By Tereza Litsa, Social Media Manager at Lightful, a simple social media management platform for nonprofits.
#GivingTuesday is the biggest generosity movement in history.
With more than 150 countries joining, and more than 14 billion impressions on social channels every year, it’s the perfect opportunity to tell your story to a global audience of people interested in making a difference through the power of social media.
Storytelling can play a key role in a #GivingTuesday campaign, so here are eight tips to consider.
1) Define your narrative
The theme of your story can help you define the content you’ll need to create. Envisage your story and build the characters that will bring it to life. Every powerful story consists of a challenge that the characters are facing and gradually guiding supporters towards the resolution of the problem.
A story needs to provide enough context to the supporters to be relatable. By spending time thinking of the narrative and how it can develop, it becomes easier to use your storytelling skills to build a connection with your supporters.
2) Think of your objectives
Your story’s theme should align with your objectives. If you want to run a fundraising campaign then you should focus on the number of donors and the total donations. If you’re thinking of running an awareness campaign as part of #GivingTuesday, then you’ll probably focus on the reach, the followers, and clicks to your site coming from new visitors.
By setting up your objectives from the beginning you are able to have a clearer focus on the content you need to create. Moreover, your objectives can also guide you in the analysis of your campaign’s performance.
The more organised you are, the easier it becomes to communicate the impact of your work to everyone in your team.
Remember, #GivingTuesday is not always about fundraising so your KPIs shouldn’t necessarily focus on the number of donations.
3) Plan your content
#GivingTuesday may only last 24 hours, but many successful campaigns tend to start way earlier than the big day.
It’s useful to plan ahead for the content you need and the best ways to build anticipation towards the big day.
Inform your supporters of your plans for this year’s #GivingTuesday campaign and how they can be part of your story. Your content should be teasing towards the big day in a way that’s exciting enough for your audience to ask for more details.
It’s a good idea to be strategic, with the use of a content plan to schedule the content of your #GivingTuesday campaign in advance and what metrics you’ll be measuring to determine whether your campaign was successful.
You can also use Lightful’s Story Builder templates to start planning your story.
4) Be creative
Your story does not rely simply on written text to make an impact. Your visual assets can actually make a difference in your campaign.
Images and videos make it easier to grab someone’s attention on social media. From image quotes to video stories and GIFs, you can amplify your message with the use of different content types.
Think of the channels that you want to involve to tell your story and how you can use visual content to make your posts more effective. For example, Facebook is favouring video content that lasts one to three minutes but you can upload even longer videos on Instagram through the use of IGTV.
You can also use Instagram Stories to be more engaging, with vertical content that could be more interactive.
5) Create actionable content
A successful #GivingTuesday campaign is a balance between a powerful story and a hook that drives action.
Your story should be appealing enough to make your supporters notice it, but it will only be successful for your organisation if it ignites some sort of action after it.
For example, a fundraising campaign can link to a donation page or an engagement campaign can lead to a form to build an email list of supporters who want to volunteer for your organisation.
No matter what call-to-action you choose, your ask should always be clear and easy to follow. A story with multiple actions or a confusing message reduces the chances of people taking the action and therefore meeting the set objectives.
You can even encourage people to share their own story as part of your campaign.
6) Communicate your impact
A good way to make the most of #GivingTuesday is to tell a story that communicates your impact.
It’s an opportunity to show your supporters and potential donors how their contribution can make a difference.
Use your story and associated graphics to explain how everyone can make an impact. This is where inspiring storytelling can be useful. A powerful story can bring you closer to your supporters.
A good way to communicate the impact is to present the different ways their support can contribute to the bigger goal.
This is an example from Wheels for wellbeing and a graphic explaining why every contribution matters.
7) Involve your supporters
#GivingTuesday is all about bringing people together. An inspiring campaign can help your supporters feel empowered and connected.
A good way to involve your loyal supporters and champions in your campaign is to create a social media toolkit that you can share with those who want to be part of the campaign. You can include a sample of social media posts and graphics and you can encourage them to create their own content.
Your campaign can become even more successful if your supporters feel inspired to share their own story.
8) Show your appreciation
A #GivingTuesday story should not necessarily finish at the end of the day. How about using the rest of the week to thank your supporters and donors who joined the campaign?
Gratitude Wednesday is common the day after #GivingTuesday as a way to express your appreciation for those who shared your story so think about what content you can create for this. Perhaps you can make a ‘thank you’ graphic.
You can even thank your supporters during #GivingTuesday, either with a GIF or a personalised response that will make them feel special.
It’s a good idea to turn your #GivingTuesday success in a long-term relationship that will lead to further support.
Takeaway
#GivingTuesday is all about celebrating a big day of giving. It can help you reach a new audience so it’s a great opportunity to tell a compelling story.
Think of your #GivingTuesday campaign as a journey of long-term value. The more engaging you are, the higher the chances that your supporters will join in your upcoming campaigns.
Create content that inspires everyone to take action and keep in mind that your call-to-action doesn’t always have to be about fundraising. There are many different ways to tell engaging stories, so get your content ready on time for #GivingTuesday.
If you’re ready to plan your #GivingTuesday campaign, you can try Lightful, a social media management tool for nonprofits. Make your storytelling more actionable with our free templates.
