7 Easy Ways You Can Save Time on Nonprofit Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing can feel overwhelming and stressful, especially if you’re the Executive Director trying to do it all. You know you should be posting, but you’re not sure what to say. You stare at the screen for hours, trying to create posts outta thin air. Without a nonprofit social media strategy, you get trapped wasting hours with nothing to show. *sigh*

You think there has to be an easier way to make posts and stay engaged with your community on social media. Well, there is! And I want to share these pointers, so you can feel less stressed and more excited about posting for your organization. These tips don’t cut corners, but they give you a plan. These tips will save you time and energy in your nonprofit social media marketing efforts.

1. You don’t need to be on every social media channel.

What?! That’s right. In fact, I would encourage you to choose only the most relevant social media channels for your organization. Posting everywhere can drain you and take up so much unnecessary time.

Think of it this way. Would you sell lawnmowers to people who live in apartments? Of course not! Why would someone living in an apartment need a lawnmower? They live three stories up with no lawn to care for. Cutting grass is the last thing on their mind.

The same goes for posting on social media channels your community doesn’t use. If your people aren’t on Twitter, why waste your time? Instead, stick with the platforms that will help you connect with your community. Find the places you can share in the most relevant conversations for your cause.

2. Capture content constantly.

When you sit down to “make” content, figuring out what to share can be challenging, especially when you don’t have anything to work with.

Instead, what if you realized you were making content every day?

With a simple perspective shift, you can become aware of the daily activities within your organization. This is your content. What event did you attend last week? What conversations are you having with your team?

Chances are your supporters will find this information interesting. After all, they are supporting your organization because they believe in your mission and they care about the work you’re doing. That means they want to know what’s going on behind the scenes! Once you realize everything you’re doing has the potential to become social media content, “making” your posts becomes a breeze.  

So, stay vigilant! Constantly capture the content around you, whether that’s by taking a picture, jotting a note, or recording a quick video. This way, you’ll generate a massive library of potential posts. Then, sitting down to “make” content becomes organizing and contextualizing everything you’ve already collected. Doesn’t that sound so much easier?

3. Make a Pillar Strategy.

Decision fatigue is a thing, and it can rear its ugly head when making new social media content. However, there’s a principle that can help in this case: once you make a decision, you don’t need to make it again. It means that you only need to make a decision once. Then you follow through on your decision the next time it comes around!

Likewise, a Pillar Strategy helps you decide on future social posts once and for all. How does it work? Well, a Pillar Strategy lets you define the categories of content you want to share. For example, you might have Pillars for “Volunteer Spotlights,” “Impact Stories,” and “Fundraiser Events.” Your categories or “pillars” can be whatever you want. They just need to be relevant to your mission and tied to your values.

Here’s an easy exercise to come up with your pillars:

1. Write out your mission statement and values.
2. List buzzwords associated with your cause.
3. Narrow down 3-5 content categories.
4. Define your pillars.

After you determine your pillars, you’ll have an easier time making posts. Rather than starting with a blank slate every time, you’ll have your Pillars to stand on. Your pillars will also offer consistency so that your posts stay within topics you want to share with your community.

4. Create posts in Canva.

If you’re like me, that means you’re not a graphic designer. It also means you scroll other profiles thinking, “Man, their brand is sooo on point. I love how this all flows together so nicely!”

Creating that awe-inspiring aesthetic for your page can feel impossible without a graphic designer on your side. That’s why Canva can be a lifesaver.

Now, I’m not saying a graphic designer isn’t worth the investment; they totally are! A graphic designer will add so much value to your nonprofit’s brand and aesthetics. But, if you can’t afford a graphic designer on a regular basis, your best DIY option is definitely Canva.

Canva has templates for nearly anything you might need, from Instagram posts and Facebook cover photos to event posters and sign-up sheets. You can even create custom dimensions; otherwise, their templates are the standard, optimal size for every social post need.  

5. Use a social media marketing calendar.

Using a social media marketing calendar means you can plan out all your content and forget about it. Each post will auto-publish for you, which means no logging back in to click “publish” or forgetting what you had in mind for a specific caption.

However, I recommend still interacting with any comments you receive on a post. Showing timely and genuine interest in your follower’s engagement is so valuable for building your community. But I digress.

A calendar will help you organize and streamline your social media marketing process. You can use several platforms for free, but upgrading to the basic premium package might be worth it. Many of the platforms offer discounted services to nonprofits anyway. I’ll list some of them here so you can compare some of the options:

• CoSchedule: 30% discount for nonprofits
• HubSpot: 40% discount for nonprofits
• Buffer: 50% discount for nonprofits
• Later: 50% or 100% discount for nonprofits
  

6. Repurpose and repost your content.

You might feel pressured to come up with something new every time you make a post. However, I want you to release that unspoken expectation for three reasons.

First off, not everyone saw your post the first time. With how social media algorithms work and when people scroll their phones, it’s a fact that some people in your community didn’t see your post. Of course, you can check your metrics to see how many people saw and interacted with it, but you get my point.

Secondly, you can say the same thing multiple ways and still pack a punch. For example, you can share the core message as a graphic, then a video, etc. See how many ways you can say the same thing differently, and you’ll have multiple posts ready right there! (Just maybe don’t post them back-to-back.)  

Thirdly, what you have to share is valuable. So, sharing it more than once will only drive your message home. Repetition allows your message to resonate more deeply with the people who see it. Ever heard of the Marketing Rule of 7? I can’t be certain, but I feel like that principle can also apply here.

7. Hire an intern or social media expert.

As the leader in your organization, you will realize at some point that your time, energy, and skillset are better used outside of social media. That’s not to say nonprofit social media marketing is not important–quite the contrary!

Sharing about your organization on social media and staying connected with your community online is so important that it deserves undivided attention from an individual or a team.

If you want to regain your time, I recommend finding an intern or hiring at least a part-time person to handle your social media communications. By having someone laser-focused on your posting, you can rest assured that this piece of the pie is in good hands.

Social media is a valuable way to engage with your community, keep them informed, and share what’s happening in your organization. Creating your posts doesn’t need to be a headache or a chore. Instead, finding tidbits to share with your community can be fun, exciting, and take way less time than it has!

Instead of wasting your time on “making” content, try these time-saving tips! Hone where you post and capture what you’re already doing. Determine a Pillar Strategy, create with Canva’s beautiful templates, use a social media management tool, and repurpose your content. If your budget allows, you can find an intern to handle social media posting for you.

If you try even one of these time-saving tips, I’d love to hear how it makes a difference for you. Feel free to share your experience by emailing me at skylar@honeycombcopy.net.