The end of the year is quickly approaching. Are you actively thinking of the components your nonprofit team should know for marketing in 2019, particularly for social media? Cost-effective and wide-reaching, social media is an invaluable tool. And with 3.03 billion active users worldwide, it goes without saying it’s essential to stay ahead of trends.
Here are the social media trends we think are best for your nonprofit to know and implement.
1. Live Streaming
Video, in general, is dominant on social media platforms. Every day, roughly 500 million users watch Facebook videos and 82% of Twitter’s 326 million users watch video daily. But what’s even more important to note is of that video content, people prefer live video at a shocking rate. 80% of users would rather watch a live video than read a blog, according to TalkPoint.
Users love it because it’s engaging and immediate. They enjoy the ability to ask questions directly to a brand and receive instant answers. Popular live streaming video types that your nonprofit could imitate include:
- Behind-the-Scenes
- How-Tos
- Testimonials
- Live events
- Interviews - Q&As
To ensure a high volume of viewers, decide in advance which platform you want to use (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc.) and let your followers know in advance. If it ends up working well for you, create a schedule and keep it. For example, every Tuesday you can plan a live stream of your team interviewing a volunteer.
Continue Reading: 9 Tips for Telling Your Nonprofit’s Story
2. Instagram Stories
Instagram jumped on the ephemeral video content (images and videos that disappear after a certain amount of time) trend in 2016. Today, 300 million users interact with Instagram Stories daily - with no signs of stopping.
Compared to the regular features of Instagram, Stories is less polished, but that’s not a bad thing. It allows you to seem more authentic and real, which users like. It’s also the only place on Instagram where you can add a link, meaning you can connect more of your content. Stories enable you to post several times throughout a day without directly spamming your followers’ feeds.
3. Direct Messaging
A study conducted by Twilio revealed 89% of consumers would like to use some messaging application to communicate with an organization. For Millennials and Generation Z, this is particularly high. Every major social media platform allows direct messaging. You must turn it on for users to access it, but once you do so, you’ll open yourself up to more people. You’ll become more engaging and enable more meaningful relationships. And solid relationships are the building blocks of donors, volunteers, and brand advocates.
Read More: How to Use Inbound Marketing to Empower Millennials to Donate to Local Charities
4. User-Generated Content
It’s probably safe to assume that the people in your nonprofit wear many hats. Sometimes, things can fall to the wayside as other aspects of your organization take precedence. Consistent social media posting is important for your followers, though. With user-generated content, you can stay on top of this.
You can engage in user-generated content by sharing the content they create on your platform. Reposting an image from a follower on Instagram, or retweeting an opinion from another are examples of simple user-generated content. Practices like these encourage your audience to respond and post about you on their accounts.
Another popular example of user-generated content is “social media takeovers” where you let a trusted advocate post on your behalf. These partnerships are a two-way street as you and your followers both get eyes on your accounts. Tapping into your network generates confidence and engagement. Who knows, someone may see you highlighting another user and ask to be showcased on your page directly.
5. Geo and Filters and Tags
Geo filters, first created by Snapchat, are location-based graphic overlays that show the location of the photo. They can be used on Instagram Stories as well, in the form of filters, tags, and stickers.
The entire idea of filters revolves around branding. You can brand your name, logo, location, or create something unique – if you have a business account on these platforms. Geo filters are engaging because any visitor who passes through your set location can see and use the filters. And if you haven’t been on social media lately, we can guarantee people love using them.
Social media, like any aspect of marketing, continually evolves, which is why it’s smart to keep on trends. No matter what, people don’t like engaging with generic content so staying aware of what’s new and coming is an impactful strategy. Your followers are immersed in social media. If you need help creating a social media strategy for your nonprofit, contact LyntonWeb today.
You May Also Like
