9 Skilled Nonprofit Social Media Advertising and marketing Techniques

Social media was born from a want to attach—throughout neighborhoods, borders and causes. Whereas a lot of immediately’s content material skews business, nonprofits have a novel alternative to return social media to its roots: constructing group, inspiring motion and amplifying human tales.

That doesn’t imply leaving efficiency behind. In truth, nonprofit social media advertising and marketing can each drive significant engagement and ship on targets like attain, donations and volunteer sign-ups. Simply ask Adam Jorgensen, Social Media Supervisor at GivingTuesday, whose function blends content material creation, video enhancing, graphic design, copywriting and extra—a mirrored image of the wide-ranging abilities immediately’s nonprofit entrepreneurs convey to the desk.

On this article, we’ll share Jorgensen’s prime nonprofit social media advertising and marketing ideas, together with marketing campaign inspiration you should use to encourage your technique.

What’s nonprofit social media advertising and marketing?

Nonprofit social media advertising and marketing is the follow of utilizing social platforms to advance a nonprofit’s mission—whether or not which means elevating consciousness, inspiring motion or deepening relationships with supporters. Whereas most of the methods overlap with these used within the for-profit world, the aim behind them typically seems to be completely different.

The objective isn’t simply to advertise a service or product—it’s to mobilize folks round a trigger. That distinction influences every little thing from content material technique to group administration. Nonetheless, the core ideas stay the identical.

As Jorgensen places it: “It doesn’t matter what your enterprise or nonprofit group is about, your finish objective is to make connections with folks. Actual folks. Which means your communications ought to cater to their wants, issues and goals.”

9 high-impact social media techniques for nonprofits

There’s no one-size-fits-all strategy to nonprofit social media advertising and marketing—however these confirmed techniques assist the best nonprofit social media groups construct momentum and deepen group engagement.

1. Set up your crew

You don’t want a full manufacturing staff to create nice content material—however you do want assist.

“Recruit a handful of individuals,” Jorgensen advises. “This may be your colleagues, volunteers, folks served or friends that assist you create content material and brainstorm concepts.” A small, trusted group can function each a sounding board and a supply of compelling tales that may in any other case go untold.

Begin by figuring out people who’re already partaking along with your group. You too can ship out a fast curiosity survey, embrace a content material opt-in on donor or member kinds and even construct social media fundamentals into your volunteer coaching. The objective is to make content material creation really feel like a shared mission, not an added burden.

2. Share impact-driven tales

Storytelling is likely one of the strongest instruments nonprofits have on social. It places a human face to your mission, builds emotional resonance and evokes your viewers to take motion. That affect grows when tales are well timed, relatable and rooted in your group’s goal.

Take it from GivingTuesday. Throughout the 2024 Summer time Olympics, their staff shared the story of Bob—an occasion volunteer who sprang into motion to gather swimmers’ misplaced caps throughout a break within the girls’s 100-meter breaststroke.

“By paying shut consideration to what was occurring in actual time and the thoughtfulness on the a part of our digital communications supervisor Vanessa, who pitched the concept—we created what continues to be one in every of GivingTuesday’s top-performing posts with over 322,000 views and seven,500 likes,” says Jorgensen.

The important thing to a narrative like Bob’s isn’t simply luck; It’s staying near the motion and retaining your mission prime of thoughts. Encourage staff members and volunteers to flag on a regular basis moments that mirror your values—you by no means know which small act would possibly spark huge engagement.

3. Promote a number of methods to provide

If each social put up is a fundraising attraction, you danger overwhelming your viewers—or worse, shedding their consideration fully.

As a substitute, use your social channels to showcase the numerous methods supporters can contribute to your trigger. Volunteering time, donating provides, attending occasions or just amplifying your message can all function significant entry factors into your group.

“We noticed that individuals needed to provide in a number of methods, not simply monetarily,” says Jorgensen. “For instance, we realized by way of social listening that one of many rising methods organizations had been asking folks to provide in 2024 was organ donation.”

Broadening your definition of generosity builds consciousness and deepens relationships with potential donors over time. Not everybody can provide cash straight away—however they may change into a few of your most passionate advocates in the event you supply them different methods to get entangled.

