2013 kicked off with some financial uncertainty for everyone, but even more so for non-profit organizations facing already tight budgets. Even in the face of financial uncertainty, recent reports show that there are three key trends that should be watched for the future of nonprofits. All three of those trends relate to social media.
With 1.06 billion monthly active users and 680 million mobile users on Facebook and 500 million users on Twitter, nonprofits are realizing the value of these tools and finding ways to maximize the free advertising that these social media sites can provide.
The 2012 Nonprofit Social Network Benchmark Report highlights three ways that nonprofits will increase their social media activity in 2013, including: The monetization of Facebook , a bigger presence on Google+, and more fundraising efforts through Twitter.
While nonprofits saw little to no money raised directly through Facebook in 2012, The Benchmark Report predicts that will change in 2013. Many nonprofits are making use of multiple social networking tools, especially Facebook, to promote fundraisers, events, supply drives and volunteering. With instant communication an event or cause can be shared throughout a community in a short period of time compared to traditional media or direct mail appeals. This is especially important for small nonprofits who may have immediate needs to communicate to their supporters, but may not have the budget to do so. The Benchmark Report predicts an increase in nonprofits using Facebook to raise funds in 2013.
The power of Google+ comes from its tie to Google Search, Mail, Docs and other Google tools. While Google + is not yet the social media powerhouse that Facebook or Twitter has become, it has the potential to appeal to nonprofits who are maximizing advertising and acquisition dollars by tying in other Google products allowing more accurately targeted advertising using social data.
Twitter, sometimes referred to as a “micro-blog”, has a unique niche among social media which falls somewhere between Facebook and Linked In. With the addition of their Vine video sharing app, nonprofits can take to twitter with video teasers and provide a companion to other social media fundraising presence.
With the effects of the American Tax Payer Relief Act still uncertain for many Americans, nonprofits are forging ahead, entering the world of social media and finding new ways to increase giving revenue.