and tips online.

We’ve taken the guesswork out of the equation by aggregating only the best social media marketing resources available online.

These resources are perfect for beginners and veterans wanting to learn and develop their social media skills.

Facebook For Nonprofits

Did you know Facebook accounts for 65% of all social traffic to nonprofit websites?

Facebook also drives some of the most effective online fundraising traffic, raising $45 million during Giving Tuesday in 2017.

The results are clear, but it’s the journey that sometimes gets muddy.

That’s why we’ve put together a list of the best Facebook marketing resources for nonprofits:

• Facebook Marketing: The Ultimate Guide
• 7 Ways to Use Facebook for Marketing
• 21 Ways Nonprofits Can Use Facebook To Get Their Mission Across
• Facebook Marketing Strategy: Why You Need One (& How To Build It)
• Facebook Marketing Tips For NonProfit Organizations

Continue reading below for more information on how to leverage Facebook’s marketing tools for your nonprofit.

Facebook Fundraising Tools

With Facebook’s fundraising tools you can add a donate button to:

• Collect donations when people visit your Page.
• Collect donations from your Facebook posts.
• Add a donate button to Facebook live videos.
• Add a donate button to Facebook Messenger.
• Add a donate button to your ads.

You can also enable people to raise money for your nonprofit by setting up a dedicated page to share their story (and your mission).

The best part?

Facebook charges no fees for donations made to nonprofits.

For U.S. based charities to qualify for Facebook’s fundraising tools you must:

• Be a 501(c)(3) organization.
• Be registered with the IRS.
• Have a tax ID number and bank account.

Get started by sign up for Facebook’s fundraising tools.

Facebook Live

Live streaming is one of the fastest growing categories of video marketing, with 63% of people ages 18-34 watching it regularly.

Among all social platforms Facebook Live is taking the lions share of the views:

Nonprofits are leveraging the platforms reach to engage with Facebook communities as well as raise money.

San Diego Humane Society documented the rescue of #92Yorkies on Facebook Live, which kicked-off a major online fundraising campaign.

For 15 minutes the nonprofit conducted interviews with first responders and medical staff while providing live updates.

Because viewers felt they were part of the rescue effort they were more willing to donate online to the cause.

In total the San Diego Humane Society raised $100,000.00 using Facebook Live.

They even created a #92Yorkie Facebook community for members to share stories and continue engagement.

Additional Facebook Live resources:

• Facebook Live Video: The Complete Guide to Live-Streaming
• 11 Tips To Get Your Nonprofit On Facebook Live
• Using Facebook Live To Grow Your Cause

Facebook Messenger & Chat Bots

Facebook messenger hit 1.2 billion users in April 2017, according to the head of Messanger, David Marcus.

Engagement figures are impressive too, with an average open rate of 80% and a 4 – 10 times higher click-through-rate than traditional email.

WaterAid is using Facebook messenger, in combination with a chatbot, to share their story:

Using Facebook’s fundraising tools they’re even able to collect donations through Facebook messenger.

Creating your own chatbot for charity will require a little investment on your end, but it’s fairly painless.

Additional Facebook Messanger resources:

• A Beginner’s Guide to Facebook Messenger Bot
• 5 Ways Nonprofit Facebook Messenger Bots Can deliver Impact

Recommended social media tool:

• Botletter – connect with your audience on Facebook by sending newsletters, growing subscribers, and altering members of updates through Facebook messenger.

Facebook Advertising

Charity: Water is leveraging Facebook advertising in a big way by using storytelling to raise awareness of the global water crisis and inspire people to give.

By creating a video to share the team showed how bringing clean water to people in need impacts both those who give and those who are served by the water projects.

The Result?

They raised $470,000.00 in annual recurring revenues, which is enough to provide 15,666 people with clean water for a year.

Get your next Facebook campaign launched using the resources below:

Facebook Ads – Setting up the basics:

• Facebook Pixel – a Facebook pixel placed on your site will collect data in Facebook’s ad manager. With this information, you serve Facebook ads to people who visit your site. You can also leverage the data to optimize your audience to tailor your message to that group.
• Custom Facebook Audiences – email lists are not one dimensional. You don’t just have to send newsletters, or witty headlines to get your message across. Simply upload your list and a custom audience will be created to match. This creates another touch point to get in front of your donors.
• Lookalike Audience – leveraging someone else’s audience in a related industry is the perfect way to increase your brands reach. When you start a Facebook campaign you can choose this option to reach people who have donated to a nonprofit organization in the past.

