Social media can be a pivotal tool for nonprofits, small businesses, and essentially any kind of organization. Effective social media marketing can help you connect with potential audiences and solidify brand recognition. In short, the social media stage has been a game-changer since its inception, making effective social media post ideas essential for success.
However, all social media marketing has to begin with a strategy. Regardless of what kind of organization you are creating social media material for, you need a plan. In today’s blog, we will discuss how to craft on-brand social content that helps you reach your goals.
The Importance of Branding
We could list social media post ideas all day. But if every business posted the same content with no individual variation, it’d be impossible to get noticed on social. That’s where the importance of social media branding comes in.
Building a brand is one of the first steps to take when you initially start your organization. A consistent brand identity (one of the five pillars of branding) is key on social media.
Before you post anything, make sure you have your brand’s main elements planned out. Deciding on your brand’s messaging style and identifying your target audience are also must-haves for social. You need to tailor social media post ideas to fit your brand’s desired image and personality.
For instance, if your nonprofit has a rather serious mission, your social accounts probably won’t be known for jokes. This isn’t to say that you have to push your brand into a box and stay there. However, consistency is crucial for developing a brand that sticks in your audience’s minds.
The Ground Rules of Quality Social Posts
Most social media post ideas can be defined in one of three categories. These are: informational, interactive, and promotional. Referring to the purpose of the post itself, these categories help you plan what to share and how often.
Another social media marketing principle to be aware of – and goes along with these categories – is the 80/20 rule. This refers to having 80% of your posts offer some kind of value, such as information or entertainment. The other 20% can be promotional content, usually focusing on a strong call to action, or CTA, that benefits your organization in some way.
No one wants to follow a social media account that only promotes their own interests. Focusing on informational posts might seem counterintuitive if you’re working toward results that require something from your audience. However, sharing value with your audience on social media will help you succeed in the long run. Essentially, it’s how you prove that your CTA content is worth that step you’re asking your audience to take.
Social Media Post Ideas for Nonprofits
Now that we’ve gone over best practices for social marketing, let’s get into some specific social media post ideas. We’ve broken these into our three categories to give you a better idea of the purpose behind the post.
Informational
- Staff/volunteer spotlight: Introduce a valuable member of your team and share more about their impact. This one is great because it shows that you value your team and a positive work culture goes a very long way!
- Mission moment: Share your nonprofit’s mission and why it’s important. Provide some background on how and why your nonprofit came to be.
- Resource sharing: Compile some resources that could be helpful to your community and share them on social. Bonus points if they’re specifically relevant to your nonprofit.
Interactive
- Community photos: Ask your community for photos of them at your nonprofit’s recent events, volunteering experiences, etc.
- Audience quotes: Ask for testimonial quotes about your audience’s experience with your nonprofit.
- Polls and questions: Invite your audience to talk with you on social media by using social tools to ask or answer questions.
Promotional (20% of your content)
- Event promo: Post information about an upcoming event to spread the word and sell tickets.
- Donation campaigns: Tell your community how to become a consistent donor or make a one-time contribution to a financial cause.
Social Media Post Ideas for Small Businesses
For small businesses, posts might be more focused on selling a product or service than fulfilling a mission. However, there is still value to be shared with audiences as a small business.
Informational
- Staff takeovers: Even if your small business is a one-person team, introducing yourself to your audience can be a great way to make connections. Small businesses are all about personal connections, so this one is essential.
- Post your process: Do you create an interesting or complex product? Show your followers how it’s done. (Hint: how-to videos are a great medium for this!)
Interactive
- Go live: Do a live stream and answer questions about your business or just invite your followers to start a conversation. You never know who you will connect with.
- Host a giveaway: This is an especially beneficial idea for small businesses. Giveaways create buzz for your business and help you spread the word without much effort.
Promotional
- Event promo: Successful event marketing can be extremely important for small businesses. Have a pop-up, community market, or class coming up? Make sure your audience knows where/when it is and how to secure a spot.
- Product showcases: Maybe you’ve recently introduced a new product or service that you’re excited about. Give your audience all the details!
Successful Social Media Post Ideas
When it comes to great social media marketing, trial and error is inevitable. Not everything you share will be a hit, and that’s okay! The important thing is to put yourself out there and make connections with your community.
Authenticity is also tremendously valuable, so stay true to your mission. Audiences are more likely to connect with you when your accounts are personal and approachable. With so many brands on social media today, people want to interact with organizations that offer something genuine.
Social media is one of our “things” here at KSR. If you have questions about generating social media post ideas that shine, reach out to us! We’re happy to help.
