It’s Thursday morning. You’re going through your daily tasks, busy as ever. You’re creating a slide deck. Practicing your presentation for a new parenting class you will be facilitating. Writing emails. And trying to squeeze in some time for all-important coffee breaks.
Suddenly…you realize you haven’t posted to social media ALL WEEK!
So, you scramble to write a quick post and publish it to Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
I’ve worked on over 500 projects helping non-profit organizations create more impact with marketing and branding, and I can tell you this happens… All. The. Time.
For most non-profit leaders, social media is just another task on the to-do list. Most don’t have the time or the capacity to do it right. And most find it difficult to come up with timely and engaging content every day. (I’ve just described you, haven’t I?)
But the truth is social media is an effective marketing tool non-profit organizations can and should use. It’s an opportunity to give your organization a face, help people understand what you do, and help them get to know, like, and trust you.
But sometimes, it just doesn’t feel like the awesome marketing tool it is.
And that’s probably because, try as you might, you’re not using it to its full potential.
Social media isn’t going to be effective if the type of content you’re sharing isn’t connected to your cause, your organization, or your mission.- Kerstin Heuer Click To Tweet
The 2020 Social Media Impact Calendar: 366 Days of Awesomeness
Wouldn’t it be nice to feel organized, calm, and relaxed instead of stressed and oh so busy?
You need to be intentional.
You need to be strategic in your posting.
You need an editorial calendar based on science.
I’m here to help you accomplish all these goals with social media nonprofit best practices. I’ve created a Social Media Impact Calendar for Non-Profits with 366 days of posts you can use throughout the year, so you never have to scramble again. What’s unique about the calendar (and what makes it so effective) is that it follows a foolproof five-pillar framework to ensure the content you share on social makes an impact.
To make an impact, you need a social media strategy.- Kerstin Heuer Click To Tweet
Plus, you can use the calendar for any channel. You can even use it to create live streams. How cool is that?
The 5-Pillar Framework for Social Media
Editorial planning works, I swear. When you connect all your content in an editorial calendar, you’re creating a more powerful and effective social media strategy.
HURRAY! No more random posts!
With the 5-pillar framework, which my Social Media Impact Calendar is based on, you can ensure all of your content is related to:
- Brand: This is content that’s related to your cause, your people, your stakeholders, or your success. It’s content that shows your authentic brand, such as behind-the-scenes photos.
- Authority: You want people to know, like, and trust you. How do you do that? Authoritative content consists of social media posts that position you as an expert in your field. This type of content shows your knowledge and expertise. For example, it could be a post sharing how many people your non-profit has helped so far this year.
- News and community: This type of content would typically come from articles you find online. It’s a good idea to set up Google Alerts to get emails about what’s new in the community, and then share it with your followers.
- Promotion: These social posts would promote your services or products. But you should also think outside of the box here. You could also promote an employee appreciation day or an upcoming fundraising event.
- Inspiration: Personally, this is my favorite pillar. It’s also the easiest to incorporate into your social media strategy. It can consist of inspirational quotes, thank-you messages to your donors or volunteers, or even thought-provoking questions for your followers.
That’s it! All you have to do is build your social media strategy based on these five pillars, and you’ll make a greater impact in no time. Social media for nonprofit will be easier than ever in 2019. Want to check it out? Watch a brief introduction here.
About the Author
Kerstin Heuer is a marketing consultant and founder of Non Profit Today. Since 2008 she has used the trifecta of branding, marketing, and design to help nonprofits communicate the heart of their organization, connect with their audiences, and achieve their missions. With over 25 years of industry experience and lessons learned from work on 500+ non-profit projects, Kerstin is skilled in collaborating with NPOs to make sure they have a clear message and the traction they need to spread it. Connect with her on Linkedin or email her at: kerstin@non-profit.today.
