Website and social media are often the primary outlets for the public to find out more about charities. If the content is carefully drafted, these free social media posts can provide tons of information to engage the readers. They also can potentially convert a new visitor to a donor or volunteer!
There is a myriad of content that charities can share online and readers react differently depending on the content. If you are visiting a charity’s social media for the first time, what type of content would most pique your interest?
Statistics
Statista projects that in 2021, we will create 74 zettabytes of data and will create 180 zettabytes of data by 2025 (one ZB is 1021 or 1 followed by 21 zeros). This is a massive pool of data that can be generated into statistics. Charities can use stats to present the results of years of research or summarize annual accomplishment. They can show giving trends and help management with the following year’s budget planning.
Traditionally, statistics are presented as bar graphs or charts or in a simple sentence that can be dull to the readers. But recently, infographics turn plain numbers into more interesting visualizations that are better received by readers.
Do you find statistics boring? What types of statistics interest you and help you understand a charity more?
Photo by Nik Shuliahin on Unsplash
Myths vs Facts
Science and technology have advanced much over the past decades. What we know as true decades ago may no longer be so with new scientific discoveries. If we disseminate outdated knowledge, they can eventually become myths and can hinder public awareness for the causes. Continuous education will help us stay informed about charities and the meaningful work they do in the community.
Did social media posts debunk any myths for you?
Photo by Anissa Thompson from FreeImages
Impact Stories & Quotes
While statistics and facts tug our rational side of the brain, stories about the faces of the charities appeal to our emotional and sentimental side. Whether they are stories of volunteers, donors, staff or service recipients, the testimonies can speak volumes about how the charity’s work is impacting their lives. The stories, presented as a story series (Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) or linked back to the website or as a simple appreciative quote, can detail the transformation in people’s lives BEFORE and AFTER the charity enters into their lives. From darkness to light! Despair to hope!
Have you been touched by the testimonies from a charity? Are you willing to share your experience with charities in their social media posts?
An Invitation to Participate
Charities do not want to use social media just as a one-way communications channel to the public. Charities can also initiate conversation with the audience. Maybe a simple question for the audience to answer in the comment or ask them to fill in a blank in the sentence or perhaps an invitation to an upcoming event. Most importantly, social media helps charities in solicitating donation such as those recent posts reminding us to donate on Giving Tuesday.
So What Do You Post?
Although there are many types of social media content that charities can use to engage the audience, charities must be prudent in balancing what to post in order to engage the audience. It will take time to experiment with different posts, but in the long run, analytics will confirm which type of content is more welcomed by the audience.
Do you respond more to one type of content over another? If you are researching about a charity you have never heard of before, what type of content do you want to see and will most help you understand the charity?
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Facebook:
When it comes to learning about a new charity, do you tend to respond more to statistics or to heartwarming stories about its people? What are other types of content that charities post to dialogue with you? Read more at https://bit.ly/3CE7K18
#charitystory #charity #news #charitystatistics #charitystats #GivingTuesday #Nonprofits #donations
Twitter:
Are you more responsive to a charity’s statistics or its people’s stories? What are other types of content that charities post to dialogue with you? More at https://bit.ly/3CE7K18
#charitystory #charity #news #charitystatistics #charitystats #GivingTuesday #Nonprofits #donations
Algonquin College Social Media Certificate Program 
Lots of good info there! I always love infographics over flat, uninteresting statistics. They engage the reader and make it very easy to grasp the content quickly. I also believe that charities do better by pulling at the heart strings of the average person. If they show images of people in need, that may get a better response than too much wording.
Hello Sherree, thank you for taking the time to read the blog (I realized it was a bit long after reading other posts, oops). I agree that infographics makes statistics easier and more lively to visualize. For me as the author, it also utilizes the creative side of my brain. I also love reading stories, but I have to admit I have a short attention span for reading, so I do prefer stories in a series over than one entire story in one post. As someone who works in nonprofits, I always want to know what kind of content appeal to people. That’s why I wrote this blog.