As any volunteer treasurer will tell you, managing the accounts is easy compared to bringing in the money in the first place.  To be successful in winning loyal supporters and ongoing donations, not for profits have to do things differently.  Luckily social media provides just the right tools for you to do just that.

We have explained the importance of social media campaigns to you in earlier posts but recently author and social media whizz Guy Kawasaki shared his top ten social media tips for nonprofits. If anyone knows how to make social media work to achieve goals, it’s Guy.

Here are three points which I believe are really important in developing your community of loyal supporters.

Make a Great Profile:  This is your opportunity to make an instant connection with people.  Your avatar or header image can speak volumes for you if you choose the right picture.  Don’t just use your logo, use images to illustrate the people you aid and the difference you make.  As an example, look at Kiva’s Facebook page.  It’s a simple, direct message captured in one photo.  As soon as you land on the page you know what it is about.

Have great content:  If your social media posts are all asking for donations you won’t keep your followers for long.  Give them content which captures their attention, plucks at their emotions and brings them back again. Guy made a great point by saying that you don’t have to create all the content yourself.  You can curate it on your page.  Find useful information and link to it from your page.  As an example, look at Guy’s Alltop page on Facebook or the Admin Bandit page.  You’ll see information sharing in action.  Take the idea and tailor it to your supporters.

Be present:  Ask and answer questions and comment on what people say on your page.  You are aiming to develop a connection and relationship with the people that matter to your not for profit.  You can’t do that if you ignore them.

There are more tips worth reading so I encourage you to see what Guy has to say.