Additional Facebook Advertising resources:

• A Nonprofit’s Complete Guide To Facebook Ads
• 5 Ridiculously Powerful Facebook Ad Targeting Strategies
• Don’t Be Overwhelmed by Facebook Advertising: 10 Tips to Use
• Facebook Advertising Grants For Nonprofits

Recommended social media tool:

• AdEspresso – optimize your Facebook ads for impact while lowering your costs using data. Comes with a free 14-day trial.

Twitter For Nonprofits

With over 313 million users, especially younger generations, Twitter is the perfect social platform for creating meaningful relationships.

According to Adweek, 86% of charities and nonprofits use Twitter to share content, promote events, and interact with their audience.

CARE, an international nonprofit that fights against poverty by empowering girls and women, does a great job at sharing compelling stories and information that make a real impact.

CARE has manages to create engagement opportunities and even inspire action through the use of short videos on Twitter:

In many countries, sexual harassment in the workplace isn't even illegal. You can help change that. Sign the petition today. https://t.co/vc6y6J6yRi #ThisIsNotWorking #March4Women #IWD2018 #InternationalWomensDay pic.twitter.com/0iBquf1cZz

— CARE (care.org) (@CARE) March 8, 2018

Does your nonprofit leverage Twitter to grow awareness and promote content?

Check out a few Twitter resources to help you get the most out of the platform:

• The Marketer’s Guide to Twitter
• 25 Twitter Tips For The Modern Nonprofit
• How To Use Twitter For Successful Business Marketing
• 5 secrets from top brands to inspire your Twitter Marketing Strategy
• 10 Twitter Best Practices For Nonprofits

Twitter Chats

Twitter chats are a great way to connect with your audience while establishing yourself as an industry influencer.

A while back I joined #npchat, which is a question and answer chat focused on nonprofit marketing.

One of the questions asked us to share our favorite marketing tool for blog posts.

I shared CoScheduled’s Headline Analyzer because it helps to improve the quality of your blog titles:

Here I spoke with Carole about the tool and how we use it.

These are the types of engagements that lead to future collaboration projects like a guest post contribution.

Now that we’ve established rapport the next step is to reach out and lend yourself as a resource.

The worst case scenario is they ignore you or say no.

Best case you begin contributing on a regular basis and gain traction to your personal brand through guest publications.

Popular nonprofit Twitter chats

• #nptalk – Nonprofit Talk, Wednesdays, 3pm EST/12pm PT
• #npmc – Nonprofit marCommunity, Last Thursday of the month, 1pm EST/10am PT
• #leanimpact – Lean Impact, Wednesdays, 2pm EST/11am PT
• #fundchat – Fundchat, Wednesdays, 12pm EST/9am PT

Additional Twitter Chat resources

• 5 Steps to Hosting a Popular Nonprofit Twitter Chat
• The Ultimate Guide to Twitter Chats
• How to Participate in a Twitter Chat

YouTube For Nonprofits

Views on branded video content have increased 258% on Facebook and 99% on YouTube since 2016, outperforming every other medium on social media.

Video also has the best return on investment of any medium, at least according to 52% of marketing professionals worldwide.

Nonprofits have taken note by investing in video marketing and YouTube as part of their content marketing plan.

For example, Rainforest Alliance’s “Follow the Frog” campaign uses humor to inspire action and show people how they can help.

5.3 million views and 10,000 subscribers later, Rainforest Alliance is still creating video content to bring awareness to their mission.

Thinking about giving YouTube or video marketing a shot?

Check out a list of curated resources to help you along the way:

• YouTube Nonprofit Program
• YouTube Marketing: The Ultimate Guide
• YouTube Marketing & Advertising To Get 1,000,000 Video Views
• YouTube For Nonprofits: What You Need To Know
• 5 Tips To Improve Your YouTube Marketing Strategy

Video Marketing Resources

• The Complete Guide To Creating A Video Marketing Strategy
• Video Marketing Success For Nonprofits
• 5 Secrets Of Super Successful Video Marketing

Recommended social media tools

• Adobe Premiere – Become a video content marketing pro with Adobe’s sophisticated, yet easy to use, video editing software.
• Promo – Effortlessly create videos in 5 minutes using Promo’s template-based video library.

