5 Social Media Content Ideas for Nonprofits

There are approximately 1.8 million charitable nonprofits in America that provide help and support in various ways. While that is an incredible statistic, it leaves a pressing question: What makes your nonprofit stand out in the sea of millions?

To utilize or not to utilize social media just isn’t a relevant question anymore. Every single business should be online marketing their work — and most are. However, this is where people tend to get stumped. “What do I post? How do I gain followers? How do I get people to want to interact?”

Let’s start off by understanding how social media channels works. Every social platform has an algorithm that will either work for you or against you. You must know how to utilize it in order to take advantage of it. Using social media management tools will give you optimal times to post content.

It’s vital to be as prepared and organized as you can be before spewing out content. Social media calendars are going to be your best friend. Here, you will mark important social media and U.S. holidays to consider highlighting. Free online tools are available to help organize your own calendar. As a nonprofit, you will most likely want to cover Volunteer Recognition Day, which falls annually on April 20.

Implement hashtags that fall under the category of your post, so when people are plucking through hashtags relevant to their interests, they may stumble upon your content. Referring back to your social media toolkit will also be beneficial when trying to choose holidays that coincide with your key talking points.

Here are a few content ideas to keep in mind.

1. Celebrations

Birthdays, holidays, events, anniversaries/milestones and news/press releases fall under this category.

Be sure to stay on top of birthdays and anniversaries of your employees and long-time volunteers to shout them out. If your organization's mission statement uses words, such as “care,” “respect” or “love,” you should uphold these values by respectfully giving recognition.

As for holidays, knowing which ones to post about can be tricky. As a nonprofit with a specific voice and tone, you must ask yourself: “Is this a necessary post?” and “Is it relevant to us?” Don’t be afraid to A/B test until you know what resonates with your audience best.

Test out the waters. Stay up to date on trends that may align with your voice and tone. This means while you must plan in advance, you should also be researching constantly. Mention is a great tool to stay on top of third-party content.

2. Storytelling

Audiences love to hear various perspectives — from online testimonials to in-person interviews with volunteers. For example, a post dedicated to a short, heartfelt story of someone  your organization has impacted brings substance and makes your audience want to engage. If your nonprofit has a newsletter, don’t shy away from pulling excerpts every so often to keep as not time-sensitive, but evergreen content.

If anyone is willing to be on camera, recording videos to use as Instagram Reels or TikTok videos can be beneficial. If you want to post a video on LinkedIn, I recommend having a more business approach. For example, tying a volunteer story back into the historical aspect of your nonprofit.

3. Statistics

Numbers mean something. Showing what you do is important, but actually showing the success can make an imperative difference. Statistics are the perfect time to create graphics and utilize various charts/graphs best fit for each channel. For example, Instagram is very visual.

4. Instagram Stories

Instagram stories are quick, interactive and help boost engagement. You can use this tool for:

• Reactive content (trending news/topics).
• Showing your nonprofits company culture during an event.
• Creating bingo boards to help with donations.
• Behind the scenes: Setting up for an event, a day in the office, etc.
• Reposting others content/tagged content to maintain the community-focus.

5. Hashtags, Tags, Locations and Links as Calls to Action

Applying hashtags, tags, locations and links where fit can be a great way to harness more impressions. For example, tagging a business that has recently volunteered in a post may trickle in their audience, which may lead to an influx of numbers on your page. Continuously monitor hashtags and locations on social channels, such as Instagram and LinkedIn, to interact on others’ pages.

Linking back to your website will help drive people to your page, but be strategic with your call to action! Not every post needs to be a hard sell. Lastly, ensure employees and volunteers interact on social platforms, specifically LinkedIn to help boost engagement.

Social media is ever-changing. It's new and exciting — just like your nonprofit. Stand out by being in the know of what content is best to use.

The preceding blog was provided by an individual unaffiliated with NonProfit PRO. The views expressed within do not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of NonProfit PRO.