4. Companion with influencers

Influencer advertising and marketing isn’t only for huge manufacturers—it’s a robust software for nonprofits seeking to amplify their mission by way of trusted voices. By partnering with creators who align along with your values, you’ll be able to faucet into new audiences and construct credibility by way of genuine storytelling.

“We not too long ago started proactively pitching tales and collaboration alternatives with influencers, like Jacob Simon, who’re aligned with our mission to uplift inspirational tales of GivingTuesday and GivingTuesday Spark Leaders like Money the Conservation Child,” says Jorgensen.

“This ongoing tactic has led to a rise in our basic model consciousness whereas boosting visitors to data-backed assets that assist native fundraising and group constructing efforts.”

Sprout Social’s 2024 Influencer Advertising and marketing Report discovered that just about half of all customers belief influencers simply as a lot as they did six months in the past, whereas near 30% belief them extra. For nonprofits, that belief interprets right into a priceless alternative to achieve hearts and minds by way of folks already inspiring motion of their communities.

5. Pitch earned media alternatives

Your social technique doesn’t must reside solely on social platforms. Pitching your most compelling tales to native retailers, journalists or editorial boards might help your content material journey additional. You’ll be able to even attain audiences you could not have entry to by way of natural social alone.

“When you’ve got a financial institution of strong tales and people who find themselves snug being extra public with their views, including in an earned media factor to your marketing campaign may very well be significantly useful,” says Jorgensen. “It is a free, albeit not assured, method to increase assist of your group and affect.”

By main with a story-first strategy and a extra human, casual voice—moderately than relying solely on conventional PR techniques—you’ll be able to create outreach that feels much less like a press launch and extra like a significant second value sharing.

6. Make your content material go the additional mile

Don’t let nice content material reside simply as soon as. By repurposing content material, you’ll be able to attain extra folks, create extra engagement and save time on content material creation.

“For instance, in the event you’re engaged on a weblog to showcase the newest success story of your mission or service, brainstorm methods you’ll be able to flip that right into a carousel on Instagram, a TikTok and a collection of posts in a Tweet thread,” advises Jorgensen.

There are many methods to develop on a single piece of content material. Listed below are a number of approaches to repurposing that’ll make your content material work tougher for you:

• Repurpose top-performing content material: Repost your finest content material from the previous—this may very well be success tales, group shoutouts or testimonials. Don’t be afraid to repost, even when it’s a number of months previous.
• Diversify codecs: Flip weblog posts into partaking visuals, create quote graphics or remodel key statistics into video snippets or TikToks.
• Section your content material: Break down long-form content material into bite-sized items for social posts, e-mail blasts or newsletters.
• Repurpose low-performing content material: Typically, posts that didn’t carry out properly initially can achieve traction with a special angle, format or timing. Revisit these with contemporary eyes.

“It’s not a foul thought to repost your top-performing content material on occasion, and even these posts that flop,” provides Jorgensen. “The data you may have is helpful, and also you frolicked creating that put up, so profit from it.”

By trying again at your content material’s efficiency metrics and studying from previous campaigns, you’ll be able to tailor your content material repurposing technique to resonate higher along with your viewers transferring ahead.

7. Tailor your message

Efficient content material isn’t nearly what you say—it’s additionally about the way you say it. That’s why Jorgensen recommends nonprofits take time to grasp the tone, preferences and expectations of their viewers on every platform.

“Irrespective of the place you put up, it’s necessary to make sure you’re talking the proper language for every platform,” he says. “And I don’t imply English or Spanish, however take time to grasp how your viewers communicates. Are they severe or sarcastic? Do they like information or do they like tales?”

This platform-aware strategy to messaging ought to inform every little thing out of your put up copy and visuals to the social media tendencies you lean into and the best way you present up in your remark sections. As an example, a witty tackle a meme would possibly resonate along with your TikTok followers, whereas a data-driven infographic is perhaps extra compelling in your Fb viewers.

8. Use the GivingTuesday Information Commons

Talking of information, your social efficiency metrics aren’t the one insights value tapping into. The GivingTuesday Information Commons is a robust useful resource for nonprofit leaders seeking to higher perceive generosity, giving tendencies‌ and the evolving nonprofit panorama.

This open-source hub brings collectively a variety of datasets—from unique GivingTuesday analysis to contributions from world companions—designed to assist data-driven technique and innovation throughout the sector.

