The Rise of Social Media in Fundraising
In this modern era of technology, it’s really no surprise that more and more fundraising initiatives are taking advantage of the world’s leading social media platforms.
Most people tend to have an account on at least one platform, if not more, making it a brilliant way to reach thousands of potential donors and supporters. When it comes to raising awareness for wildlife conservation, social media is a no-brainer. Many people are sympathetic towards animals and are keen to preserve the planet for future generations.
Seeing regular reminders of wildlife issues and how organisations are tackling them is one of the main advantages of the social media age. There are plenty of other ways to use tech to help fundraise for conservation groups too. Why not try crowdfunding for a special project or registering your cause with easyfundraising?
Leveraging Different Social Media Platforms
With so many different platforms out there, it can be hard to know exactly which social media channel to use for your fundraising efforts. Here are a few options:
Facebook for Fundraising
One of the most popular social media platforms, Facebook, is a safe bet for a fundraising campaign. It’s used by a huge number of people of all ages and backgrounds, meaning any posts you create will be seen and shared by a wide audience.
As well as letting you share updates, photos and videos about your conservation efforts, Facebook has a few handy fundraising features. This includes its fundraiser tool which allows you to create a page where people can donate directly to your cause.
Instagram for Visual Storytelling
One of the best ways to engage people with wildlife conservation is to use plenty of eye-catching visuals. Instagram is based around people sharing photos and reels, making it perfect if you simply want to raise awareness of an issue and inspire people to donate.
You could post regular photo updates on the animals your organisation helps, or create videos featuring experts talking about the importance of safeguarding the world’s wildlife. If you run a physical wildlife centre, why not use the Instagram Stories function to post about its daily running so your followers can feel like they’re a part of it?
Twitter for Quick Updates and Fundraising Drives
Want a platform where you can quickly share updates about fundraising campaigns or your organisation’s work? Twitter is the one. It’s all about posting short, succinct posts that are conversational and easy for readers to digest.
Twitter is also a great place to promote any fundraising events you plan to host. You can also link to events pages, crowdfunding pages or other online fundraising tools (including easyfundraising) within your posts.
Tips for Effective Social Media Fundraising
Once you’ve chosen which platforms are best suited to your cause, it’ll be time to think about your social media strategy. Here are a few tips to help you along the way:
Telling Engaging Stories
The ultimate goal of your social media pages will be to secure new donations. But how exactly do you do this? Creating content that’s engaging, impactful and tells a story will play a key role.
When it comes to wildlife conservation charities, creating posts that tell a story couldn’t be easier. You could have weekly features on specific animals that you help (complete with accompanying photos) or do a ‘day in the life’ post of one of your volunteers or wildlife keepers.
Remember, you want your followers to see how your charitable efforts are making a difference, so posting campaign updates is also crucial.
Encouraging Social Media Shares and Engagement
Maintaining existing followers and gaining brand new ones will all come down to how engaging your social media posts are. This is where ‘calls to action’ (or CTAs) will come in handy.
At the end of each post, try to encourage your followers to like or comment. You could do this by asking a question within the text or by using thought-provoking imagery. You might also want to request your followers to share your post, so it reaches more people in their wider network.
Making It Easy to Donate
Your social media followers aren’t going to start donating to your cause if it’s not immediately obvious how to. Make sure you create regular posts on how they can donate, whether that’s by linking to a specific crowdfunding page or your wildlife conservation centre’s website.
You can also use social media to promote your easyfundraising page. Why not create a step-by-step post that encourages followers to sign up and start shopping through our site? Every time they purchase something through a partner retailer, your registered cause will automatically receive a percentage of the sale.
Overcoming Challenges in Social Media Fundraising
Fundraising on social media isn’t without its challenges.
Dealing with Social Media Algorithm Changes
Just like a lot of technology out there, social media is constantly changing and adapting as new updates are rolled out. Staying on top of these will be crucial if you’re fundraising for a good cause.
There’s also the small issue of social media algorithms. These are what determine who sees your content and they’re typically influenced by how often they interact with your posts and which other pages they follow. You can help make your content more visible by keeping it relevant to your cause, maintaining a high quality (i.e. no clickbait) and making sure you follow certain popular trends wherever possible.
Responding to Criticism or Controversy
Come across a negative comment on one of your posts? This is bound to happen as not everyone has the same opinions or knowledge base. How you deal with criticism on social media will be very important to your organisation’s reputation and overall image.
First things first, never be argumentative or patronising! If someone disagrees with something that you’re doing, respond politely and explain why you’re doing it in more detail. You could offer to direct message or email them with more information. You might also want to create more posts around a certain topic if it’s particularly controversial yet relevant to your cause. And remember: always include evidence to back up any statements or facts.
The Future of Social Media Fundraising for Wildlife Conservation
There’s no denying that social media is a really valuable tool for fundraising. Due to the fact many platforms focus mostly on video and photo content, it’s particularly great if you’re an organisation promoting wildlife conservation where exciting visuals can play a key role in keeping people engaged.
Choosing the right platforms for your cause is a crucial first step. It’s also a good idea to plan out what kind of content you want to create and be constantly aware of any future trends and changes. From a shift to more video-focused content to influencer partnerships that can help boost your visibility, there are so many ways to adopt the latest trends.
Don’t forget to also use your social media to promote your easyfundraising page. easyfundraising offers your supporters a brilliant way to increase their donations simply by shopping online with over 7,500+ popular brands. You can also get a little help with your social media posts with our handy ToolKit.