Engagement for NPOs. How do you increase it?
When considering different ways to promote your NPO, Social Media, such as Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and so on, definitely come to your mind first. Even if you are not looking for donors or supporters, it is a good practice to have your nonprofit presented on Social Media. Nobody will learn about your organization if they can’t find you on Instagram or Facebook, for example. It is not enough to run a nonprofit without at least basic marketing support. Content marketing and media marketing can sometimes do more for your NPO than you expect.
What is Social Media engagement?
Usually, we talk about the comments, shares, and likes that your profile and publications get on Social Media when we want to measure the efforts of your organization through Social Media channels. Most organizations, especially big ones (both business and non-profit ones) build the whole media network to connect their brand to their audience and develop a certain influence in the informational field.
Why is it important to increase the engagement rate?
Social Networks need a separate Social Media strategy integrated into the main non-profit marketing and business ones to perform well. It is not enough to register your brand there and publish boring standard content. The main metric for your Social Media correct performance is the engagement of users. Engagement means reaction. They should like, comment, follow the link(s), subscribe, save, donate, contact you, and so on.
When using more simple words your audience becomes engaged when it stops being just a visitor in your profile and turns into your friend and supporter. Each action a visitor makes increases their interest in your organization and its activities.
If you manage to make a person smile, think, and get interested in something then they will come to see once again what you are doing. The more content they consume (created and published by you) the more chances you will have to get a loyal supporter. This is why you see so many various activities, challenges, and real battles on Social Media to engage as many people as possible.
How to increase the engagement rate?
Both tactics and mechanics to increase the engagement rate for your NPO are quite simple to implement and see the results. Communicate with your audience and stimulate it to be more active. Create polls and ask questions, and ask the visitors of your profile to share their opinions – not only you will increase the engagement rate but also collect important data and stats.
Add more emotions to your content, as well as more quality. These are the basic rules that are often neglected.
Take your time or ask for help when creating visual content: professional and visually appealing photos and videos are more liked by the audience. Invest more time and effort into descriptions and explanations. Create a code of communication for those who stay in touch with your audience on social media.