Facebook is not just a place for big businesses and millennials anymore. It can be just as great for your nonprofit as it is for any business. Even if you are not looking to make money with your Facebook campaign and, instead, just want to raise awareness, the tools provided to by this platform are unparalleled. Here are ten of the best tips for non-profits on Facebook:
1. Create a Custom Tab
Facebook now lets you use HTML in order to make custom tab for any business page. This means that restaurants can upload their menus and clothing stores can sell clothes straight from the website. But what does it mean for you? It means that you can actually create a tab that allows people to register for events, read about your policies, or even ask for donations, right on the platform.
2. Turn Your Call to Action Button Into a Link to Your Donation Page
Want a great way to direct people to a place where they can make donations to your non-profit? If so, Facebook gives you the ability to add a button to your Facebook profile that directs people right to your donation page. You will want to choose the wording of that button carefully. “Watch Video” or “Sign Up” is usually better than “Donate Now,” which some people find to be a little pushy.
3. Use Videos
While Facebook video is nowhere near the level of YouTube, it is definitely getting there, and you can easily add videos to your page. If you want people to really get to know your nonprofit, posting videos is one of the very best ways. When they see the people behind the organization, they are more likely to want to get involved.
4. Post Behind the Scenes Pictures
When you post pictures of “behind the scenes” of your organization, both events and every day, you will be giving your Facebook followers a unique look into your organization, what it takes to do what you do, and what you are all about. This kind of openness is important when you are running a non-profit and will encourage people to trust you. Plus, it’s extremely easy to upload pictures from your smartphone these days, making this one of the simplest ways to improve your profile.
5. Have a Giveaway
Do you have free swag that you give away anyway? Bumper stickers, hats, t-shirts, etc.? If so, you can actually run a giveaway on your Facebook back. Not only will this help you spread the word about your organization, it will also help to re-engage people that might have fallen off of the wagon recently.
6. Run a Contest
Want to get your followers to market your page for you? Want to find a new way to entertain the people following you? A contest is a great way, and it encourages interaction in a way that few other tactics can. You don’t necessarily have to give away a real prize. Sometimes, just being chosen and congratulated on the page is good enough. Common contests include funny picture or captioning contests.
7. Connect With Other Nonprofits or Businesses
Chances are that another non-profit you are working with or a business that you have partnered with also has a Facebook profile for their organization. This is a great way to publicize an event you might be doing together and a good way to attract some of their following over onto your page. Work together and cross promote so that you can both benefit from being connected.
8. Celebrate Your Accomplishments
There is no better way to show people that you are making progress than to display it on Facebook. In reality, this is what Facebook is all about—sharing your life with others. Whether you have a successful event you want to share or you have just reached some major milestone in your work, Facebook is the ideal place to talk about.
9. Test Your Following
Facebook gives you lots of tools to track your posts and see what kind of interaction they are getting. As you are just starting out, make sure to test your posts on your following. What types of post do they interact with the most? What types of post bring you the most attention? The most shares?
10. Highlight Your Other Social Media Accounts
Occasionally, remind your Facebook followers that you also have a Twitter or Instagram and that if they follow you there, they are probably going to get different content than what you post here on Facebook. This is a great way to send your own followers to your other accounts on other platforms.
Facebook is not just a place for big businesses and millennials anymore. It can be just as great for your nonprofit as it is for any business. Even if you are not looking to make money with your Facebook campaign and, instead, just want to raise awareness, the tools provided to by this platform are unparalleled. Here are ten of the best tips for non-profits on Facebook:
1. Create a Custom Tab
Facebook now lets you use HTML in order to make custom tab for any business page. This means that restaurants can upload their menus and clothing stores can sell clothes straight from the website. But what does it mean for you? It means that you can actually create a tab that allows people to register for events, read about your policies, or even ask for donations, right on the platform.
2. Turn Your Call to Action Button Into a Link to Your Donation Page
Want a great way to direct people to a place where they can make donations to your non-profit? If so, Facebook gives you the ability to add a button to your Facebook profile that directs people right to your donation page. You will want to choose the wording of that button carefully. “Watch Video” or “Sign Up” is usually better than “Donate Now,” which some people find to be a little pushy.
3. Use Videos
While Facebook video is nowhere near the level of YouTube, it is definitely getting there, and you can easily add videos to your page. If you want people to really get to know your nonprofit, posting videos is one of the very best ways. When they see the people behind the organization, they are more likely to want to get involved.
4. Post Behind the Scenes Pictures
When you post pictures of “behind the scenes” of your organization, both events and every day, you will be giving your Facebook followers a unique look into your organization, what it takes to do what you do, and what you are all about. This kind of openness is important when you are running a non-profit and will encourage people to trust you. Plus, it’s extremely easy to upload pictures from your smartphone these days, making this one of the simplest ways to improve your profile.
5. Have a Giveaway
Do you have free swag that you give away anyway? Bumper stickers, hats, t-shirts, etc.? If so, you can actually run a giveaway on your Facebook back. Not only will this help you spread the word about your organization, it will also help to re-engage people that might have fallen off of the wagon recently.
6. Run a Contest
Want to get your followers to market your page for you? Want to find a new way to entertain the people following you? A contest is a great way, and it encourages interaction in a way that few other tactics can. You don’t necessarily have to give away a real prize. Sometimes, just being chosen and congratulated on the page is good enough. Common contests include funny picture or captioning contests.
7. Connect With Other Nonprofits or Businesses
Chances are that another non-profit you are working with or a business that you have partnered with also has a Facebook profile for their organization. This is a great way to publicize an event you might be doing together and a good way to attract some of their following over onto your page. Work together and cross promote so that you can both benefit from being connected.
8. Celebrate Your Accomplishments
There is no better way to show people that you are making progress than to display it on Facebook. In reality, this is what Facebook is all about—sharing your life with others. Whether you have a successful event you want to share or you have just reached some major milestone in your work, Facebook is the ideal place to talk about.
9. Test Your Following
Facebook gives you lots of tools to track your posts and see what kind of interaction they are getting. As you are just starting out, make sure to test your posts on your following. What types of post do they interact with the most? What types of post bring you the most attention? The most shares?
10. Highlight Your Other Social Media Accounts
Occasionally, remind your Facebook followers that you also have a Twitter or Instagram and that if they follow you there, they are probably going to get different content than what you post here on Facebook. This is a great way to send your own followers to your other accounts on other platforms.
Published on April 19, 2016
About the Author: Tatyana Mournier
