As more and more non people jump on the Twitter bandwagon, non profit organizations are realizing that this platform offers them a unique opportunity to attract people to their organizational website and/or blog in a mere 140 characters or less. By baiting the hook with a statement designed to draw the interest, non profits can have large numbers of traffic driven to their site.

How To Use Twitter To Fundraise

How To Use Twitter To Fundraise


Follow


Called ‘microblogging’,Twitter is an amazing platform to help build your constituency. Begin collecting user names from those who already make up your volunteers and donors. Capture emails address that will allow you to let those who already have an interest in your organization that you are on Twitter. This can also be accomplished by linking your website and blog to your Twitter and other social media accounts. This allows those visitors to your website to click over and begin following your Twitter feed.

Because you receive a notice when you are followed you can then follow those that are following you. This helps you to build relationships and engage your followers. Merely tweeting your 140 character tweets does not bring in the visitors, the support or the funds. You have to reach them; draw them in and capture their attention.

Engage


Ask questions. Generate dialogue. Share information regarding events and activities going on in your organization and within your field of work. This will help you form alliances that share your mission.

An additional way to further engage your followers is to automatically post your blog feed straight to your Twitter feed. While this is obviously more than 140 characters, Twitter will automatically shorten the link and you can devise a tweet to encourage your followers to click through and read your blog. This gets people interested in your work and your mission. Without that interest, people are not going to open their checkbooks for you.

Solicit


You have now developed this cadre of followers who are interested in your program and the people you serve. Your tweets are read, your site is visited from the web links you provide in your tweets: now what? How do you build on that foundation?

Let your following know of your appeal. It shouldn’t be mentioned only once and then done with. Keep your followers up dated with new and ongoing information; information that makes them want to be part of the solution to the community problem you are solving.

Link your appeal letter to your Twitter feed and, using programs, like TwitterFeed, you can track who clicks which links from where. This provides you with valuable information. You see which tweets generate more traffic and you can begin tailoring your tweets to respond to that traffic.

If, during your appeal, you are hosting an event, live tweet it. There are many cell phone Twitter applications that allow you to upload tweets from your phone. You can include pictures and let those that aren’t present feel like they are part of the festivities. This helps bring followers together and continues to build your support base.
 
Top