Instagram For Nonprofits

Did you know 70% of Instagram users report having looked up a brand on the platform?

And that 62% of users follow a brand just because they like it?

Truth be told, Instagram is one of the best social media platforms out there for growing brand awareness and introducing new products or services.

To Write Love On Her Arms, a nonprofit that supports people struggling with depression, addiction, and self-harm are doing just that.

TWLOHA are reaching their target audience through event photos, branded merchandise and original giphys.

Their hashtag #TankTopTuesday, for example, drives insane engagement, receiving over 10,000 views and several comments.

Can't contain our excitement for #TankTopTuesday. Today and tomorrow, all tanks in the Online Store are $15! Link in profile.

A post shared by To Write Love on Her Arms. (@twloha) on Jul 26, 2016 at 12:18pm PDT

The combination of youth-centric media, video content to promote campaigns, and hosting live events on Instagram is really what drives their success.

Ready to engage with your audience on Instagram?

Check out a few helpful Instagram marketing resources below:

• The Complete Guide To Instagram Marketing
• The 3 Best Instagram Strategies For Nonprofits
• Instagram Marketing: 20 Excellent Examples And Ideas
• 5 Steps to Creating a Killer Instagram Marketing Campaign
• How to Create Impactful Instagram Ads [With Free Templates]

Snapchat For Nonprofits

It’s no secret that Snapchat is the most popular mobile app for people ages 18 – 34, reaching approximately 31% of them.

Service Works has begun to leverage Snapchat by documenting and sharing their impact as it happens:

Nonprofits can also share a few Snaps to Stories during events to generate awareness and attract new donors.

While there may not be direct fundraising capabilities – yet, Snapchat’s users have higher rates of engagement when compared to other social platforms.

After all, new studies show the average user will spend upwards of 42 minutes per day on the app!

Thinking about experimenting with Snapchat marketing?

Check out our helpful list of resources below:

• The Ultimate Guide to Snapchat Marketing
• 8 Spectacular Snapchat Marketing Strategies to Grow Your Business
• HOW TO: Get Your Nonprofit Started on Snapchat
• 5 Things Every Businesses Needs to Know About Snapchat Marketing
• A Guide To Snapchat Advertising

Pinterest For Nonprofits

When it comes to sharable content Pinterest is KING.

According to one study, Pinterest pins are 100 times more spreadable than a tweet.

Operation Smile, a nonprofit providing safe and free cleft lip and cleft palate repair surgery to children around the world, is taking advantage of Pinterest to grow awareness to their cause.

Its Pinterest page includes patient stories, creative fundraising and displays of their impact.

Their New Smiles! Before & After Surgery board features before and after photos of children who have received surgeries through operation smile.

Ready to dive into Pinterest marketing?

Check out these helpful resources:

1. Guide To Pinterest For Nonprofits & Social Good
2. How to Use Pinterest for Business: 8 Strategies You Need to Know
3. 12 Strategic Ways to Use Pinterest Marketing
4. 5 Pinterest Marketing Tips to Get More Traffic
5. 26 Tips to Improve Your Pinterest Marketing

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING TEMPLATES

1. Ultimate Social & Branding Template

HubSpot’s Social & Branding template explains the key elements to crafting an authentic brand strategy for your organization.

This toolkit is designed to create content that will resonate with your audience and, ultimately, convert into donors.

Here’s what you can expect:

• Identifying clear objections focused on your brand vision and goals.
• Picking the best social networks and content types that are right for your organization.
• Building media relationships and writing killer press releases.
• DOWNLOAD TEMPLATE

2. Social Media Strategy Template

SproutSocial has put together an in-depth guide on how to develop a winning social media strategy.

In this template you’ll learn how to:

• Establish your most important metrics.
• Build and curate engaging social media content.
• Measure and track results
• DOWNLOAD TEMPLATE

3. Facebook Marketing Plan Template

Struggling to drive meaningful results in Facebook marketing for your nonprofit?

Check out this Facebook marketing plan template created by Pan Ann Marketing.

In it, you’ll learn how to develop:

• An action plan based on a current situation analysis.
• Tactics to increase brand awareness and engagement.
• Reporting and measurement plans.
• DOWNLOAD TEMPLATE

4. Social Media Report Template

Leadership has one idea in mind when they invest in marketing: make money.

