Facebook Live has become a go-to fundraising tool for many nonprofit organizations raising money amid COVID-19.
Over the past few years, Facebook has added several new features to its social media platform that can greatly benefit nonprofits in both recruiting volunteers and promoting fundraising opportunities. Facebook has truly become a great nonprofit marketing tool. The most notable new feature is called Facebook Live. Facebook Live lets you stream video content directly to an audience in real time.
Facebook Live is a great tool for a nonprofit wanting to build exposure around their brand, and share updates. Facebook has also introduced a button feature that fundraisers can use to collect donations while streaming their live content. The “donate button” feature allows nonprofits, and their supporters to push their fundraising campaigns in a new social way. Here are a few strategic benefits of Facebook Live that organizations can incorporate into their marketing strategy.
Create a Personalized Experience for Donors
A great benefit of Facebook Live is the personalization capabilities that the platform offers. Nonprofits can create content and see who is viewing their broadcast at the same time. This allows nonprofits to speak directly to their audience, and address comments instantly. Marketers have been trying hard for years to make messaging more personal, and Facebook Live gives you that ability. Here are a few additional tips for incorporating personalization into Facebook live streams:
- Fundraisers should focus on authenticity.
- Fundraisers should provide a clear introduction and what they hope to achieve.
- Fundraisers need to keep potential
- Fundraisers should let the audience guide the conversation and address any questions or concerns live.
- Fundraisers should practice their “ask” before going live (creating an outline is helpful!).
Live Stream Fundraising Events or Create Online Only Events
Nonprofits can use Facebook Live to show potential donors what their organization is all about. Livestreaming fundraising events and promoting future opportunities is a great way to connect an audience to an organization's mission and address any roadblocks that could be preventing donations. Facebook Live also opens up new doors for those who are unable to attend fundraising events in person. The tool makes sharing event experiences possible across the world.
An Early Adoption Opportunity for Fundraisers
Traditional social media has been around for a while now. It is becoming increasingly hard for nonprofits to reach their target audience without investing a lot of money in paid social campaigns. Incorporating Facebook Live into an organization's marketing mix provides a unique opportunity to be an early adopter on a platform with unlimited opportunity, especially at a time when social distancing is encouraged.
Facebook Live is Also Valuable for Volunteer Recruitment
For organizations utilizing volunteer management software, such as VolunteerHub, incorporating Facebook Live may be a great option to gain exposure to volunteer opportunities. Nonprofits can use Facebook Live to promote their upcoming events, request volunteers, and send viewers to their volunteer opportunity landing pages. Nonprofits can easily test the effectiveness of their Facebook live campaigns by reviewing their volunteer management tool analytics to track sign-ups during a specific period.