Pairing your inside information with this broader analysis offers you a sharper perspective on what’s motivating immediately’s donors, volunteers and advocates, so you’ll be able to construct smarter campaigns that meet the second.

9. By no means cease testing and studying

Irrespective of how well-planned your social technique is, not each put up will hit—and that’s okay.

“Don’t hand over. Preserve experimenting!” says Jorgensen. “The fact is, the web is a busy place with lots occurring and consistently altering algorithms and also you received’t all the time get it proper.”

Success on social isn’t about perfection—it’s about persistence. Regulate what your viewers engages with, keep versatile and use every marketing campaign as a studying alternative. The perfect nonprofit social methods evolve, formed by curiosity, creativity and a willingness to attempt one thing new.

3 nonprofit social media advertising and marketing campaigns to encourage your strategy

As Jorgensen places it, social content material for nonprofits ought to do greater than inform—it ought to encourage folks to take beneficiant motion. And whereas that may sound like a lofty objective, it typically begins with one thing so simple as a artistic marketing campaign thought, a well timed put up or a compelling story.

The next three campaigns from GivingTuesday’s group showcase the facility of considerate social technique in motion. Whether or not you’re brainstorming your subsequent GivingTuesday social media marketing campaign plan or searching for year-round concepts, let these examples spark your creativeness.

1. Partridge Creek Farm

Throughout GivingTuesday 2024, Partridge Creek Farm hit each their base and stretch targets—elevating sufficient to buy the land one in every of their group gardens sits on, securing it as a long-term useful resource for meals entry.

Social media performed a key function in that success. The staff started content material creation early, filming in September when the backyard was at its most vibrant. They interviewed workers and backyard members to share what the area meant to them, then distributed these tales throughout e-mail and social—layering in compelling stats from their annual backyard member survey.

Takeaway: Plan forward to seize video and visible content material throughout peak moments. These tales—particularly when instructed within the voices of your group—can gasoline your social content material year-round, serving to you keep constant with out all the time ranging from scratch.

2. Seek for Widespread Floor

For GivingTuesday 2024, Kalindi Cordero, Social Media Strategist at Seek for Widespread Floor, pitched an thought impressed by a narrative she encountered throughout a 2022 program journey to Tapachula, Mexico. There, she met Adolfo, a Venezuelan man who fled violence carrying solely a increase field and microphone—symbols of the id he refused to depart behind.

That story sparked a robust query and marketing campaign: What do we stock after we go away every little thing behind? The outcome was The Issues We Carry—a multi-platform storytelling effort that drove over 1 million impressions, practically 9,000 video views and greater than 59,000 visits to sfcg.org.

One contributing issue to that success was a user-generated content material immediate that inspired supporters to share their very own “Issues We Carry” tales—including extra emotional depth and serving to develop the marketing campaign’s attain.

Takeaway: Invite your viewers into the narrative. Campaigns that ask supporters to mirror and share private tales on social media have the facility to spark higher participation, attain and affect.

3. Tuesdays for Trash

What started in the course of the pandemic as a grassroots effort to securely reconnect and clear up native neighborhoods has grown into a worldwide motion. Tuesdays for Trash teamed up with GivingTuesday—one other Tuesday-centered powerhouse for social good—to make a fair larger affect on the 12 months’s most charitable day.

By becoming a member of GivingTuesday, Tuesdays for Trash gained publicity to new audiences, strengthened its missions and rallied assist for its objective: inspiring world generosity and clearing 100,000 kilos of trash by Earth Day 2025.

Takeaway: Strategic partnerships don’t dilute your mission—they amplify it. Collaborating with like-minded organizations can develop your attain, deepen engagement and assist you obtain bigger, shared targets.

Make nonprofit social media advertising and marketing work in your mission

Social media could be one of the highly effective instruments in a nonprofit’s toolkit—when used with intention.

From surfacing group tales and partnering with mission-aligned influencers to repurposing content material and inspiring viewers participation, the best methods are rooted in authenticity, creativity and experimentation.

Should you’re gearing up for a significant social marketing campaign, a robust basis is vital. Obtain our free social media marketing campaign temporary template to convey construction to your technique, streamline your planning course of and profit from each put up.