How To Choose The Right Social Media Platforms For Your Nonprofit

There are hundreds of social media platforms out there, and more seem to pop up every single day.

But here’s the thing. Your nonprofit organization does not need to be on all of them. It doesn’t even need to be on ten of them. In fact, when your organization is still new to the big, wide world of social media, we encourage you to choose three.

That’s right: three social media platforms. Max. The only requirement? Commitment. Pick your platforms and master them. Consistency breeds trust, and you don’t want to risk abandoning a slew of platforms after one month because you don’t time for it. Create your strategy, build your systems, find and engage with your audience on a regular basis. Then you can branch out to additional platforms that make sense for your brand and your audience.

But with all of those options, how do you choose which platforms are the right ones to invest your limited resources in?

1. Beware the "See more" line.

There's no character limit on Facebook posts, but it will cut off your text with a “See more” line. For longer posts, make sure there is a hook in the first few lines so that it's visible as people scroll quickly through your feed.

2. Fill out your page with as much information as possible.

You know those sections you skipped over when you launched your Facebook page – like your extended description, mission and hours? It's time to fill them with content! Having all of the links and prompts completed helps your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and makes your page look more professional.

1. Your target audience is using social media every day - yes, yours!

If I asked you to describe the typical Social Media user, what would your response be? Likely a tech-savvy teenager or 20-something with an iPhone, a laptop and a tablet by their side at all times. But here's the real breakdown: 65% of all adults, 90% of young adults and 35% of adults 65+ are on social media. Odds are, your constituents, donors and volunteers can be found on the top platforms. (Pew Research Center)

2. Social media is an easy gateway to active support for donors and volunteers.

64% of Americans say they are more inclined to support social and environmental issues in a variety of ways - including volunteering, donating and sharing information - after first ‘liking’ or ‘following’ an organization online. (2014 Cone Communications Digital Activism Study)

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