This document provides guidance on building online communities through social media for non-profits. It discusses how social media is important for non-profits to engage donors and supporters who increasingly research organizations online. While many non-profits use social media, most do not have formal strategies, policies, or allocate sufficient resources. The document then reviews best practices for key social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. It stresses the importance of creating a social media strategy and policy, setting a posting schedule, and measuring engagement and results metrics to evaluate effectiveness.

1. Building Online
Communities
For the Association of Fundraising Professionals
May 26th, 2015

2. About Me
Joyce Hsu
Communications Lead at
TechSoup Canada
Manage email campaigns,
social media, blogs, webinars
and events
Before TechSoup, worked as a
fundraiser and program
coordinator for 6+ years
Keep in touch: @fuuyin

3. Today’s agenda
Understanding Social Media
How are nonprofits using social media?
Social media channels (pro’s & con’s)
Social media best practices
How you can get started
Creating sustainable, social media
strategies
Tools & resources

4. Survey
Which social media channels
are you currently using?

5. Part 1
Understanding
Social Media

6. “We already have a website,
Why is social media important? ”

7. Donors start their research online
75%of donors use
online resources
to look for
information
39%
41%
51%
54%
71%
74%
87%
3rd party evaluator websites
Newspaper websites
Video sharing website
Email from nonprofit
Social networking site
Nonprofit website
Search Engines
Source: Google Think Insights “Non-Profit Path to Donation”

8. “I’m already using social media.
Why do I need to understand it? ”

9. % of nonprofits on social media channels VS Potential reach (unique monthly visitors)
Source: ebizmba.com/articles/social-networking-websites
0 200 MIL 400 MIL 600 MIL 800 MIL 1 BIL0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Sources: Bloomerang.co, Hubspot.com
Assessing the Nonprofit Social Media Landscape

10. How are nonprofits managing social media?
Correlates with 44% of
nonprofits having only
one person monitor their
social media
53%
are not
measuring
data
Majority of nonprofits have
no social media strategy,
policies or goals
documented
67%
don‘t have
a plan
By comparison, nonprofits
should budget 2 hrs/wk
per channel in order to
manage it well
38%
spend 1-2
hrs/wk
Sources: NTEN.com, Bloomerang.co, SocialMediaExaminer.com, NonprofitMarketingGuide.com

11. Why are you using social media?
Does it align with
or extend your
mission?
What are you
achieving on social
media that you can’t
achieve elsewhere?
Why did you
choose X channel
over Y?
Your social media efforts should not be a product of peer
pressure. Ask yourself a few guiding questions:

12. Which channel should you use?
Education?Raising awareness? Engagement?
Consider the advantages and disadvantages, choose
what’s most relevant for you and plan to spend
2 hours/week per channel.

13. The big two
Channel:
Unique
monthly visitors 900 MIL 310 MIL
Largest
demographic
Women, age 18-49
(Canadians are the most active users)
Women, age 18-49
General guidelines
Prioritize sharing photos
& images over links
Keep your own content &
services to a minimum
Good for: Sharing content, engagement
Outreach, raising awareness
of your cause, sharing content
Updated as of Feb 2015. Sources: ebizmba.com, expandedramblings.com, ignitesocialmedia.com

14. Runner-ups
Channel:
Unique
monthly visitors 255 MIL 1 BIL 250 MIL
Largest
demographic Men, age 30-64 Men, age 18-34
Women,
age 26-35
General guidelines
Post jobs and
events to increase
your SEO
Favour short
videos
Repin & follow
like-minded
profiles
Good for:
Sharing content,
job postings
Education, raising
awareness
Engagement,
merchandise
Updated as of Feb 2015. Sources: ebizmba.com, expandedramblings.com, ignitesocialmedia.com

15. Other active, social media channels
Channel:
Unique
monthly visitors
170 MIL 120 MIL 110 MIL 100 MIL 60 MIL
Largest
demographic
Men,
age 18-29
Men, age
28-50
Balanced,
age 18-29
Women, age
18-49
Women, age
25-54
General guidelines Be authentic
Prioritize
photos over
links
Keep posts
short (one
content at a
time)
Share at
least one
image daily
Invest in
good design
Good for:
Engagement
(known for
AMAs)
Sharing
content,
engagement
Sharing
content,
engagement
Sharing
content,
engagement
Sharing
content,
education
Updated as of Feb 2015. Sources: ebizmba.com, expandedramblings.com, ignitesocialmedia.com

16. Part 2
Social media
best practices

17. Facebook
Make sure to optimize:
1. Cover photo
2. Profile picture
3. Bio (link to website)
Ideal posts are 40 – 80
characters
Prioritize photos over links
(& use optimal sizes)
Organic reach can be slow
– be patient & consistent
Content marketing is king
Individuals: Weekends,
12-7pm
Organizations: Weekdays,
1-4pm
3
1
2

