It seems as though nearly everyone from every conceivable demographic is on social media these days. Regardless of someone’s age, occupation, education, lifestyle or other preferences, everyone is online liking, tweeting, following, commenting and otherwise sharing with everyone else. Based on the traffic rate occurring on social media channels these days, your NFP’s engagement should be through the roof, right?

Unfortunately, it takes a lot more than simply having a lot of people online, all of the time, to drive them to your social media profiles and prompt them to interact with your NFP. The following three strategies can help improve your NFP’s engagement.

Keep it Simple

There are hundreds of social media networks around, but your NFP doesn’t have to be on all of them to increase support for your cause. Narrow your focus so that you aren’t spreading yourself, and your NFP’s resources, too thin.

If you’re new to social media, start out with one or two channels. Focus on keeping these profiles updated with fresh content on a frequent basis. Make a point to follow up and check your posts for comments and other replies so that you can respond in a timely manner. Always thank new followers for joining you and return the favour by following them in return. Don’t forget to use spell check and other tools when creating posts and responding to replies so that your followers gain a good impression of you and your organisation. Simple mistakes look sloppy, and if they happen frequently, it can cause your followers to lose trust in you and your NFP.

As you gain experience, consider adding additional channels, one at a time, until you achieve the right mix that will allow you to reach multiple audiences that are interested in your organisation’s work. If you start to feel overwhelmed and find that you lack time to manage all the accounts and keep them updated frequently, you may need to ask for help and turn over one or more accounts to an assistant with more time. You might also consider bringing in other outside help to keep them updated. Remember that less is more with social media. It’s better to have 3 to 5 accounts that you manage well rather than a dozen or more that you can’t keep up with.

Tailor Your Content to Fit the Channel

One reason why your posts may fail to get the engagement you crave is that you are not posting the right type of content for the channel’s format. Always tailor your content to fit the channel’s preferred format.

Twitter is really best to be used to alert your followers of breaking news. So, use it to keep your supporters up-to-date on news that affects your organisation. For example, you could tweet during fundraisers when you’re getting close to reaching a milepost, or there’s an opportunity for matching funds. Send reminders about galas, charity auctions and other upcoming events, recruit volunteers or encourage your advocates to contact their local lawmakers when legislation that might affect your nonprofit comes up for a vote.

Facebook is best for longer posts and comments, and for starting conversations around specific issues. It’s also a great fundraising platform where your supporters can create their own custom campaigns to raise money for your cause!

Have great images that illustrate your NFP’s impact in your community? Share them on Instagram and Pinterest.

Want to network with other NFP professionals and broaden your pool of potential recruits? Join associations and post openings on LinkedIn and other professional job networking sites.

Stop Abandoning Conversations

Do you promptly respond to comments on your posts? If you don’t, then should you really be surprised when your posts fail to gain traction with your followers?

If your nonprofit has failed to post replies on your Facebook and other profiles, you should know that you are not alone. A 2017 survey conducted by Social Sprout found that less than 10% of brands respond to comments on their social media channels. This is even though the same survey found that nearly half have used Facebook, Twitter and other social media profiles to call out specific brands.

If you want to encourage engagement with your NFP and its posts, you have to stop abandoning online conversations. Make a point to send replies to comments as soon as possible, and, gain the appreciation of your followers!