Get into the rhythm of posting content that hits
As a non-profit organization aiming to connect with your audience and expand your outreach, knowing what content to post isn’t always easy, especially when every social media page makes it look so easy. But trust us when we say that the hardest working organizations are the ones that make it look the easiest. Tons of brainstorming, planning, creating, and editing goes into every post to make sure each one is intentional and impactful.
Taking the time to plan and create posts for your social media is the key to success. Consider planning a couple of weeks ahead of time to make sure they fit your organization’s goals. But what kind of content should you be dedicating your time to creating? Here is a list of a few helpful tips on content categories that we’ve found works best to drive engagement:
Content that educates. Creating intentional content that educates your audience within your area of expertise is key to increasing engagement. Making content that teaches your audience builds trust and reliability, and reinforces your credibility and knowledge on certain topics. So, an organization that focuses on rehousing animals may share posts with information on proper care for animals in hot weather.
Content that sparks discussion. While every social post likely makes your audience think, they won’t always interact or engage with it unless they are prompted to do so. Whether that’s to participate in a poll, take a survey, comment or share the post, including a call to action is the most effective way to interact with your audience. Showing them that you care about their opinion is going to establish trust and accountability, as well as build rapport.
Content that inspires. Sharing general information on social media platforms is helpful, but so is showcasing the impact your organization is making toward fulfilling your mission. So highlight client stories, recent projects, new programs, or partnerships; that’s the information your audience wants to know. And don’t forget to thank donors or volunteers (or even tag them, as it’ll boost engagement) for their contributions, too, because it could inspire others to do the same and donate to the cause.
Content that introduces. Your audience wants to know about you just as much as you want to know about them. Feature staff or board members, volunteers, and partners to establish transparency with your audience. Think about making ‘meet the team’ posts, explaining someone’s job description in the context of how they support your community, or day-in-the-life videos to give your audience a behind-the-scenes look at key happenings behind the curtain.
Content that promotes. Word of mouth works just as well on social platforms as it does in real life. So, take advantage of it and see what it can do for your organization. Not only is reposting helpful to like-minded organizations and partners by promoting their businesses and sharing successes but also helpful to you if they’re inspired to do the same.
By making sure your content always hits one of the above category suggestions, over time, you’ll expand your reach and increase your engagement simply because it is intentional and impactful.