If you have launched a nonprofit fundraising campaign, you know how difficult it can be to raise money. Many nonprofits use social media influencer campaigns to extend the reach of their message to hundreds of new supporters. What is a social media influencer? A social media influencer is active on one or more social media networks and who has established credibility on a special industry. They usually have a modest to large following. Most importantly, all influencers have one thing in common. They can persuade others by virtue of their authenticity and reach and drive action.
Why Your Nonprofit Needs Social Media Influencers
- Organic reach is down and because of this, nonprofits are having to pay to be seen in the newsfeed.
- A recent study by The Georgetown Digital Persuasion Study reports that 65% of people find out about a cause through friends and family. In addition, 68% are prompted to donate after engaging with a cause on social media.
- It’s one of the most cost-effective ways to grow your supporter database and drive engagement.
How to Find Social Media Influencers
- Segment your email list – Look at your organization’s email list and find out who has the largest social media presence. One way to do this is by looking at Twitter follower counts. Check to see if you can segment your email database by social influence.
- Social listening – Monitor digital media channels to understand the conversation around relevant topics so you can better engage those people driving it. You can monitor the mention of the name of your organization and any campaigns you are running.
- Google Trends – Google Trends allows you to see the popularity of a particular search term. When you submit a search term, you are provided with a chart that shows interest over time.
- Review hashtags on Twitter and Instagram related to your focus and pay attention to posts that have lots of engagement.
Types of Social Media Influencers
- Everyday Influencer. These people are on your email list who are extremely motivated by your cause. For example, Kathy Green is a teacher who uses her Instagram account with over 2,000 followers. Kathy posts from time to time about your animal rescue. Ask her if she would spread the word about your fundraising campaigns or adoption events. Email Kathy and others like her with a call to action and a link to post. Sample subject lines can be: “Can you tweet this today or will you share this story on Facebook?” Always thank your influencers for their support and keep them updated on your campaigns.
- Blogger Influencer. Bloggers who have at least 500 to 5,000 followers and have the words media or blogger in their profile. Contact can be as simple as emailing them and ask if they will share your campaign message on social networks.
- Celebrity/VIP Influencers. Look for supporters with more than 5,000 followers who post about issues that are similar to your cause. By using social media monitoring tools you can identify who these influencers are. You should also like, retweet and follow these celebrity influencers. Tell tell them about your nonprofit in an email and ask if they would become a campaign ambassador.
A great example of a nonprofit using social media influencers is Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah. First of all, they do a fantastic job of engaging with community member which has attracted the attention of influencers. One supporter at Best Friends has an Instagram account for her dog. Last year, in honor of his birthday, she posted about a small fundraising campaign that ended up making over $600 in one day.
Nonprofits have an enormous opportunity to recruit passionate followers online who will extend their content reach. How are you using influencer driven campaigns to broaden your nonprofit’s message?
Source: Nonprofit Hub
