Finding social media success (without looking at your followers)
Hi friends!
The end of Q1 is just around the corner.
That means now is a great time to revisit the social media marketing goals your nonprofit set a few months ago to see how things have been going (and where they should go next).
Now, most people think the best way to do this is to head straight to their “followers” list.
More followers than you had in January means things are going well, right?
It could! Getting more eyes on your nonprofit’s content is never a bad thing.
But gaining more followers doesn’t automatically mean achieving your overall marketing and community outreach goals.
You have to dive a little deeper than that.
How to tell if your social media is actually working
The best way to see if your nonprofit’s social media efforts are actually getting you closer to your goal(s) is to look less at the surface-level numbers and more at the tangible outcomes.
So, let’s say your goal is to increase awareness of a specific program or service.
Followers and likes won’t tell you whether people know more about your specific program now than they did in January.
Instead, look at metrics like:
- Program sign-ups
- Inquiries about the program
- Visits to the program’s webpage
That is the tangible “evidence” you’re looking for to check whether you’re reaching your overall marketing and community outreach goals.
More followers are just the icing on the cake!
How to create content that better supports your goals
Your best chance at reaching your nonprofit’s marketing and outreach goals is by intentionally creating content tailored to those goals.
Here’s how to create more aligned social media content (without focusing too much on followers and likes!).
Goal: Increase attendance for your events
See if your posts and stories currently support that goal by asking:
- Does our content demonstrate how fun our events are?
- Does our content tell people how they can attend our events?
- Does our content show what people gain from attending our events?
Then, start crafting content more aligned with that goal, like:
- A highlight reel with fun snapshots of your last big event
- A mini interview with the prize winner from your last event
- A video testimonial of how much fun people had at your last event
Goal: Increase traffic to your website
See if your posts and stories currently support that goal by asking:
- Does our content tell people clearly where we want them to go?
- Does our content illustrate what people can find on our website?
- Does our content make it easy for people to find what they’re looking for?
Then, start crafting content more aligned with that goal, like:
- A program overview that links to the program’s page
- A “Meet the Team” series that directs to your “About Us” page
- A “Where Your Donation Goes” video that links to your donation page
Goal: Improve your brand and image
See if your posts and stories currently support that goal by asking:
- Does our content put out the “vibe” we want it to?
- Does our content reflect the same high-quality effort?
- Does our content use the same colors, fonts, and logos?
Then, start crafting content more aligned with that goal, like:
- A video thumbnail featuring the same design and branding
- A “behind-the-scenes” video that shows your team’s dedication
- A volunteer spotlight series that gets posted at the same time every week
As you start working on your social media for Q2, keep in mind that social media doesn’t exist in a vacuum.
Algorithms change. It takes time to create content. And you might need to test when and where to post for the best results, too.
But as long as you tackle social media with your higher-level goals in focus, you’ll start seeing the results you’ve been after — an increase in followers or not.
If you need help rethinking how your nonprofit’s social media content aligns with your goals, book a free discovery call with me and let’s chat!
Catrina
