With billions of people across the world logging time online daily, it’s easy to see why more and more nonprofits are taking advantage of social media marketing. Notably, social media platforms built around short-form videos (like TikTok) have boomed in the nonprofit marketing sphere, with a 112% increase in audience over 2023 alone.
However, before you start posting short-form videos, know that going viral isn’t about getting lucky; it is about putting the right strategy in place. Let’s explore how your nonprofit can create content that not only goes viral but also drives your mission forward, allowing you to secure new supporters and donations.
1. Make Fundraising Videos Simple and Shareable
Your success on social media depends on how your content resonates with your audience. For instance, slow-paced or verbose content is less likely to hold your audience’s attention and more likely to get lost in the millions of other videos posted daily.
Here are some key tips for making your content digestible and compelling:
- Leverage trends. Social media trends allow you to get attention for your cause using a recognizable format. For instance, you might create fundraising videos using a certain sound or song that’s rising in popularity, as this signal boost can attract new followers to your mission.
- Use hashtags. Creating a strong social media presence is about cultivating a community that rallies around your mission. Use relevant hashtags to get your content in front of more eyes and allow your audience to interact with others who are passionate about your mission.
- Prompt users to share. It might seem obvious, but simply asking your users to share your content makes them more likely to do so. Besides asking in a video’s narration, you might include an arrow overlay pointing to the platform’s repost button to simplify sharing further.
At the end of the day, while following trends can secure much-needed visibility for your cause, don’t forget to add your nonprofit’s unique flair. After all, if millions of people are tuning into a trend, you still need to put in the work to stand out. Whether you’re featuring your beneficiaries or creating your own spin on a seasoned trend, be creative and show off your nonprofit’s character—you’ll attract people who resonate more with your brand.
2. Focus on Positivity
While it’s important to communicate the gravity of your cause, nonprofit marketing content thrives on positivity. Create content that uplifts and motivates viewers to join your cause (or simply share your fundraising video), rather than overwhelming them with the problems you aim to solve. Some easy ways to infuse your content with joy and hope include:
- Featuring inspirational beneficiary stories (with their permission).
- Reporting on positive impacts and milestones (even small day-to-day wins).
- Celebrating the hard work and support of donors and volunteers.
- Using uplifting music and imagery.
- Show candid behind-the-scenes moments of your volunteers at work or your programs in action.
At the same time, don’t shy away from the hardships your beneficiaries face. Embrace them and discuss how you’ll overcome them as a community. Hiding any information about your struggles might jeopardize supporter trust and your credibility.
For instance, let’s say you represent an animal shelter, and you’re running out of capacity to house adoptable animals. Instead of talking about turning away animals, you might highlight that since your shelter is bursting with lovable animals, adoption frees up space for more animals to receive care and a forever home.
3. Optimize Fundraising Videos for Algorithmic Preferences
If you’re focusing on reaching the most people via virality, you need to look closer at how each platform operates and align your approach accordingly. Each social media platform has a unique algorithm that serves content to users based on their interests and browsing habits. Think of it like updating your website for SEO—the better your content appeals to the algorithm, the more it’ll be pushed to users who might resonate with your cause.
While the exact preferences and behaviors of social media algorithms are kept under wraps, you can get started by following these general guidelines:
- Expand the types of videos you produce. For instance, Facebook rolled out a video hub in 2024, allowing users to view long-form and short-form videos, as well as livestreams, in one place. Diversifying your content to appeal to all of these video types can help your page get more traction.
- Create innovative, interesting, and high-quality content. Social media platforms reward content that keeps users engaged for longer. This content is usually compelling, helpful, or actionable for your target audience, so pinpoint the type of content they’d like to see and continue delivering it.
- Encourage further interactions. Platforms boost content that sparks further engagement with the post (whether via liking, commenting, or sharing). For instance, you could boost engagement by asking your viewers to answer questions in the comments, such as what their first experience with your nonprofit was like.
Ultimately, while the algorithm largely remains a mystery to normal users, you can inform your strategy by keeping tabs on new updates and trends, both on the platform itself and across the digital marketing space at large. Regularly hold power hours with your marketing team to brainstorm new ideas that align with current trends and updates.
4. Work with Influencers
You can (and should) strategize to help your fundraising videos go viral, but there’s no guarantee you’ll become widely known. However, you can still leverage the star power of those who have struck gold online—influencers—to further your mission.
Influencer marketing provides your nonprofit with a vast new opportunity to spread awareness of your mission, build your brand identity, and forge new community connections. Understand these key tips before launching influencer marketing efforts:
- Set a realistic goal. Household names are more challenging to partner with unless you have an established connection. Instead, focus on engaging micro-influencers (those with between 10,000 and 100,000 followers), who often have a more loyal viewership community than larger names.
- Look for influencers who align with your mission. In addition to micro-influencers, seek out thought influencers who are somehow connected to your cause, whether they operate in your area or are thought leaders in your industry.
- Stress the benefits of cross-marketing. Marketing partnerships benefit both nonprofits and influencers. Businesses can benefit from working with nonprofits—similarly, influencers, can receive a viewership boost from your audience and strengthen their reputation by being associated with a charitable cause.
Ensure you treat all influencer partnerships as true collaborations. Meet regularly to discuss ideas and respect each others’ creative processes—that way, you can strengthen your relationship and make more content together down the line.
Whether you’re hosting Facebook challenges or simply posting short videos about your daily wins, creating compelling content takes time and originality. But, by taking advantage of popular platforms and focusing on the joy your cause brings to the world, your message has the potential to reach millions and bring new support to your campaigns.
