Social Media for Social Good

Most brands give a significant amount of money to local and national causes, but not all of them use this opportunity to involve their fans and followers in their social properties. Social media gives brands the opportunity to mobilize their fans by simply asking them to take a social action (a vote, Facebook Like or a Retweet) to contribute to the cause.

Next time your organization wants to donate money, make sure you have a social media campaign in place that not only tells your fans about what you are doing, but also involves them.

Here are a few key things to keep in mind when you are planning your campaign:

Make it simple for fans to participate: Participating can be as simple as using a hashtag, liking a post or sharing a photo.

Make impactful and sharable content about the cause you are supporting: Ask the non-profit organization you are working with to provide powerful stats and photos that you can share to engage with fans and inform them about the cause you are supporting.

Create a sense of urgency: Give fans a time frame to participate. Make it short so they want to take action as soon as they see your Post or Tweet.

Update them on progress: Update fans on the donation or create a counter so they can follow progress throughout the campaign.

Partner with your celebrities or brand ambassadors: Extend your reach by involving your brand’s spokespeople or your most active fans. Reach out ahead of time and ask them to participate.

Involve the non-profit you are working with: Let them know what you are doing to make sure they are activating their advocates. Make sure to tag them in your social posts.

Looking for some inspiration? “Like” the Non-profits on Facebook page and see what some brands are doing.

Nuria is an associate director of social media in Seattle. She is also on the Internet – Tweet her @NuriaBaldello.