In a Webinar delivered to the team at Network for Good, technology guru Guy Kawasaki outlined his top ten social media tips for nonprofits. One of them is “add bling.”
Huh? No, we are not talking about diamond-studded accessories here. We are talking visuals. Guy says add them—or a video—to every post.
In How the Smartest Companies Leverage Visual Social Media for Forbes.com, David Williams says that the trend in social media is toward visuals. A 2012 study by ROI Research shows 47% of the respondents are more likely to “engage with a brand or product if they post a picture. Pictures have become one of the top de facto methods of sorting and understanding the vast amount of information we see everyday.”
Posting photos and videos help you tell your story. Your constituents can see your mission in action. Heidi Hancock of Mosaic Non-profit Development says that visuals work because they “bypass the ‘logical’ and ‘language’ parts of our brain. Visuals don't need to be translated to be received or understood or to have impact.”
Plus, you let the students and parents tell your donors and prospects how your school has made a difference in their lives. After all, you can describe how great your program is, but why should your audience believe you? More and more, individuals are making decisions on purchases (bottom line, investing in your school is a purchase toward your school’s mission) based on recommendations. Your donors are more likely to believe your students and parents; the pictures and videos bring the donor emotionally into the story.
Here’s the rest of Guy’s Top Ten Social Media Tips from Katya’s Non-profit Marketing Blog.
Additional ISM resources of interest
ISM Monthly Update for Development Directors Vol. 10 No. 7 A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
ISM Monthly Update for Development Directors Vol. 10 No. 8 Let Your Students Tell the Story to Inspire Donors
Additional ISM resources for Consortium Gold Members
To the Point Vol. 7 No. 8 Hit Them With Your Best Shots: Put Photos to Work for Your School
To The Point Vol. 17 No. 7 Tell You School’s Success Story
