5 Twitter Tips for Nonprofit Organizations
If you’re looking for a social media app that excels at rapid-fire conversation and breaking news, Twitter is your platform. The half-life of Twitter posts is much shorter than that experienced on other social media apps. Twitter is a social media platform that has experienced a wide range of changes, from in-app features to user demographics over the past few years. While Twitter does deliver a lot of information through the sharing of links and short updates, facilitating interaction is where the app truly excels. From resolving customer service complaints to spreading the word about time-sensitive capital campaigns, conversation dominates Twitter, providing engaging nonprofits a unique opportunity to engage their community.
Here are a few Twitter-specific statistics that provide more insight into the app’s potential:
Twitter has seen a decline in usage since 2016; however, existing Twitter users have increased their activity on the app.
24% of US adults that maintain an online presence have a Twitter account.
The majority of American-based Twitter users represent an urban, educated, and higher-income demographic.
According to Twitter, people are 31% more likely to recall what they saw on Twitter than the content they saw when browsing online in general.
Twitter is more than just politically-charged rants; the app offers nonprofit organizations an opportunity to track industry trends, contribute to the conversation, establish organizational relationships, establish expertise, and share donation opportunities with an audience that may differ from the audiences found on other social media apps. Nonprofit organizations can quickly mobilize community advocates on Twitter to amplify their message and build connections.
Here are a few interesting statistics regarding Twitter and the nonprofit sector:
17% of nonprofits worldwide have participated in or hosted a Tweet Chat (Global NGO Technology Report).
77% of nonprofits worldwide have a Twitter Profile. 24% tweet two to five tweets daily, 21% less than one tweet weekly, 18% tweet once daily, 18% tweet one tweet every other day, 12% tweet once weekly, and 7% tweet five or more tweets daily (Global NGO Technology Report).
Small nonprofits have an average of 4,241 Twitter followers, medium-sized nonprofits average 17,737 Twitter followers, and large nonprofits have an average of 39,496 Twitter followers (Global NGO Technology Report).
5 Twitter Tips for Nonprofit Organizations:
Create Twitter-specific content.
The platform-specific content requirements may necessitate that organizations create Twitter-specific content versus cross-posting from other social media apps. With a character limit of 280 characters, less is more when it comes to Twitter and every character, graphic, video, and GIF counts. When drafting Twitter content, be sure to include a link (web address) whenever possible, as Twitter users love to “learn more” and get additional information on topics of interest.
Harness the power of hashtags.
Hashtags help organize Twitter content and can be powerful connectors for organizations and their community. Creating organization and/or campaign-specific hashtags can be a good way to encourage digital support for organizational content. Prior to including a hashtag in Twitter content, the organization should evaluate and previous use of the hashtag by other social media accounts, along with evaluating its potential interpretations (this is particularly important when incorporating an acronym in a hashtag). Additionally, it’s important to keep hashtag quantity in mind when developing Twitter posts. While one to two hashtags may help Twitter content gain more reach, posts with more than two hashtags are reported to decrease the content’s reach.
Organize the organization’s feed with the assistance of Twitter Lists.
Create topic-specific Twitter lists that include organizations related to your sector or community that routinely post quality content. Use these curated feeds to source information (tweets) to share that may be of interest to the organization’s following and in line with the organization’s goals. Review Twitter List feeds on a regular basis and engage (comment, Like, retweet, etc.) on content that’s relevant to the organization. This type of content organization can help make Twitter engagement more streamlined and efficient.
Tweet frequently.
While posting more than once or twice a day isn’t encouraged on Facebook and Instagram, Twitter accounts that post regularly (multiple times a day) often see more engagement than those that limit their conversations to a few times a week. Engage with Twitter followers online. Consider utilizing Twitter Poll features and participating in industry-relevant Twitter Chats to increase exposure and build relationships.
Host a Virtual Event on Twitter.
Twitter provides a good platform from which to host a creative virtual event. Consider planning a Twitter Chat, Virtual Advocacy Storm, or Social Media Bingo that offers the opportunity for followers to engage with the organization and other supporters. If you’d like more information on how nonprofit organizations can engage followers through social media, check out our webinar, 4 Ways Organizations Can Embrace Digital Strategy.
Learn more about social media strategy for nonprofit organizations:
If your organization is looking for a creative partner to provide marketing and PR services, Becker Digital is always ready to help. Our team of experienced professionals is available for projects large and small. We work to customize our services to the client’s needs. Contact us to schedule a complimentary call and learn more about how digital strategy can enhance your organization’s mission.