SOCIAL MEDIA MADE SIMPLE AND EASY

By Jordan Lappin

As a nonprofit network, our goal at Triangle Cares is to connect volunteers with different organizations throughout the greater Raleigh-Durham area. By now, you probably understand the power of social media within our society, and at Triangle Cares we utilize our social media platforms big time! Social media acts as our main form of connection and communication with our volunteer base. These platforms also give us the ability to showcase the different organizations that we have partnered with to an endless audience of potential volunteers.
At the beginning of this summer, our team decided that we needed to rebrand our social media platforms as they were not performing as well as we would like them to. We hired a new intern that specializes in social media and digital marketing which proved to be an excellent investment for Triangle Cares. Since our rebranding, our following and engagement has increased by nearly 200%, but more importantly, our partnerships have strengthened as we’ve brought a significant amount of exposure, volunteers, and excitement to these organizations. We’ve consolidated our knowledge into a simple Social Media Strategy that you can start using today to boost your online presence. 

1. Post content related to your niche/organization - As simple as this sounds, many organizations are not utilizing social media the “right way”, so-to-speak. Instagram and Facebook are niche based platforms. This means that in order to grow and gain a following, you need to post content that centers around a certain niche. The content that follows a consistent theme or pattern will perform well in the algorithm. The more content you post related to the mission of your nonprofit organization, the more likely your content will be seen by people who are interested in what you’re doing!
2. Be consistent! - Consistency is key when it comes to social media! We recommend posting on social media as much as you can. Organic reach, which is the number of people you reach without paying to boost an advertisement or post, can reach only a certain number of people. Posting each day strategically and consistently maximizes your organic reach and ability to engage new donors and volunteers. 
3. Quality over quantity! - While posting consistently is arguably the most important piece of social media strategy, you want to make sure that the content you are posting is high quality. Pictures are essential to your social media pages so that you can put a face behind your mission, but you should make sure that your photos look professional. Digital content has also become increasingly popular on social media. Apps like Canva and Photoshop are easy to use and are a great way to add a nice flare to your page. 
4. Engage with your followers and other nonprofits  - Don’t simply share your content and hope people will interact with it. After all, it is called ‘social’ media for a reason - comment, like and share related content. When followers comment, respond back to them. If someone messages you, take the time to reply to their message. These small, personal touches can give your nonprofit’s social media platforms an edge.
5. Try new things! - Have you ever heard the phrase “throw things at the wall and see what sticks!” This is a great strategy to use when it comes to social media. The algorithms on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are difficult to understand and extremely unpredictable. If what you are doing now is not working, then try something new!