A nonprofit’s digital communication strategy is vital to their long-term sustainability. Beyond diversifying the way an organization fundraises, a cohesive and integrated digital communications plan can also help build and sustain growth. Unfortunately, learning about and implementing the use of new fundraising tools as well as social media marketing can feel burdensome for staff that are already overwhelmed. 

If you’re a small organization struggling with a limited communications budget and staff, not only are you not alone, but you’re actually in good company. According to the Non-Profit Communications Trend Report, almost 20% of nonprofits have no firm communications budget and ‘find’ budget when the need arises.

Digital communications are not often high on the list of an organization’s priorities; however, this outlook does seem to be changing. Hundreds of communications teams reported an increased appreciation for investment into digital communications strategies as a result of the pandemic. With fewer opportunities to connect with people in-person, digital communications have become a vital part of an organization’s growth strategy.

Having worked with multiple charities and nonprofits over the years, I recognize that, while there is a demand for communications and marketing reform, the difficulty is often in knowing where to start. Whether you’re re-doing an existing communications plan or are starting from scratch, each of the steps below will help create cohesion and clarity in your communications plan.

Before we get started, remember to have fun! You should be excited about your digital communication strategy. Use this as an opportunity to let your creativity flow free, try new things and be willing to experiment. If after reading this you still feel like you need help with your communications plan, Twentytwenty Arts now offers flexible and sliding scale services for charities and nonprofits, which includes everything from branding to social media marketing and website design.

Identify your goals

Like any other aspect of your organization, a digital communications strategy requires a plan—a map of where you want to go and how you’re going to get there.

You don’t need to have one goal—you can have several! As a charity, your organizational goals are likely to raise funds, provide essential programs and services, expand your capacity, build resources, and communicate the value you provide to your audience. Your digital strategy should be used a tool to help you achieve your goals, so make sure that they are clearly defined.

It is important to note that some of your goals may overlap. For example, raising funds and providing quality programs are directly related—one cannot exist without the other. In this case, combine them into one goal, as I’ve done below with ‘raise more money’ (see Figure 1).

To help illustrate my points, I will be using the example of a homeless shelter that is trying to raise more funds to expand their programming as well as trying to raise awareness for the housing crisis in Canada.

Before we continue, keep in mind that the ultimate goal of the strategies below are to drive traffic towards your organization’s website. That is where your supporters are going to make donations, sign up for your newsletter, and learn more about what you do. For this reason, every post you make should have a clear call to action (CTA).

Brainstorm content pillars

Your content pillars are the primary components driving your digital strategy and are directly derived from the goals listed above. Once you have your organizational/communication goals clearly defined, it is now time to break them down into actionable pieces of content.

In Figure 1, I have suggested some potential content pillars. Of course, depending on your audience and goals, these may vary greatly.

First and foremost, BE CREATIVE! The only limit is your imagination. If you’re new to digital communications and have no idea where to start, go online and see what other organizations are doing. Do they post blogs? Videos? Infographics? What type of content are they posting on Instagram? Twitter? Facebook? How is it being received?

When you’re ready, brainstorm a list of content pillars that makes sense with your organizational goals. Remember, at this point, there is no such thing as a bad idea. Write everything down—you can always refine it later!

Compile content for every pillar

The goal of a digital communications plan is to cut down on the amount of work required to execute it. Work smart by compiling folders/documents of content ahead of time so when it comes time to post, everything is ready to go. Organization is key when you’re trying to stay on top of your digital communications.

For example, ‘Behind the Scenes’ (in Figure 1) can be folder of photographs that staff members can add to every time they take photographs of an event, meeting, or activity.

‘Facts and Statistics’ can be a Google doc that compiles the latest statistics and studies around the housing crisis in Canada. This beats searching for this information every time you need to post.

