In the nonprofit world, community is everything! Your organization relies on the support of stakeholders, board members, financial contributors, and local community members in order to continue making an impact.
When it comes to building valuable relationships with your community, communication is key. It’s important to increase awareness surrounding the work of your organization. The more aware and engaged your audience and community are, the more you will be able to accomplish.
Luckily, there has never been a time when community engagement has been so simple. There was a time when community awareness required public forums and fliers spread around neighborhoods. Due to advances in technology, connecting with your community doesn’t require you to leave the comfort of your office chair.
Not only have new digital tools made it easier for organizations to communicate, but they’ve also allowed community members to take a more active role in drawing attention and awareness to the causes and organizations they support.
Today, the organizations that have sticking power and are making a true (and lasting) impact are the ones that are making use of the digital tools at their disposal. They are creating a twenty-first-century presence that says to their audience, “We are relevant.”
If you are looking for ways to boost your community engagement, here are 5 digital tools you shouldn’t ignore:
Digital Tools For Engaging Your Community
1. Social Media
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter…do you really need to utilize these platforms for your organization? The simple answer: yes, you do. Why is it important to build a social media following for your nonprofit? According to the experts at Whole Whale, because “your supporters expect it (and it’s where they are).”Social media is a staple part of everyday life and business across the globe. It is so ingrained in today’s culture that organizations without active social media can appear archaic, or illegitimate. If you want to establish yourself as a relevant and successful organization, an active social media presence is a necessity.
2. Email List
Email marketing allows you to connect directly with your supporters and interested community members. It’s like hosting a town hall meeting without having to rent the lecture hall. Your email list conveniently gathers together everyone who wants information about your organization and allows you to send updates, give information about events, or solicit the help of willing volunteers.
When it comes to creating an engaged and active audience, email marketing is still considered to be 4x more effective than social media or paper mail marketing and is an important part of any effective community engagement strategy.
3. Blog
Blogs allow you to share important information about your organization, stories and case studies highlighting the impact you’ve made, and your insights on relevant topics.
Once blog content is published to your website, it’s there to stay. It can be repurposed into social media posts or shared by your supporters. When properly search engine optimized, your blog posts may pop up in web searches, becoming a valuable source of traffic to your website.
4. Organizational Website
First impressions are important, and your website is often the first impression community members will have of your organization. A well-designed website can make the difference between “learning more” and “leaving now.”Your website should be visually pleasing, with relevant images and powerful copy. It should also be user-friendly. If people have to wait for your website to load or can’t easily find the information they are looking for, they aren’t likely to take the time to figure it out. Investing in a high-quality, professional, and up to date website should be a priority.
5. Podcast
In recent years, blogs have risen in popularity, with more and more people opting for podcast listening over radio stations on their daily commutes. Podcasts offer a unique opportunity to connect with your audience on a personal level, as though you are talking “friend to friend.”Podcast episodes may include stories, fascinating interviews or informative discourses in which your goal is to provide education on an important and relevant topic.
Digital technology has revolutionized the capacity for nonprofits to communicate with interested stakeholders and community members. Each of these digital tools offers a unique way to engage and connect with your community audience and is worth adding to your digital marketing plan.
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PS – If you’re interested in learning more about the impact of implementing digital technology, you’d don’t want to miss this week’s podcast episode #112 HERE!
Sher Downing, EdTech strategist, coach, and consultant with 32 years of experience, talks about the evolving world of technology, AI, online meeting and learning environments, and how the FBI Citizens Academy and legal education helped her become an even more effective coach, consultant, and teacher.
Article was contributed by: Maria Lees, Team Writer with Sarah Boxx
