Did you know there are 4.76 billion social media users in the world? And that number is only expected to grow each year.

Social media platforms offer unparalleled opportunities to reach potential attendees beyond traditional networks. By leveraging these platforms, nonprofits can tap into diverse audience segments, including younger demographics who are highly active online.

In this guide, we’ll dive into why social media can be a transformative marketing tool and how you can leverage it for your next event. Let’s get started!

Why does social media engagement matter for your cause?

Social media engagement refers to likes, shares, retweets, mentions, clickthroughs, and branded hashtag use. These activities increase your nonprofit’s online presence and contribute to interactive and direct engagement.

You might think, “Just because social media is popular, it doesn’t mean it’s the right marketing channel for my cause.” Perhaps you feel hesitant to give it a try because you prefer other marketing channels or have never delved into social media marketing.

Although there is a learning curve, the long-term benefits are worth it, and many free resources are available to guide you. Double the Donation’s guide to digital marketing suggests that a strong digital presence can unlock meaningful advantages, such as:

• Eliminating geographic barriers: A digital presence ensures that a nonprofit’s message, campaigns, and calls to action are accessible to a global audience, enabling the organization to attract support from around the world, not just locally.
• Providing convenient opportunities for supporters: With online donation options, supporters can contribute financially from anywhere, at any time, using various payment methods. This ease of giving can significantly boost fundraising efforts and supporter engagement.
• Encouraging two-way communication: Platforms like social media and blogs allow supporters to voice their opinions, ask questions, and provide feedback, making them active participants rather than passive recipients.
• Raising more support: Engaging content, impactful storytelling, and strategic online campaigns can capture the attention of potential supporters and inspire them to take action by following your account, donating, or signing up for an event.
• Reducing marketing costs: Not only do social media platforms allow you to share content at a fraction of the cost of traditional media outlets, but they also allow for targeted marketing strategies. This ensures that your resources are focused on individuals with a demonstrated interest in your cause.

In addition to accessing these advantages, social media engagement can drastically increase your nonprofit event attendance and engagement.

Posting regularly and engaging with your audience before your event begins will drum up excitement and make attending feel like a no-brainer. Let’s explore below how you can leverage social media to boost engagement for your next event.

Tips to boost social media engagement for your next event

Create a social media calendar for consistent posting

Plan your social media posts ahead of time. This is especially important for planning online fundraising events. For example, let’s explore how you can plan your social media posts around an online auction event:

• Before the event. Designate a unique hashtag for your event, as this can significantly enhance the event’s visibility and engagement. Then, post auction item teasers to build anticipation and excitement, drawing more people to participate. As the event approaches, build urgency by including a “last chance” to sign up post.
• During the event. Share real-time updates about the auction item progress. This keeps participants engaged and informed, potentially fueling competitive bidding. Leverage auction software features such as text-to-give or a recurring giving option to remind participants of other ways to donate.
• After the event. Post social media shoutouts to thank auction participants and staff. Share how the funds raised will impact your mission to establish transparency and show donors the tangible difference their contributions will make.

Collaborate on your event marketing plan well ahead of time to ensure a cohesive and comprehensive approach. Respond to comments and questions as they arise so you can swiftly address any concerns and ensure the best event experience possible.

Use free social media tools

Create visually appealing social media content using free templates and graphics to establish a recognizable online brand. Clean and clear branding will help you stand out on a busy platform while communicating professionalism and credibility to your target audience.

There are several online marketing tools your nonprofit can use to give you a leg up:

• Canva. This graphic design platform is user-friendly and perfect for creating social media graphics, event flyers, and invitations. Canva offers a wide range of templates and design elements specifically tailored for social media platforms.
• Unsplash. This online tool provides next-level stock images contributed by photographers worldwide. Simply search for an image you’d like to post and download your chosen one for free.
• Giphy. This popular online database of fun GIFs can spice up your content and help you connect with younger audiences. From notable pop culture moments to cute animal animations, these GIFs will keep your content relatable and upbeat.
• Infogram and Piktochart. Both of these tools can help you visualize numbers with engaging infographics and charts. They’re perfect for highlighting your nonprofit’s impact at a glance by showing off your performance metrics.

Use these tools to vary your content. For instance, you might use Canva and Unsplash to create exciting event invitations. Then, you could leverage a platform like Piktochart to show off the success of your event with graphs indicating the final donation amounts.

Experiment with different content types

By incorporating a mix of images, videos, infographics, and text, your organization can keep your communication fresh and engaging, thereby maintaining audience interest and participation. Testing different formats can also reveal what resonates most with your supporters, enabling your nonprofit to tailor your content strategy for maximum impact.

Social media offers a full range of content options that can boost your engagement—try out the following:

• Instagram stories are great at capturing the audience’s attention with short-lived, compelling visuals and narratives. They also encourage action with features like follower polls and website links.
• Facebook and Instagram live streaming allow you to connect with your audience in real-time, offering an authentic and interactive experience.
• Custom hashtag creation consolidates all related content into one searchable stream, encouraging users to join the conversation and share their own experiences or content.
• Customized polls for supporters to complete provide an interactive and fun way to engage with content, offering them a voice in the conversation and a chance to share their opinions or preferences.

One great use of Instagram and Facebook stories or live streaming is to post behind-the-scenes images and videos to excite supporters. This could look like an event volunteer showing how your venue is coming to life or a quick story thanking your sponsors.

Track engagement

Tracking engagement on social media allows your nonprofit to measure the effectiveness of its content and strategies, providing actionable insights that can be used to refine and optimize future efforts.

By analyzing which posts generate the most likes, shares, comments, and overall engagement, you can identify what resonates most with your audience and adjust your content accordingly. Here are key social media analytics you should consider:

• Engagement by platform. Depending on your audience, you might decide to change your promotional strategy. For instance, SchoolAuction.net’s silent auction guide suggests promoting your silent auction on Facebook to attract a more mature audience.
• Event sign-ups from each social media source. Identify which platforms are most effective in driving attendee registrations. This insight allows your organization to allocate resources and focus efforts on the channels that yield the best return on investment.
• Reach and impressions. Reach indicates the total number of unique users who have seen your post, while impressions track how many times your content was displayed, regardless of clicks.

A data-driven approach helps align your social media strategy with audience preferences and behaviors, ensuring your nonprofit’s messaging is impactful, relevant, and engaging.

Leveraging social media is a powerful strategy to enhance event attendance and engagement for nonprofits. Regularly review and analyze social media metrics from previous events to understand what strategies resonated most with your audience. This will help expand your reach and foster community and involvement around your events.

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