Nonprofits and volunteer organizations thrive on social media. Harnessing this power and using it to engage volunteers with social media can be done in a variety of ways. Gaining and maintaining followers can seem daunting, but there are a few quick tips that can help with engaging volunteers with social media.
Attract Volunteers by Posting About Volunteers
When an organization is putting together a social media strategy, it’s important to recognize the power of using current volunteers to attract more volunteers. Posting about the people that do good and give back can spark interest within others and motivate them to contribute in the same manner. Recognizing and acknowledging the good work of your current volunteers can also lead to them sharing your content and engaging more because they feel validated.
Promote User Generated Content
Beyond sharing your organizations own content, there is a compelling argument in sharing user generated content as well. Volunteers that post about their own service can provide insights that seem more relatable to other people looking to volunteer. When an organization shares this kind of content, it encourages other people to post about their good work so that they can be featured as well. This creates a social media environment where people can see what’s being done from a volunteer’s perspective, which humanizes an organization’s recruitment and service efforts.
Strategize Hashtags Appropriately
Instagram and Twitter are the most prominent places to use hashtags. These hashtags are used to group images and tweets together under a common keyword or phrase. Software like MobileServe allows users to share their messages with pre-populated or customized hashtags that are significant to the cause at hand. Make sure to research hashtags and inform volunteers about the ones used by your organization so they can use them too.
Keep in mind that volunteers are eager to get involved with your cause in more ways than physically volunteers or donating monetary funds. Reaching out and engaging them via social media is an easy way to gain and maintain interest in all of those that are involved. Learn more about how MobileServe can help here.
