How to use Facebook Stories to encourage charitable giving | Email Marketing

Caption a beautiful photo on Instagram and snap that pic on Snapchat. Yep, these social media apps are favorites of the younger generation, while Facebook users tend to be from all age groups. So, with this information, could the hidden gem in charity work be Facebook? With the addition of Facebook Stories (like Instagram Stories), there are more options than ever to promote your nonprofit. But, what is this new addition? Read on to learn how to use Facebook Stories for your nonprofit.

Let’s go back to our roots

Sometimes it is best to go back to the roots to further progress in life. What does this mean in the digital age of technology we live in now? Well, to be quite honest it means going back to one of the earliest social media platforms — Facebook. (Sorry, MySpace.)

First, you need make sure you know how to use Facebook for business. Once you have the basics down, you can move on to more advanced Facebook use — like Facebook Stories.

I’m about to take you on a ride that you’ll never forget as you learn how to use Facebook stories to help your charity and nonprofit benefit even further in the world of gadgets and WiFi.

The core of Facebook

I remember being back in high school and failing my algebra II honors class — bad. Like 45 percent bad. In a state of confusion and disbelief, I walked into my teacher’s classroom one morning before school and asked him why I was failing the class. It was like my entire world flipped upside down as explain to me that I was missing the core of arithmetic. The same goes for Facebook. What if you are using Facebook the wrong way and there’s a much more effective way out there?

What exactly do we know about this social network? Well, for one, Facebook is one of the leading marketing tools out there. It can reach anyone — according to the Pew Research Center, more than half of Americans in every age group (under 65), use Facebook on a daily basis.

Facebook has the power to make an appearance in every technology user’s life.

We also know that it’s available anytime and anywhere, which makes it the perfect marketing tool for you. Through the use of building a brand, targeting an audience, and creating valuable content, it’s no wonder this social media site has made a name for itself in the marketing world.

In the next step, you will learn to use all that the site has to offer to benefit your charity further.

What are Facebook Stories?

“Wait, there’s another aspect to Facebook?” you might ask. Well, yes, in fact, there is! However, it’s not as foreign as you might think. Remember Snapchat? This is basically the same thing. It’s a photo or video with a caption, and instead of staying up forever, it goes away after 24 hours. And yes, Instagram has done the same exact thing, except it’s called Instagram Stories.

Facebook Stories are also simple to use. All you have to do is open up the mobile app (Facebook Stories can only be used on mobile), go your nonprofit’s page (make sure you’re an admin), and tap “Add Story.” That’s it. With it being this simple, you can easily get push out Facebook Stories at the drop of a hat.

How to use Facebook Stories to your benefit

So, how exactly do you use Facebook Stories to benefit your nonprofit? You could put up a picture with a caption and call it a day. But that probably won’t get the engagement you’re looking for.

We demand quick captivation, or else we lose interest. So, how do we use this to our advantage? Put out the highlights of an event in a Facebook Story then post the rest on your page. This creates an instant captivation of our audience, which then shifts more and more traffic to our site, creating not only recognition but also awareness of what the site is all about.

In the end, it’s simple psychology. When people like what they see, they want to see more of it and the spiral continues.

Facebook Stories gives you endless options to promote your charity. And, with the disappearing nature of Facebook Stories, you can experiment a bit more. You can feature a fundraising event or volunteers handing out food in your story (or maybe even get a quick testimonial from a volunteer) with a link to your website and an article on more ways to give. This will give viewers a way to see the personality of your nonprofit and understand the mission in a more personal way.

You should also remember that people love unique, new, creative content that is continuously updated. If you’re going to use Facebook Stories, make sure you have a plan in place and commit to it. Don’t just post one story, only to never post again.

Related: Should your nonprofit start mobile fundraising in 2018?

Is there an easier way?

You have your Facebook page all set up, you’ve edited the perfect highlight for your event, now you’re ready to publish your story. Exciting! For the next 24 hours, that’s what others will see first. However, what happens after that? Well, you’ll have to post something else, of course. Just because the Facebook Story disappears, doesn’t mean your information should.

You can’t let your social media become dull and lifeless, can you?

Of course not. So, what’s the remedy? Continually updating and creating new content every day.

This sounds tedious and, to be honest, unbelievably stressful. What’s worse is the fact that your followers and success on your social media page is all dependent on your ability to consistently refresh your social media with engaging content.

So how do you manage it? Well, you could go out, purchase yourself a planner, and set at least an hour aside every single day to dedicate your precious time to do something that matters. Or you could use that hour to make your life easier, less stressful and still benefit your business by signing up for GoDaddy Social.

It will get your social media marketing off the ground in five simple steps.

1. Start with a plan.

GoDaddy first takes the time to learn about your specific business or charity and create a plan for you to be able to see what they are going to do to benefit you in the next 90 days further.

2. Build your pages.

They build you a social media profile on all the major sites, including Facebook, projecting you as the responsible and professional business owner you are.

3. Create content.

The team creates consistent content that will appeal to your audience, leading to a larger audience for you.

4. Monitor responses.

While this is happening, you’re sure to get a couple tarnishing comments. Fear not! They take care of that as well, monitoring what comments appear and making sure to respond to them appropriately.

Related: The rulebook for crafting a response to negative comments on social media

5. See your results.

In the midst of this, it might all seem chaotic. But that’s where the last step comes in. You can see all the content that is created and how your audience is responding.

That’s it! That’s all there is to the GoDaddy Social experience and how to use Facebook stories! So what are you waiting for? Get started on promoting your charity today!

Related: A beginner’s guide to social media for small business

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