The ability to communicate the proof your work is producing results is key to retaining their support.

Here are a few takeaways you’ll pick up from reading this template:

• How to quickly and easily compile a social media report.
• How to explain social media data to your client or team members.
• How to prove social media marketing is working for your business.
• DOWNLOAD TEMPLATE

5. Social Media Audit Checklist

As social media becomes an increasingly crucial tool for growth and driving sales, you might be asking yourself:

How do I assess whether my social media strategy is working for my organization?

In this 7 step checklist you’ll learn how to:

• Engage with the right audience on those networks.
• Analyze engagement to tell if your efforts are delivering meaningful results.
• Perform competitive analysis and compare your efforts with what your competition is doing.
• DOWNLOAD TEMPLATE

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING TOOLS

1. Botletter

Email newsletters and Facebook are the two most preferred content promotion strategies used by nonprofits.

Botletter acts as an extension of your email list where people subscribe to your Facebook Messanger feed.

You can then schedule to send content, information on upcoming events, galas, and more.

According to Botletter’s site, Facebook messages average an 80% open rate compared to the 20% of email newsletters.

Click-through-rates are also 4 to 10 times higher.

This combination means Botletter will improve your brands reach and attract more visitors to your site.

The free version comes with 1,000 messages per month to trial the product.

2. AdEspresso

Nonprofits are investing in Facebook advertising and it’s paying off.

In a recent campaign Save the Children raised 4X more donations and decreased their costs by 76% by testing conversion-optimized ads.

Much of online advertising is about collecting data, analyzing it, and making minor adjustments to ad groups.

Your goal is to identify your best performing ads as soon as possible to increase your ROI.

Of course, this takes time and the longer a campaign runs the more it will cost.

Enter AdEspresso, a platform built to manage multiple Facebook ad campaigns and provides real-time analytics and reporting.

Within the AdEspresso you can:

• A/B test ad groups and campaigns.
• Get detailed reporting on the top performers.
• Lower your costs while driving more clicks.

AdEspresso comes with a 14 free day trial and is worth checking out if you’re investing in Facebook marketing.

3. Canva For Nonprofits

Creating stunning visual designs has never been easier than with Canva.

Gone are the days of complicated programs with hundreds of features that require years to master.

With Canva, the drag and drop tools make it effortless to design logos, presentations, and engaging graphics for social media.

Canva for nonprofits gains access to the paid platform including:

• Saving branded colors, fonts and templates.
• Premium icons, graphics, and templates.
• Helpful storage folders for designs.
• Downloading transparent images.

Applying for the nonprofit program takes 2 minutes, but make sure to read the eligibility guidelines.

Don’t worry if you’re ineligible; Canva’s free version is quite robust and offers enough features to tackle most projects.

4. HootSuite

HootSuite is a social media marketing management platform designed to make scheduling posts effortless.

Start by connecting your social media accounts in the HootSuite dashboard and then use the publisher tool to create a draft.

Here you can schedule your post, post it now, or select AutoSchedule.

The AutoSchedule button leverages HootSuite’s data to select the best time of day and post frequency for you.

By default an ow.ly short-link is generated, which provides useful data you can leverage to improve post engagement.

The analytics can then be converted into actionable reports for leadership:

I also recommend the Hootlet Chrome extension, which simplifies sharing down to a single click.

Once installed, hover over an image on any website, click the Hootlet icon, and a content box will appear to share to your social networks.

I find it to be a fast way to share other people’s content – perfect if you want to grow your followership.

5. Promo

If you’re looking for an inexpensive way to create marketing videos than look no further than Promo.

Here’s how it works:

• Select a templatized video from Promo’s library.
• Add your text and logo.
• Kick back and relax, because you’re done!

At $45.00 per video, Promo may seem pricey.

However, these short videos are perfect for driving traffic and engagement from Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat.

The alternative is to outsource production for several hundreds of dollars or attempt it in-house.

5 NONPROFITS WINNING AT SOCIAL MEDIA

Guest Post Written By: Victoria Greene

It’s hard not to have a professional crush on a social media account when there are some organizations absolutely smashing it out there!

What’s more we’ve had our eye on a few nonprofits who are not only doing a great job at promoting themselves, but also their cause.

When you’re focusing on just one topic you’d think it would be easy to keep treading the same ground.

