Non-profits play a vital role in taking on important issues and making a difference in the lives of people worldwide. Effective communication is essential for non-profits to connect with supporters, reach new audiences, and achieve their goals. Today we’ll explore 3 engagement strategies for non-profits.
3 Engagement Strategies for Non-profits
The three engagement strategies that Non-profits should consider are (1) Using multiple communication channels (2) Creating good content, and (3) Measuring and evaluating effectiveness.
1. Using multiple communication channels
It’s important to use a variety of communication channels to reach your target audience. These channels include a website, social media, email, mail, and direct calls and messages.
Website
Your website hosts all the assets that you’ll share on other platforms. It allows users to easily browse and learn about your organization. Depending on your resources, you can build a website from scratch or use services that greatly simplify the process by offering templates and easy-to-use interfaces.
Squarespace, Wix, and WordPress are popular examples. Some services aim to help Non-profits specifically, such as Morweb and CharityAdvantage.
Social Media
Social media is another important channel. When an audience follows you on social media, they’ll be able to get updates on what you’re posting in their feed. They’ll be able to immediately react to your content providing you instant insights into how well your content is performing. Social media is also a great way to network with partner organizations and bolster those relationships.
Finally, one of the most advantageous ways to use social media is to launch social media “challenges”. A challenge is when you ask your supporters to do something attention-grabbing that creates buzz around your cause. A well-crafted challenge can spread like wildfire.
Email and Newsletters
Establishing a regular cadence of emails and newsletters helps inform your audience of timely happenings. It’s important to allow your target audience to choose what type of communication they receive. Some will prefer email rather than mail to avoid creating paper waste, but others may prefer to read their newsletters offline.
Calls and Messages
Calling and messaging is another effective way for non-profits to connect with their supporters and build relationships. However, it’s important to respect the privacy and preferences of supporters and give them the option to opt-out of phone calls or messages if they prefer to receive communication through other channels. Non-profits should also be mindful of regulations related to text messaging, such as those related to unsolicited marketing messages.
Calls
Phone calls can be personalized and provide an opportunity for non-profits to connect with their supporters in a more meaningful way than mass email or social media posts.
Uses:
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- Thank donors for their contributions and express appreciation for their support
- Update supporters on the organization’s work and achievements.
- Ask for donations or contributions.
- Invite supporters to events, meetings or volunteer opportunities.
- Conduct surveys to gather feedback and input from supporters.
SMS and Instant Messages
Text messaging is a convenient and effective way to reach supporters quickly and directly, particularly for time-sensitive or urgent messages. Text messaging can be particularly effective for engaging younger audiences and those who prefer to receive communication through their mobile devices.
Uses:
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- Send updates on events, campaigns or urgent issues.
- Send reminders about upcoming events or deadlines.
- Ask for donations or contributions.
- Recruit volunteers or advocates.
- Share stories, photos, and videos that showcase the impact of the organization’s work.
Don’t overdo it. As a rule, limit calls or texts to no more than one per week and consider spacing them out even further for supporters who may be more sensitive to frequent communication. Avoid calling or texting supporters early in the morning, late at night, or during holidays or other times when they may be busy or unavailable. Focus on building relationships with your supporters and using calls or texts as a tool to facilitate communication, rather than a way to constantly solicit support.
2. Creating good content
Creating engaging content for a non-profit requires a mix of storytelling, visual content, value, and social media. By incorporating these elements into your content strategy, you can attract the attention of potential donors and supporters and raise awareness about your cause.
Stories
Telling stories is an effective communication tool that helps supporters feel their contributions are making a difference. While general stats can be compelling to certain people, overall people are often more motivated by a single example than by a multitude of examples, a phenomenon called “Psychic Numbing“. Tell a specific story and leverage the 3 Cs in your narrative: character, conflict, and a desire for change.
Images and Infographics
Nonprofit organizations often deal with complex issues and data. Infographics help to distill this information into an easily understandable format. Infographics are visually appealing and attention-grabbing. Images, charts, and graphs convey information in an interesting and memorable way. They are highly shareable on social media platforms and increase engagement.
Videos
Video content makes up 65% of all internet traffic. YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok are all extremely popular social media platforms that focus on video. On Top Nonprofits on YouTube and the Strategies Behind Them by Non-profit News Feed, you can learn about the strategies top-performing non-profits use for their successful YouTube Channels.
3. Measuring and evaluating effectiveness
According to A Guide: How Nonprofits Can Better Use Measurement, only 13% of Non-profits are measuring their communications. While 80% of their leaders believe it is important, 46% of Non-profits report they aren’t doing it because they do not have time! The great news here is that there are tools you can use to capture and analyze your communication data, including cutting-edge AI tools. Non-profits should consider using a Digital Archive to store communications data. Some Digital Archives offer AI-powered data visualization tools that can help you measure your communications data. And of course, if you’re looking for how to measure your calls and texts in a way that you could easily import into your Digital Archive, MultiLine may be the tool for you!
To learn about how MultiLine can help your Non-profit’s engagement strategy, please visit https://new2024.movius.ai and book a demo with us!
We offer the automatic transfer of text messages and social messages into the customer’s archival system of choice, such as Dubber, Verint, Global Relay, NICE and more.
