Don’t Force Social Media to Be Something It’s Not

Social media best practices are always changing:

Post at 9 AM on Tuesdays. Always pair your post with a graphic. Post at Noon on Thursdays. Use emojis. Add breaks to your copy. Photos are out—use video. Post early Saturday morning. Vary your post length.

We have entered the wild world of algorithm wrangling. And I just heard about more changes to the LinkedIn algorithm. (sighs)

If you are going to participate in this arena, you need to know best practices, of course. But too many nonprofits are trying to *win* the social media algorithm game. They are scrambling to create content that will override the system, to reach their donors, to inspire deeper partnership. It’s all for the cause, which is a good thing. But all that hustle to reach out to donors using just this one channel? That’s not so good.

Transformational, mission-based partnerships need more than this.

Social media is just one place WHERE orgs need to engage with donors. But it’s not the only place! Effective donor engagement considers WHERE you can best connect with each donor segment.
 
WHERE you engage with your donors needs to be multilayered. Just like all healthy relationships, your donor connections grow strongest with multiple touch points in a variety of settings:

• In-Person, Face-to-Face Conversations

• Phone & Video Calls

• Social Gatherings & Events

• Mobile Messages & Emails

• Online Communities

• Website Content

• Mailed Communications

• Social Media

 
Of course, each of these channels has its advantages and disadvantages. Your NP engagement team needs to look back at each donor segment for direction on WHERE each donor group can be reached and WHEN.

Effective donor engagement will take a multichannel approach. It includes social media, for sure. But it is way more than that.

Ready for more?

Here are two ways I can help you make your mission irresistible to donors:
 
1. Connect with me or follow me on LinkedIn.
That’s the first place I explore donor strategy ideas like these. Be sure to join the convo!
 
2. Work with me.
I help nonprofits already raising $1M+ annually to remove the mission-critical blind spots that keep their donors from giving and keep their teams running ragged. Should we work together? Let’s see!

Schedule your 15-minute Change Chat here and share about your nonprofit and how you’d like to improve your donor strategy.