What social media can and cannot do for non-profits

An interesting article in THE ECONOMIST looks at the opportunities for fundraising through social media.

Rather than looking at social media as a direct fundraising tool in itself, charities would be better to think of Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, YouTube and other popular social media platforms as the first step of your donor journey. These are places for your organization to be seen by people who have a view on the subject on which you work, thereby building your exposure.

People who leave comments on your social media sites are potential supporters. To make the transition from support to donor they need to register on your website. They will be be more inclined to do this if your charity has a strong brand, has an explanation of the problem and the solution, and clearly articulates a role for the supporter in bringing about change. 

You need to be active in the social media space, sharing views, photographs and videos, and all of this must be linked to your website. Most importantly, your website needs a means of collecting the name, email address and mobile phone number of the individual on a database.

Once you have this basic information you can begin the journey from interest to support to donation.