By midnight on #GivingTuesday this year, the associated hashtag will have been broadcast on social media well over five million times. #GivingTuesday is one of the most powerful hashtags ever created, this year expected to bring the total given since 2012 to a billion dollars. Many organizations are now doing successful non-virtual events on #GivingTuesday, but it’s important to remember that the day all started with a hashtag. Focusing on social media and online best practices is still the key to making a #GivingTuesday campaign a success.
#GivingTuesday best practices
Here’s advice from successful DonorDrive clients on how to raise more on #GivingTuesday:
1. Create your fundraising page now
You’ll get more donations and engagement if you set up your #GivingTuesday fundraising page early and make it the hub of your campaign. Your supporters are already talking about #GivingTuesday now. If you take advantage of their interest and encourage involvement and donations well before the actual date, it can only mean more revenue. Make sure the page includes an email address so those who are inspired to do something more for your nonprofit can make contact. Your supporters may have creative ways they’d like to contribute, so knowing about these ideas early is the best way to help make them happen on #GivingTuesday.
2. Find #GivingTuesday experts
Do your corporate partners or supporters have expertise in social media, email marketing and site development? Assembling a #GivingTuesday team will net you fresh ideas and best practices to create a bigger impact online.
3. Expand your channels
#GivingTuesday is a great day to spread your wings socially. Conducting a survey of your supporters will help you discover all the channels they use. While the big focus of your campaign will likely be on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram—Snapchat, Reddit, Twitch, Pinterest and even LinkedIn may be great channels to engage supporters and future supporters.
4. Talk about it
Well before the actual date, ask your supporters on social media what they’re doing for #GivingTuesday. This is a perfect time to introduce yourself to new volunteers. There can be many activities around #GivingTuesday where new volunteers can be helpful.
5. Urge sharing
We traditionally make the #GivingTuesday message about...well, giving. Don’t forget to ask supporters to share the hashtag and your campaign link. When your organization shares about #GivingTuesday over your social channels, you reach only your supporters. When you ask your supporters (with an average network of 250 each) to share how they’re connected to the cause, they invite the multitudes to your #GivingTuesday campaign and introduce them to your nonprofit.
6. Emphasize matching dollars to increase donor impact
Giving supporters the ability to do more good with every online donation feels empowering to them. If you work with your sponsors and big donors, you can create matching grants. Local corporations may already offer these for employee donations, so have your supporters check at work.
7. Generate some excitement
The immediacy of social media makes it ideal to create excitement in the moment. Setting goals and milestones for #GivingTuesday and posting about them all day on social media drives engagement, awareness and donations. Excitement builds as you get close to hitting a goal and drives more giving. Reaching milestone amounts can leave donors with a feeling of real accomplishment.
8. Use the hashtag one more time
You really can’t overuse it, so make sure you include the #GivingTuesday hashtag and associate it with your campaign link in every social post, in email, on your web page, in the media, wherever. The more ownership you take of the #GivingTuesday hashtag, the more successful your campaign will be.
Need to get your #GivingTuesday campaign ready quickly? Register for our webinar with nonprofit marketing expert John Haydon: How to Get Ready for #GivingTuesday in 30 Days.