Understanding long-form versus short-form content

If you’re constantly creating one-off content on all of your social media platforms, you’re going to burn out. Not only does this type of content tend not convert to your website, but it also takes a lot longer to produce and maintain. Let me explain the differences:

Long form content: Forms of content that can be broken down into smaller, more digestible pieces.

For example: blogs, videos, interviews, articles, etc. These are pieces of content that, yes, take more time to produce, but can be easily broken down into smaller more digestible pieces (short-form content). This short-form content can then be used to encourage people to read the full-length article, watch the full video, or learn more on your website.

Short form content: Content that has already been broken down into a small, digestible pieces.

For example, if a staff member at your shelter has written a blog compiling multiple stories from people who frequent their shelter, this long-form content can then be broken down into individual quotes, testimonials, and photographs which can be posted about on your social media platforms up to 10 or more times with a strong CTA.

Long-form content may take some more time and resources to produce, but it has the benefit of:

– driving traffic to your website

– establishing your organization as an authority on the subject (therefore building trust with your audience)
– making content generation easier

Pick your platforms wisely

Don’t fall into the trap of trying to post on every popular social media platform. Choose two to three platforms to post on–MAXIMUM. If you focus your time and energy on one or two platforms, you will not only be able to maximize your efforts and reach, but also avoid spreading yourself too thin.

The popular and well known platforms are: Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, TikTok, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube, Reddit, and Quora. Want to learn more about what each platform does and how it can help you achieve your goals? Hootsuite has a really fantastic blog that breaks them all down. The one platform I’d like to touch on is your newsletter.

Okay, a newsletter isn’t a platform, but it is a vital part of a healthy digital communications strategy. Having a list of newsletter subscribers makes it far easier to connect with your audience when you’re hosting a fundraiser or event. Additionally, and most importantly: you do not own your social media. These platforms can delete your account at any time, and there is often very little you can do about it. But a list of e-mails and subscribers can be taken with you anywhere you go.

Keep track of analytics

If you’re new to digital communications (and even if you aren’t!) it is vital to keep track of what is and isn’t working. When it comes to finding sustainable funding for your organization, you do not want to play it by ear. From your website to your e-mail newsletter and social media, tracking analytics can help you make informed strategy decisions when necessary. You can download a free social media audit outline on our website.

The truth is, it takes time to find your niche and figure out what type of content does well. We all bring a set of assumptions to our communications and marketing, and the goal of analytics is to rid ourselves of those assumptions.

Every single one of these steps needs to be re-evaluated and re-assessed on a fairly regular basis. Set a specific date on your calendar—monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, or annually—to do a social media audit. The best plan is one that is flexible and responsive.

Engage

This is the aspect of a digital communications strategy that people often find exhausting. However, building a community online requires active and consistent engagement. Here are my best tips to avoid burnout:

1. Schedule time to engage with your audience: Put an alarm on your phone for 15, 30, or 45 minutes and focus on liking, re-sharing, commenting, saving, and messaging accounts that align with your mission and values. I have found that engaging ‘whenever I have a free moment’ ends up either a) not happening or b) I end up getting distracted and do very little actual engaging. Be intentional with your time.
2. Message every new follower: Take a moment to introduce yourself, what you do, and find a common interest to connect on. Getting to know your audience, including what they like about your mission, is vital to building an active and engaged online community.
3. Post polls, ask questions, and conduct surveys: Not only is this great for your engagement (which pleases the algorithm gods!), but it allows you to gain feedback and interact with your supporters.
4. Share other people’s content: Not all of the content you share has to be your own. Re-post and share other accounts content (and be sure to tag them!). The best way to support like-minded organizations is by sharing the content they put a lot of time into creating—this also makes them much more likely to return the favour!

Megan Kee is the Director and Founder of Twentytwenty Arts. Twentytwenty Arts produces impactful, educational, and art-focused campaigns that aid in achieving their nonprofit partner’s organizational objectives. The organization empowers their nonprofit partners with the tools, support, and skills necessary to connect and engage with a different generation of donors online.