Many people use social media to gather online with family and friends. To socialize … share news and photos … and so much more. And during the holiday season the activity increases.
How can your nonprofit be seasonal with its social media? How can you have a bit of social fun, build loyalty, and even build buzz for your year-end campaign?
Create helpful tweets and Facebook updates tied to the season. Depending on your mission . . .
◊ Create a video of fall foliage (even a video with a collection of digital photos). Make it easy for supporters to share with troops overseas (especially those in the desert or tropical locations). It will mean a lot to many members of our Armed Forces. I’ve been deployed; I know. Share it on your YouTube channel and promote in Twitter, Facebook, and of course on your website and with email.
◊ Use social media to promote campaign to send Halloween candy to deployed troops.
◊ Have a Facebook contest for carving pumpkins with members of your association. Winner receives a great discount on the annual conference and is featured on your Facebook page and perhaps even your website home page.
◊ Does your mission have anything to do with children? Share tips for having a fun yet safe time trick-or-treating. Have a series of tweets and Facebook updates. Ask supporters to share their own tips.
◊ Perhaps create a version of your logo for Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas that you display on Facebook.
◊ Offer holiday advice on healthy eating if your mission is health-related. Use a branded hashtag on Twitter.
◊ Make life a bit easier for those supporters who dislike holiday shopping, or have someone very difficult to shop for. Make it easy for them to give a donation in their family member’s name to your charity as the Christmas gift. Even if you don’t have a holiday shopping catalog (e.g., Heifer International), you can still make this work for your nonprofit.
◊ Be light-hearted and share photos of how employees of your nonprofit decorate the office for Christmas on Facebook.
◊ Make a video for your YouTube channel of employees singing a carol. Need help creating an online video? Get in touch with me and we’ll chat.
◊ Offer local businesses special volunteer opportunities for their employees. Your food bank or shelter can collect complete Thanksgiving or Christmas meals – all the groceries needed for a poor family to cook a meal. You provide the shopping list and the volunteers bring you the groceries.
Build a microsite that’s decorated for the season. That ought to help put people in the mood for giving. Have stories related to your mission and how you help people at the holidays and all year round. You can definitely promote your year-end campaign here. Re-use it each year with just a few updates.
Need more inspiration? BlueGlass has a post, “60 Social Media Marketing Tips for the Holiday Season.” Something there ought to spark more ideas. That’s what gave me many of the ideas I shared with you here.
Get seasonally social. Stand out from the crowd. Give your supporters another memorable experience with your nonprofit through social media.
Related posts:
More ideas tied to the season … Holiday Online Giving Ideas
How nonprofits are using social networks
Online video helps nonprofits – including the small charities
Pumpkin-carving contest … How to get your nonprofit on local TV news
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