Have you heard of the American Cancer Society? We know you have! But did you know they’re on Twitter and have 327,039 followers? The Red Cross, an organization always ready to lend a helping hand, is also on Twitter with 837,886 followers! Pinterest offers a similar result for nonprofit organizations. Just ask Amnesty International USA, Operation Smile, and Charity: Water! These are just a few examples of successful social media use for nonprofit organizations. Nonprofit organizations may support different causes but the goal remains the same: to fight for a cause and enhance the lives of others. Previously, the challenge of spreading awareness and acquiring funds proved extremely difficult. Twitter & Pinterest are providing an innovative way for nonprofit organizations to gain the attention of both supporters and charitable foundations. Below are a few tips to help boost the recognition of your Twitter and Pinterest accounts.

Hashchats

Remember how engaging online chatrooms were? The Hashchat app allows you to re-create this experience in Twitter! Create a virtual chatroom to discuss future plans or the issues your organization is facing. You could even open up the floor and request advice or brainstorm ideas with your volunteers or donors. Advertising is the key to success when planning a hashchat! Start posting about it early and consistently to make sure you gain ample support. Request that your followers Re-Tweet your posts to reach even more people. All in all, it’s a great way to draw attention to your organization, your mission, and your cause.

Sponsor Regularly Scheduled Chats

Start a moderated regularly scheduled chat at a designated time every week to generate uplifting stories or ideas from your followers who genuinely care about the issues. Provide a topic, request opinions or comments, or just open the floor for discussion. This could ultimately turn into a truly rewarding experience on everyone’s part and helps you get your message out there for all to see.

Live Event Tweeting

Don’t leave your followers out! Tweet from a live event being held by your organization. Provide up to the minute coverage about important milestones or events taking place. When news breaks, make sure your fellow Twitter companions know about it as soon as it happens. Try scheduling your own live event on Twitter. This would be a great way to open the floor for discussion with you answering questions about your organization in real-time.

More Pinterest Please!

Pinterest isn’t quite the largest social media network yet, but it’s getting close! It certainly is one of the most unique (and addicting) ways to reach others. No text posts, just pictures. Sounds like a dream right? As a nonprofit organization, taking advantage of the Pinterest craze is in your best interest. Post pictures that fully establish what your organization’s cause is and the issues you face. Try to use pictures that produce an emotional response to help gain supporters and donors.

YouTube & Pinterest

Are you making videos for your organization? Pin videos to your Pinterest page to increase visibility! Your videos should educate others and entice them to want to commit to your cause. It’s a proven fact: people are more likely to click a video link than read a text post. Try it out today!

Pinterest for Your Organization

With Pinterest’s rate of growth and newly developed business accounts being brought into play, it would be a mistake for nonprofit organizations NOT to implement Pinterest into their social media strategy! Why you ask? Pinterest provides possible benefactors with a more visual take on your cause. After all, recent studies indicate the second most popular reason for surfing Pinterest is shopping. By establishing a Pinterest business account, you’ll have a fully branded page to promote your cause. Here are a few tips to take full advantage of your Pinterest business account:

• Already have a Pinterest account? Don’t worry about having to transfer data or start from scratch since Pinterest will easily convert your page to a complete business account.
• Verify your website. Take a moment to visit your settings page and click verify website. Doing so shows your followers your organization is legitimate and provides a source to gain further knowledge about your cause.
• Use buttons and widgets. Studies show people are 25% more likely to buy a product online that has a social media share button next to it. Adding a Pinterest button or widget to your homepage/blogs is an effective way to draw traffic to your Pinterest page.

That concludes day 4 of our 7 Day Social Media Series. How would you rate your Twitter and Pinterest skills? Pinterest is fairly new but clearly picking up steam popularity wise. If you need help getting your social media accounts going and providing consistent content, just let us do the work! Our social media services are the best around and can save ample amounts of your time to focus on other projects.