How to Use Social Media for Nonprofit Marketing

If you are involved in a nonprofit organization, you understand the importance gaining awareness has on fundraising and participation levels. And when it comes to organizations like yours, the most cost-effective methods of nonprofit marketing – the better. Social media is perfect for nonprofits and can have a huge effect on your cause. Maybe you already strive to maintain an updated website, blog and Facebook page. But what are some other ways to get your name and philosophy out to new supporters? Below are some tips for how to use social media for nonprofits – beyond Facebook and Twitter. Check out these platforms and decide which you could incorporate into your nonprofit social media strategy to expand your organization’s brand and message.

Develop your personality through Pinterest

This new social networking site is a virtual pinboard that allows you add and save images that you like. What makes it social is the ability to follow other people’s boards to see what they like too. This site has taken the world by storm and is currently the fastest growing website to date. Just as interesting, businesses are finding a place to brand themselves here too. Companies like Real Simple, Martha Stewart and Whole Foods have found an easy platform, as many pins are about interior design or recipes.

So the question here is how to use Pinterest as part of your nonprofit social media strategy? Here is an opportunity to not only share who you are and what you stand for, but also your personality. If you want to see a good example of how to use social media for nonprofits, take a look at what these organizations are doing. Amnesty International has defined not only what it stands for, but also provided other interesting resources, like human rights reading lists and fair trade products. AARP is another great example of a nonprofit social media strategy that relates to its older audience through themed Pinterest boards. Offering a wide range of boards from technology to relationship tips, AARP posts items that help develop its brand identity while also remain compelling to followers.

Increase your reach using YouTube

Recently focused on giving philanthropic organizations an advantage, YouTube has created a playbook to help out with your nonprofit social media strategy. Its playbook, called “YouTube for Good,” is free to download here. This 24-page document explains how to develop attention- grabbing videos within your nonprofit marketing campaign. It also teaches you how to effectively code your video’s descriptions to make it more visible to search engines, allowing you to reach a wider audience. YouTube started its Nonprofit Program in 2007; since then, ‘Nonprofits and Activism’ has grown to the second fastest growing category on YouTube.

Get creative through podcasts

Try telling a story about your organization through video or audio. Perhaps you could then upload it to YouTube! Nothing rings truer than a story told from the heart. Get creative, and try to inspire the action of supporters. Take a look at how nonprofit leader, Mark Horvath, works to educate the world about homelessness at InvisiblePeople.tv. These different platforms may take time and creativity, but overall can be worth it to reach new audiences and inspire supporters.