How Nonprofit Board Members Can Support Social Media Initiatives
Effective social media management can be a complex process that involves many different team members affiliated with nonprofit organizations. Having a supportive nonprofit board can greatly enhance a nonprofit organization’s social media efforts and their impact on the community. Nonprofit board members play a pivotal role in the development and success of the organization’s social media performance. They can provide leadership and suggestions regarding social media content, can assist the organization’s staff and/or volunteers with social media-related work like content management and social media assessment, and can also help spread the word about organization programs and campaigns by sharing content on their own social media feeds.
Here are a few ways that nonprofit board members can help support the organization online:
Engage with the organization’s social media content.
Engagement is so important in social media, as the more engagement a social media post has, the wider its organic reach. Board members can engage on the nonprofit’s social media content to help extend the post(s)’ reach through comments, Likes, and shares. This helps increase the number of people the content may be shown to organically through the social media app’s feed. Additionally, board members can tag the organization’s social media channel in personal posts that relate to the organization’s work and/or mission.
Learn more: 5 Social Media Content Management Tips for Nonprofits
Collect or create content for the nonprofit’s social media channels.
Nonprofit board members can actively collect content that may be useful in sharing on the organization’s social media channels, and provide this content to the organization’s designated social media manager or committee. Social media content examples include things like pictures taken during organizational events, video recordings discussing the reasons why they love the organization, and quality articles or press related to the organization that may be of interest to the organization’s social media following should also be shared. Nonprofit organizations may find it best to create a shared folder, like Dropbox or Google Drive, that’s dedicated to media for social publication, and grant board members access for ease of sharing.
Learn more: 10 Social Media Content Ideas for Nonprofits
Include a review of the organization’s social media channel performance in board meetings.
Board members can help support the organization’s outreach efforts by prioritizing the review of the organization's social media analytics regularly, and integrating an evaluation of social media performance into board meetings. Working with nonprofit organization teams to brainstorm creative social media content and campaigns provides an additional perspective that may be beneficial to the organization’s social media strategy. Additionally, board members can help the organization identify realistic social media growth goals and strategize ways to customize the nonprofit’s social media efforts in ways that will increase the organization's success. When developing social media growth objectives, goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound - also known as SMART goals - can be helpful to keep in mind.
Learn more: How to Conduct a Social Media Performance Assessment
Here are social media app-specific suggestions for nonprofit board members:
● Facebook:
o Invite personal Facebook Friends to “Like” the nonprofit organization’s Facebook Page.
o Create a fundraiser for the nonprofit organization on the board member’s personal Facebook profile.
o Engage (Like, share, and comment) on the nonprofit organization’s published Facebook content, as this will help the organization’s content experience increased reach. To make this process easier, board members can add the nonprofit organization’s Facebook Page to the board member’s personal Facebook profile’s “See First” list.
● Instagram:
o Provide the nonprofit organization with any photo or video content related to the organization that may be useful in sharing on Instagram – the social media app that’s most dependent on visual media content.
o Incorporate branded hashtags and tag the nonprofit organization’s Instagram handle when posting content on one’s personal Instagram feed that may involve the organization.
o Share the nonprofit organization’s Instagram posts within the Instagram Stories feature.
o Engage (Like and comment) on the nonprofit organization’s published Instagram content, as this will help the organization’s content experience increased reach.
● Twitter:
o Provide the nonprofit organization with any information-rich content (articles, blogs, etc.) related to the organization that may be useful in sharing on Twitter.
o Incorporate branded hashtags and tag the nonprofit organization’s Twitter handle when posting content on one’s personal Twitter feed that may involve the organization.
o Volunteer to organize or participate in Twitter Chats and Twitter Polls sponsored by the nonprofit organization.
o Engage (Like, comment, and retweet) on the nonprofit organization’s published Twitter content, as this will help the organization’s content experience increased reach.
● LinkedIn:
o After the nonprofit organization’s LinkedIn Company Page has been established, board members can update their personal LinkedIn Profile to include their position with the organization.
o Engage (Like, share, and comment) on the nonprofit organization’s published LinkedIn content, as this will help the organization’s content experience increased reach.
Social Media Support from Nonprofit Organizations Board Members
Social media is an extremely versatile platform that presents many opportunities for nonprofit organizations of all sizes. A large marketing budget isn’t required for social media success, as there are many ways to extend an organization’s reach through social media, and nonprofit board members are uniquely poised to increase the organization's digital reach. While many of the social media suggestions are relatively small gestures, this type of online support can go a long way in advancing the organization’s mission and building community relationships.
For additional information on how nonprofit board members can help support the organization through virtual channels, check out our webinar, 4 Ways Organizations Can Embrace Digital Strategy.
Learn more about social media strategy for nonprofit organizations:
If your organization is looking for a creative partner to provide marketing and PR services, Becker Digital is always ready to help. Our team of experienced professionals is available for projects large and small. We work to customize our services to the client’s needs. Contact us to schedule a complimentary call and learn more about how digital strategy can enhance your organization’s mission.