Moving to Personal Communication for Nonprofits

Do marketing messages for Nonprofits disappear in the mass media? Is your marketing efforts cost-effective? The solution to reducing the noise of mass media marketing in smaller markets is social media platforms. Traditional marketing methods are one-way communication activities, whereas social media strengthens two-way communication.

Melissa Leiter demonstrated the move towards a more personal approach in a blog post back in 2014: “social media comes down to a basic human desire: the need to connect with other humans, to be part of a group”. The approach becomes more personal by allowing the organisation to collaborate with communities (www.socialmedietoday.com).

Speaking to an audience’s demographics and interests becomes essential to involve them in the community. Through the community, they meet like-minded people, engage in conversations, educate, and entertain.

Things to Remember

With changing marketing methods in mind, social media managers know that content is king. They also know that they must have in-depth knowledge of their audience. Lastly, they know that personal involvement in managing the platforms is non-negotiable. Let us look at what is essential:

Engaging Content.

To create interesting content, the 70-20-10 social media marketing principle is a valuable guideline to follow:

70 % unique content. Content should be unique to build a meaningful relationship.

20% shared content. A niche market does not exist alone, and sharing content from similar pages solidifies your place in this market.

10% call-to-action. Only 10% of content should involve a call to action. You can ask your community to act by procuring a service, engaging, donating, or participating in activities.

Analyse This

Demographics. Analysing social media platforms’ metrics paints a picture of your audience. It tells you where they are, their gender, and their age. An analysis of posts will reveal what type of content they like to see. And if you do not know, ask them. Demographic analysis of communities’ social media will guide future messages and conversations on the platforms.

Engagement Rate by Reach (ERR). Engagement Rate by Reach indicates how many people see a post (reach) is not the end goal here, but how many people react to your post provides insight into your audience. Engagement on social media platforms refers to reactions, comments, and shares. Social media platform metrics calculate this for you automatically. At this point, you should know that there is more than one measurement standard. You can read more about the different Engagement Rate measurements at www.socialinsider.com.

Hire a Social Media Manager

Using a dedicated social media manager has advantages, especially in smaller niche markets. They know their industry and do extensive research to keep up with changes. They already have a relationship with specific media that writes about your industry. They ensure consistent social media posts and keep up with any platform changes. They free up your time.

The Last Word

Traditional marketing methods are outdated. There is so much digital noise today that social media communication makes sense. It is here where your community can engage with like-minded people, receive valuable information, and give you immediate feedback. Take the leap and try it.