In the world of nonprofit social media, the landscape is changing so rapidly, and it’s becoming harder and harder to build community in our hyper-connected world.
Three billion people, around 40% of the world’s population, use social media – spending an average of two hours every day sharing, liking, tweeting and updating on these platforms.
That breaks down to around half a million tweets and Snapchat photos shared every minute. Whew!
Not only is social media use showing no signs of slowing down, yesterday’s tried-and-true growth drivers are becoming increasingly obsolete, demographic shifts are resetting donor expectations, and the promise of technology to reach new supporters has never been more real.
There is a lot on the plate of the modern nonprofit social media manager.
It’s getting harder to manage the chaos, avoid burnout, and do your work more effectively and efficiently without losing your mind.
To help you get focused, I recommend adopting these five habits in the New Year.
2. ABOUT ME
Mom of 2
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Senegal
2000-2002)
Former (recovering?) Development and
Marketing Director at small shops
Author, Storytelling in the Digital Age: A
Guide for Nonprofits
Tweet: @JuliaCSocial
TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL
3. NEW BOOK COMING
NEXT WEEK!
Get a free chapter and get notified when
it’s first available:
www.jcsocialmarketing.com/firstdibs
TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL
8. THE BREAK DOWN
TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL
Three billion people, around
40% of the world’s population,
use social media – spending an
average of two hours every
day sharing, liking, tweeting and
updating on these platforms.
That breaks down to around half
a million tweets and Snapchat
photos shared every
minute. Whew!
11. OUR
UNIQUE
RESPONSIB
ILITY
TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL
Trust in institutions, brands,
nonprofits is at an all time
low.
The content we share should
build a community of people
who believe what we believe.
We have a moral obligation to
engage our communities on
digital platforms.
15. 2) SET A
TIMER.
How much time do you have to spend on
social media?
Is this 100% of your job, or just 10%?
Remember what successful social media
marketing work entails:
Research
Content creation
Monitoring
Measurement
TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL
17. 3) TAKE MENTAL HEALTH BREAKS.
This may mean turning off social media
notifications when you leave the office.
If you absolutely need to respond to
something, set aside 10-15 minutes of
dedicated time after work to go into the
platforms.
Then shut it down for the night.
It’s also important to take digital
detoxes and vacations, to come up for
air.
TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL
18. HELPFUL
PODCASTS
Holding Space with Dr. Cassidy Freitas aims
to demystify mental health and therapy and
make it more accessible through
storytelling.
Jen Gotch is Okay…Sometimes is a mental
health podcast from the founder of Ban.do,
chronicling her journey with bipolar and
anxiety.
Selfie is a self-care podcast hosted by a
psychotherapist and a lifestyle blogger,
exploring important themes like sleep,
healthy eating, and balancing the body,
mind, and spirit.
TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL
19. 4) JUST SAY NO TO
PERFECTIONISM.
TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL
ATTENTION TO DETAIL IS GREAT
BUT PERFECTIONISM IS A KILLER.
GET THAT POST UP. EDIT IT LATER
IF YOU FIND A DRASTIC MISTAKE.
TEST, SEE WHAT’S WORKING, AND
DO MORE OF THAT.
21. 5) ADVOCATE FOR YOURSELF.
TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL
Conduct a detailed inventory of your time.
List out as many tasks as possible.
Estimate or record how much time it takes to accomplish each task.
If something is added to your plate, something else MUST come off.
Don’t be afraid to advocate for your work!
23. 3 KEYS TO SOCIAL MEDIA SUCCESS
Confidence – in your voice, in taking risks, and in
being yourself
Consistency – showing up regularly and being present
Content – that people like to watch, read, share,
comment on
TWEET: @JULIACSOCIAL
Creating engaging, well-received content is the name of the social media game.
The best way to create your own high-performing social media content strategy is by completing the 3 steps that we will cover today:
Brainstorm Content Categories that are laser-focused on your target audience and to your specific nonprofit;
List out several different Content Types, based on what works on each social media platform, as well as the technical capacity and resources of your org;
Put the Content Categories and the Content Types together into a Content Calendar.