The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge took the world by storm – leveraging the power of social media to raise awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and money for research. Everyone from celebrities to athletes to political figures were sharing their challenge experience and nominating their friends, in addition to donating. The ALS Association has raised almost $100 million dollars since July, raising more money than they have in previous years during the same time frame.
What can nonprofit organizations learn from the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge?
Share Photos, Videos & Links
People love photos and videos. They love hearing and seeing the action. The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge takes advantage of our love for photos and video by creating a campaign that combines the two. The videos are short, easy to shoot, upload and watch. And the photos of celebrities, companies and families completing the challenge are fun to share and like.
Photos, videos, and links on social media will engage your audience more than just sharing normal status updates. Whether you’re running a fundraising campaign or just trying to raise awareness, share photos and videos of your loyal supporters in the action or everyday life. Followers will be more likely to share and/or donate if they can “see” the action.
Be Simple
The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge worked because it was simple and shareable. Participants needed a bucket, ice, water and a camera – nothing crazy or complex. And the challenge itself was easy to do: Get your ice bucket together, nominate your 3 friends, pour contents on yourself, make a donation.
Making your fundraising campaign simple will increase the amount of people who are willing to participate and donate.
Analyze
Nonprofits can easily track social media posts through analytics. This will help you see which posts, pictures, or videos have the most impact on your audience. While tracking results for Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ may require additional software, Facebook allows its users to track analytics through its platform with Insights.
Have Fun!
Remember that social media is about having fun. Sharing your fundraising goals, posts, images, and videos with fun in mind will make your social media campaign more successful.
To learn more about social media for nonprofits, read Social Media Objectives for Nonprofits in 2014 and How to Fundraise Through Social Media.
—
Capital Business Solutions provides nonprofit accounting and fundraising software and training to both public and private organizations throughout the country. Contact them today by calling 877-889-0629 or filling out their online contact form to learn more about their software and consulting services.