Today, social media is one of the digital communication tools most widely adopted by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) worldwide. Non-profit professionals generally agree that it is effective for brand awareness, event engagement, creating social change, recruiting volunteers, and online fundraising.
Most NGOs regularly use social media, with Facebook being the preferred platform. In fact, this was the only digital communication tool that many non-profits had until 2019. Nowadays, it is common for NGOs to have accounts on more than one social media platform, but it is not enough to simply have a presence. With the increasing number of brands and non-profit entities competing for user attention, an NGO needs to stand out.
This article presents eight statistical insights to help to improve social media strategies and boost the performance of an NGO.
Fig.1. Percentage of NGOs worldwide that use each social media platform.
Source: 2023 Nonprofit Tech for Good Report, Global NGO Technology Report 2019
Insight #1: 44% of NGOs have a social media strategy
The social media content of an NGO must align not only with its goals and brand voice but also with the preferences of its target audience. To achieve this, having a social media strategy and monthly plan in place is key particularly if there is more than one person on the social media team or when the management of social channels transitions to another person. This strategy is also of utmost importance to enable an NGO to be consistent and follow its organizational strategy, rather than being chaotic in its social media posts and activity.
Insight #2: 27% of NGOs measure social media ads’ return on investment
NGOs need to continuously monitor their performance and establish metrics to calculate return on investment (ROI) otherwise it would be impossible to assess if social media efforts are well-placed.
According to Hootsuite, a well-known social media management platform, these are the six metrics most used to evaluate ROI:
- Content engagement
- Impressions or views
- Number of followers
- Clicks on hyperlinks or website traffic
- Leads
- Sales or revenue
Fig.2. Metrics tracked to evaluate social media ROI by percentage of organizations using it
Source: Hootsuite’s Social Trends 2024 report.
Insight #3: 53% of NGOs buy social media advertising
Ads are a great way for an NGO to expand its reach and increase its social media following at a reasonable cost. Today, without advertisements, it is almost impossible to grow a sizable following on certain platforms. In fact, about a third of NGO professionals questioned perceived social media advertising to be one of the most effective digital marketing and fundraising tools. Hence, it is not surprising that 53% of all those NGOs questioned buy social media ads.
Insight #4: ~50% of NGOs work with influencers
Collaborating with social media influencers can help an NGO to expand its digital reach. Although this service sometimes has to be paid for, 52% of NGOs working with influencers do not have to pay which makes it a viable option even for organizations with less resources.
Instead of approaching influencers with a major following (e.g., over 500K subscribers), most of these NGOs collaborate with smaller influencers with 1K to 100K followers.
Insight #5: 29% of NGOs encourage staff to use LinkedIn during work hours
Another way to reach supporters and donors outside an NGO’s digital space is to encourage staff to access their personal social media accounts during working hours. If done well, this can greatly amplify an NGO’s message. Here are a few tips:
- Establish a social media policy with general guidelines for employees.
- Encourage staff to tag the NGO when sharing pictures of their professional accomplishments.
- Comment or share posts where employees tag the NGO.
Insight#6: 62% of users distrust AI content and are less likely to engage with it
AI generative tools are on the rise, and it is increasingly common to see AI content on social media. No wonder – this can drastically decrease staff workload!
Regardless, the ‘social’ in social media should not be forgotten. Most people want authenticity, and AI content is not well-received. If an NGO wants to delegate some work to an AI assistant, bot tasks like brainstorming, organizing ideas, and writing first drafts should be assigned. Strategizing, content creation, and community interaction should retain a human touch.
Insight #7: 37% of NGOs leverage Facebook fundraising tools
Some social media platforms have specific tools to help non-profits to raise funds. On Facebook, dedicated fundraising campaigns can be created and a ‘donate’ button can be displayed on the NGO’s profile, posts, or stories but these are just some of the options available.
Fig.3. Most effective Facebook fundraising tools
Source: 2023 Nonprofit Tech for Good Report
Insight #8: NGOs have, on average, 4 social media accounts
A recent study showed that non-profits have, on average, an account on four different platforms but this rule is not set in stone. If an NGO does not have enough human resources to keep an active and engaging presence across multiple platforms, it should focus on just one or two. On social media, quality trumps quantity and this concentrated effort will likely give a better ROI.
Final thoughts: take action!
NGO professionals rank social media as the second most effective digital marketing and fundraising tool, the first being their own website. But a tool can only be as good as its handler so what can an NGO do to up its social media game?
Here are three top suggestions:
- Enrol on a social media training workshop (many are free)
- Closely monitor social media performance including ROI which will help to discover which content works best for an NGO’s specific audience. A simple spreadsheet works well
- Continuously adjust the social media strategy based on performance results.
DevelopmentAid is an information service provider for international development, hosting over 53,000 NGOs on its database. On this platform, you can find regular updates on the development sector and register for events that are specifically tailored for non-profit organizations including social media workshops.