But these five nonprofits we have picked out keep finding new and innovative ways to spread their message.

We all could learn a thing or two from these guys!

1. American Red Cross

If there’s a nonprofit that has managed to strike the right balance between staying on-message and staying interesting, it’s the American Red Cross.

They’re running campaigns, such as the one to end home fires.

They use hashtags impeccably and they get involved in current events such as Black History Month, and National Love Your Pet Day.

It’s got to be said—their use of people to spread their message is what they do best.

As a huge, nationally-recognized nonprofit organization, it’s easy to become just a faceless machine.

They counteract this by telling the stories of people both past and present who have connections with the American Red Cross.

Whether it’s aid workers, blood donors or people who have been helped by the American Red Cross, they make everyone feel welcome and appreciated.

What We Can Learn

People like hearing about people, and you can use this to your advantage.

Don’t be afraid to share people’s stories because it will make your organization feel a lot more friendly and open.

2. Neverthirst

Here’s a lesser-known nonprofit who are making a big difference.

They’re cleaning up the world’s drinking water, providing solutions for countless communities in order to help them get access to hygienic drinking water.

Neverthirst is doing a fantastic job on Instagram—they’ve got down to the core of their operation and used it to their advantage: before and after.

Neverthirst share pictures showing communities before they had access to clean water, what their facilities were and the state of the water.

Then they show what it is like now.

You can see happy people with clean water, proper facilities and the wonderful clear water they can now drink.

What We Can Learn

Before and after shots aren’t just for weight loss companies and hairdressers.

A good before and after will show how your organization is making real change.

3. Make-A-Wish America

Everyone has heard of the Make-A-Wish Foundation—the romantic nature of granting sick children their wishes can touch even the coldest of hearts.

They’ve been mentioned in television shows and movies since their conception.

However having been in the public eye for so long it can be hard to stay relevant.

Like the American Red Cross, they know how to use personal stories to promote their brand.

You’ll find plenty of pictures of children whose dreams have come true thanks to this nonprofit.

The way Make-A-Wish win at social media is through their Facebook account.

A lot of people underestimate the power of Facebook, yet Make-A-Wish is completely smashing by establishing themselves as the epicenter of the American operation.

They bring together America’s fundraisers on one page, showing off their success whilst displaying how anyone can help them.

What We Can Learn

Make full use of the platforms.

You’re not just limited to what everyone else is doing—make sure you explore all the features available to you with a little research.

4. Truth Initiative

If there’s a nonprofit that lives up to its name, it’s the Truth Initiative.

Their aim is to expose the lies told by big tobacco companies in order to get fewer people smoking.

They get people’s attention, not through scaremongering or telling even more lies—they are direct and honest, appealing to just about anyone who will listen.

Truth Initiative are great at providing information to the public.

With specific figures and percentages they put across their message.

It’s direct, precise and effective.

What We Can Learn

Stay true to your message and don’t be afraid to be direct.

Facts and figures will help you put across your message with strength and will make people more likely to trust what you say.

Think about your core value proposition and the rest will follow.

5. Project Aware

Honestly, you wouldn’t believe the amount of puns one organization could use on social media.

Project Aware somehow manage to slip them in here and there without overdoing it.

They combine the perfect balance of fun and serious—as their aim is to protect the world’s oceans they can’t be too silly, but need just the right amount to keep their audience interested.

The best part about Project Aware is that they connect well with their audience on social media.

They aren’t afraid to retweet relevant posts, or share photos.

Go to their Twitter account and you will find some fantastic photos, not only taken by them but also those that have been shared by other relevant accounts.

These make for a beautiful all-round picture of the world’s oceans, from the beautiful creatures that live there to the horrible pollutants put there by humans.

What We Can Learn

To connect with your audience you have to engage with them.

You don’t want your entire feed to be made up of retweets, but it helps to intersperse them with your own posts.

Conclusion

Nonprofits can teach us a lot about how best to use social media, whether to promote an ecommerce business, a blog or simply for personal use.

When looking to up your social media game it is important to look at a wide range of accounts to see how they behave, and across different platforms.

Keep up to date with what’s going on and you’ll be able to keep up your winning social media marketing campaign.

Guest Post: Victoria Greene is a branding consultant and freelance writer. On her blog, VictoriaEcommerce, she looks at how organizations can make the most out of their social media accounts and covers the latest developments in the digital world.