What has been more successful for your nonprofit? A focus on social media strategies and campaigns or email campaigns to existing supporters? In this post, we will evaluate the pros of both focused efforts, understanding that the choice to do either/or ultimately lies with you.
Social media gives you multiple platforms to be creative in telling your story and sharing opportunities. Your organization has the potential to reach more people and leave more impressions by posting on multiple platforms, several times a day. To engage with your followers, this does require more focus from certain staff. Many nonprofits cannot afford to dedicate specific time to social posts. “Declining engagement and reach” across social media in 2016 could mean that your organization doesn’t see the need to dedicate more resources to it. Creating a campaign, which follows a theme and push for posts, and scheduling these posts through a service like HootSuite or PostCron, could be the answer to this problem. The 2016 Connected Nonprofit Report released by Salesforce found that 30% of millennials found out about nonprofit opportunities through social media last year. A higher percentage than baby boomers and Generation X combined. This meaning that social media posts from your organization still has a viable audience, it could just mean tailoring your posts to engage those individuals more often.
Emails sent out to existing supporters, through an email marketing system or through your CRM, can give you the assurance of confirmed visibility by those receiving the email. You can evaluate delivery confirmation and open rates, allowing you to better measure the success, when donations or volunteer sign ups are generated as the result of someone who you know got the email. According to a report by Litmus, 56% of emails are opened on a mobile device. Also, this Litmus report enlightened us to the fact that the number one activity on a smartphone is reading/responding to emails. Your email campaigns allow you to be a part of the mobile conversation just as much as social media posts. Emails sent out can be tailored more specifically to certain groups of constituents. In that Salesforce report, a quarter of Generation X surveyed found out about opportunities for a nonprofit through email. Email has a dedicated and active audience. Hone into what they like to open and respond to, and your success will grow.
Social media campaigns and email campaigns both have an audience that is worth reaching out to. Perhaps it is not the worst thing in the world to develop a strategy that allows both venues to help further your cause.
Contact our DonorLynk team today to implement a CRM solution that helps you better cultivate the relationships you create through social media and email conversation. Let’s do good together!
Marianna Woodruff is Director of Brand Awareness at DonorLynk, LLC. DonorLynk aims to provide nonprofits with tailored solutions that work for you, not against you.