There are a huge number of registered charities out there, all campaigning tirelessly to change the lives of others and make a difference where they can. With so many organisations campaigning, and often competing, it can be hard for charities to reach the audiences they need. Social media can play a valuable role in extending your reach and improving your impact. Shake have compiled a top ten of handy tips to help you with this. Feel free to contact us on advice@192.168.1.71:8888/shake if you need further help.

1.    Have a strategy

It is important that your supporters have faith in what you are doing and understand your ethos. Outline what your objectives are and what outcomes you want. Identify your audiences and research what social media platforms they’re most active on so you can make sure you are reaching the right people. Make sure you integrate your social media strategy with your other marketing efforts. As you progress you’ll be able to refer back to your plan regularly to make sure you remain consistently focused.

2.   Customize your profiles

You can add customized designs to social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. It is important to do this as it means your profiles are easy to identify and consistent with the branding of your charity. Remember to create a unique URL for your Facebook page too.

3.    Listen

Social media is, by its very nature, social. It is not a one-way street. It is not a place for you to just talk about the charity, nor is it a platform for your audience to do all the talking. Listening is therefore key. If you want people to listen to you, you need to take the time to listen to them too. Don’t be afraid to start conversations – and take the time to build up the dialogue around your cause so that you get meaningful feedback.

4. Respond

If someone writes on your page, tweets you, or leaves a comment on your video or blog, then acknowledge that they took time out of their day to do so, and reply. Act as soon as you become aware because the best conversations are those that take place in ‘real time’.

5.   Be flexibile

Don’t be regimented in how you approach social media. It is a fluid, changing and dynamic environment and will require a similar approach from you in order to make the most of what it has to offer. Be open to new social platforms that become available, but don’t just jump in without really considering whether they will benefit you. Always be mindful of the ways new platforms can open your charity up to a wider supporter base.

6. Create interesting content

Good content is vital for attracting new followers, fans and supporters. It’s important that your updates, tweets and blog posts are engaging, relevant and insightful, but remember to vary them too. Content can be images, video, audio and written content so ensure it is a balanced mix to keep your audience interested and the content fresh.

7. Become an expert

You can’t expect to run effective and engaging social channels if you don’t truly understand how each of the platforms works and how people interact differently on each of them. There are different rules and codes of etiquette for each one that you’ll need to understand. If you’re unsure, seek training or employ an expert to manage the pages for you.

8. Measure and monitor

Monitoring your campaigns will allow you to understand what works and what doesn’t so it is worth doing. Google Analytics offers robust and intelligent reporting for free. Facebook gives you Insights, which can tell you more about the type of people that engage with your page; where they’re from, age & gender and what type of content they prefer. You can also find out what days and times they most like to see that content.

For things such as Twitter, which doesn’t have an inbuilt reporting system, look to short URL platforms such as bit.ly or sn.im that will measure the clickthroughs of URLs you post. It is also useful to keep track of who retweets your posts, what is retweeted most and when.

9. Research

Before you post, think of the last time that a brand or charity you followed on Facebook or Twitter appeared in your newsfeed. Did you take time out from interacting with your friends to respond? If not, why not? If yes, what was it about the message that prompted you? Take the time to research good quality content and what makes posts effective. See what other charities are doing. Remember, they’ll be looking at you!

10. Be honest

Authenticity and transparency are both important if you are to be successful with social media. Use your pages as an opportunity to get feedback and opinions on how your supporters feel you are doing. If you make a mistake, own up to it. If you receive criticisms, outline how you are going to do better in future. Act honourably and humbly at all times, and don’t forget to thank your fans and followers for their support.