No other media has the sheer power and reach that social media has, next to television. Now FaceBook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram and others are the favorite ‘follow the money’ promotion tools for fundraisers. Here’s how you use social media to get your campaign singing big bucks.
1. Start With Your Existing Audience
Start by promoting to the contacts you already have. Promote to the social networks of your staff, vendors, partners, and anyone else connected to them. Ask each member through a personal message from a top management person to forward event information on their networks.
2. Include A Variety Of Popular Media
Investigate every social media network out there, and make a list of every one that your target demographic uses. Not all Twitter users bother with FaceBook. Similarly, not all YouTube users bother with static image networks like Pinterest.
3. Update Constantly And Consistently
Update constantly and simultaneously on all social networks. Assign specific networks to your staff and ensure that the same message is forwarded, even if the content type is different. Update them on goals, progresses so far, donations received, planned events, deadlines and so on.
4. Develop A Short Byline
Include a short byline at the end of your updates, like a signature, and link to your fundraising website. Let it be catchy and clever, and representyour brand and your cause. Keep it to 10 words or so – when people see it repeatedly, they will associate it with your campaign in no time.
5. Start Threads
Start discussion threads on social media about matters that are relevant to your campaign. Let your audience and followers pick it up and keep commenting. Don’t forget to comment and mediate now and then so that the campaign focus is retained throughout.
6. Optimize FaceBook
Get to know your donors and audience by asking questions with Facebook Questions. Post updates to create awareness of guest speakers and sponsors. Put up live updates about large donations, so that your audience and followers get some publicity. Get your audience to comment Facebook via mobile.
7. Twitter Away
In a short sentence, detail your cause and your sponsor needs. Request your followers to retweet it to their followers. Start conversations. Create a #hashtag for your event. Include contributors’ handles in thank you tweets. Use Twitpic to post live event videos and photos from mobile devices to Twitter.
8. Optimize YouTube
YouTube, Vimeo and other video-based social networks can become your best friends. Make intriguing, motivating and very watchable videos of your event. Create a strong need to promote it. Interview high contributors and post those videos. Use the videos on your site, emails and so on as well.
9. Optimize Image Appeal
Use SlideShare, Prezi and so on to upload presentations rich in content, fun and engaging. Use Pinterest and Picasa to upload high-quality, share-worthy, motivational pictures of your events and things related to your cause.
10. Promote Social Sharing
Allow social sharing buttons on your blog so that people can forward interesting content to their friends. Post links to your articles and videos on social media, to get more traffic to your site.