HOW TO RUN A SUCCESSFUL CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN WITH FACEBOOK DONATE
There’s no doubt how vital Facebook has become for nonprofits. Its platform serves as a means for reaching out to supporters, volunteers, and–as of recently–collecting donations. With over a billion people logging in each day, nonprofits can’t afford to overlook the social network, especially when it comes to crowdfunding.
Even with how many people use Facebook, it doesn’t mean you’re going to hit the jackpot right away. If you want to run a successful crowdfunding campaign, you need to know how to stand out. Here are some tips on how you can maximize your search rate, your appeal, and stand out in a crowd of posts so your organization can find success.
Step 1: Stand Out Visually
Think of how many times you scrolled through your Facebook feed and stopped on an image of a dog, an ad for shoes, or a photo of the Eiffel Tower. These images are bound to catch your eye because they stand out. Essentially, when posting for a fundraiser, you want to do the same. You want to use an image that causes the person scrolling to stop for a second on your donation post. If you can capture someone’s attention, you might only have a second or two to keep it; that’s where the next step comes into play.
Step 2: Be Convincing
Once you have someone’s attention, the next step is to convince them why they should donate. It’s your job to tell your nonprofit’s story in an authentic way. No one will care about your mission if they can’t relate to it on an emotional level. A good donation request story relies on creating an emotional reaction from your reader. You need to draw them in by making them care about the problem your nonprofit is solving and how you plan on solving it.
Step 3: Set a Specific Goal
Don’t just ask people for funding because you have a general need for it. Be specific about what the money is for. If your mission is to provide shoes to the homeless, shoot for a reasonable mark and say that if you reach $200 in two days, you will be able to provide shoes for 25 people. Your goal is actually achievable this way and spells out what your intentions are.
Step 4: Promote From the Inside Out
Starting out, your base of supporters might only be three people. Regardless, even with a small base, they are going to be the ones who can promote your mission. They can help by liking your posts or sharing your posts to their friends. When they share it, ask them to include why your mission is so important to them and how it affects their lives.
Step 5: Share Your Success
After your fundraiser is finished, be sure to post your results to let your supporters know how much you raised. On top of that, show them what you were able to accomplish. Were you able to achieve your goal? What were you able to accomplish with the donated funds? Don’t forget to reach out to each donor personally thanking them for their contributions.
Step 6: Measure Your Performance
If your first post is a failure, that’s alright. That’s only more incentive to keep trying. Take away your positives and learn from them. Were you able to bring in funding? Was your mission able to resonate with others? Also find out why it failed. Was your messaging not engaging enough? Did your capture your audience? Facebook also provides additional insights into your posts performance. From there, you can extract more about what went right and what can be changed for the next time.
Results?
Facebook can be a strong tool for your nonprofit if you give it enough time. It’s important to remember that you’re competing not only against other nonprofits but also with other content. If people don’t find your mission interesting enough to grab their attention, they’ll move on. Instead, be mindful of what you’re posting, making sure that you’re conveying everything you can while setting goals for yourself. In the end, you will surely start to bring in a stream of revenue without having to leave the office.