18. Twitter
Make sure to optimize:
1. Cover photo
2. Profile picture
3. Twitter handle (ideally no _
or confusing acronym)
4. Bio (>160 character bio with
URL & #hashtag to
increase SEO)
Ideal tweets are 100
characters
Max. two #hashtags
80/20 content rule
Individuals: Midweek &
weekends, noon & 6pm
Organizations: Weekdays,
1-3pm
3
1
2
4

19. LinkedIn
Make sure to optimize:
1. Profile picture
2. Cover photo
3. Short & sweet bio with links
4. Have every employee,
Board member or volunteer
on LinkedIn reference you –
increase your reach
Engage in groups (& be
genuine!)
Post jobs & events to
increase your SEO
Share valuable content
(including offers)
Tuesday-Thursday, 7-9am
& 5-6pm
3
1
2
4

20. YouTube
Make sure to optimize:
1. Profile picture
2. Upload a channel banner
3. Connect your channel to
other social media sites
4. Call-to-actions
 Use compelling titles. Arrange
keywords first and the
branding last
 Select an impactful trailer
video to feature on your
channel
 Create a playlist of at least 4
videos & add it to your
channel
 Sign up for Google for
Nonprofits; enables external
annotation links and
call-to-actions
3
1
2
4

21. Instagram
Make sure to optimize:
1. Cover photo
2. Profile picture
3. Short & sweet bio with links
Share at least one image
daily
Use Instagram to report live
from events & conferences
Tell a story with your
caption
Stick to a consistent,
schedule
Tuesday-Thursday, 7-9am
& 5-6pm
3
1
2

22. How to get followers and engagement?
It’s not all about you.
Share other people’s
content and participate
in discussions
Be timely with
your responses &
be approachable
TIP: Lack time? Focus on one channel and deliver consistent content.
Be the go-to-resource!
Focus on stories
and engaging
your supporters

23. Part 3
Creating sustainable
social media plans

24. Survey
How many people manage
your social media accounts?

25. Start with a social media strategy
What is your goal on social media? How does your goal tie into
your mission? What channels will your organization use and who
is responsible for managing them?
Resource:
bloomerang.co/resources/downloadables/social-media-strategy-template/

26. Create a social media policy
What is your brand persona/how will you portray your
organization online? How do you respond to your supporters
(positive and negative mentions)?
Resource:
idealware.org/reports/nonprofit-social-media-policy-workbook
TechSoup Canada (TSC) Social Media Policy
Brand persona
• Knowledgeable, Approachable, Authentic, Fun!
• Guideline: “If Microsoft or Google was reading or hearing this, would you still share it?”
Example Facebook Twitter Website Online
Positive
mention
“TechSoup
is great!”
Like or
comment
RT & comment if
its about the
donation
program. Reply &
thank them if
sharing
Reply to
comment
and thank
them. Sign
name & title
& org
Add
comment,
thanking
them and
possible
sharing
more info
Negative
mention
“I don’t like
TechSoup”
Comment
& offer to
follow-up
Reply & follow-up.
If harsh, respond
with humor (like
Neshi)
Reply &
email
follow-up
Reply &
offer to
follow-up

27. Set a schedule
How often are you going to tweet, post, pin etc.? When are you
going to post them (time & days)? What tool are you going to
use to monitor your schedule?
Social media management tools:
techsoupcanada.ca/community/blog/jane-vs-tierney-social-media-management-tool-intro

28. Measure and evaluate
Exposure Engagement Conversion
You need to know if your strategies are working (or not!) and
adjust accordingly. Social media stats will also help with
leadership buy-in and program reports.
Example metrics:
fenton.com/resources/see-say-feel-do
SEE
SAY
FEEL
DO

29. Example metrics in action
SEEFB page likes &
reach
TW followers
RSS or email
subscriptions
Youtube views
Bit.ly clicks
SAYFB post likes &
shares
Retweets
Email forwards
Repins & board
followers
FEELFB shares with
message
Retweet with message
Comments
Online mentions
DODonations
Advocacy actions
Event attendance
Membership
Volunteerism
Source: fenton.com/resources/see-say-feel-do

30. Measurement and evaluation tools
There are lots of free & low cost tools. Use them only if they
measure the metrics you want.
Free tools:
cyfe.com, bitly.com, mention.com, Hootsuite, Buffer

31. Interested in tech tools?
Just a bit about TechSoup
Canada …

32. We make technology more affordable
through the Technology Donations
Program
Register your charity, nonprofit or library to see which
products you’re eligible for:
www.TechSoupCanada.ca/Getting_Started

33. We create and curate tech resources
facebook.com/techsoupcanada
techsoupcanada.ca/blog
meetup.com/toronto-net-tuesday
@techsoupcanada

34. We’re a small nonprofit based in Toronto
and a program of the Centre for Social Innovation

35. Questions?