Driving Without Directions

Nonprofits, do NOT post on social media until... 

Imagine this: It's July. The kids are out of school for the summer, and you’re about to embark on a family road trip to Florida. You played Tetris with the luggage, found the stuffed Bluey that went missing and caused a meltdown from your youngest, distributed snacks, and are ready to leave – but now your GPS won’t load the route. 

For nonprofits, the truth is if you do not have a social media plan, you’re basically taking a road trip without a GPS. 

When traveling, a GPS displays the route to get from point A to B. You may know the general direction of where you are going, but the GPS provides a definitive path that also helps you redirect if traffic occurs. For nonprofits, the truth is if you do not have a social media plan, you’re basically taking a road trip without a GPS. 

Most nonprofits begin using social media without a plan, then become overwhelmed because they don’t know what to post. What happens next is either the nonprofit gives up on social media altogether, or the job is passed off to a volunteer without any guidance. 

But how do you create a social media plan? First, start small and select one social media platform to begin posting consistently on, like Facebook. You can add other platforms later. Commit to publishing content twice a week. Focus on posting content that shows what your organization does. For example, if you provide hippotherapy services, post a picture of a volunteer leading a horse during a lesson.

And if you’re feeling stuck, a PR consultant can help create a social media plan that will resonate with your audience.