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Last week, we were lucky to host our second virtual #MisfitsLive event of the year with Facebook’s Strategic Partnerships Manager of Social Impact, Aibhínn Kelleher. We had over 70 representatives from different organisations and charities asking some key questions about how to best utilise the platform right now during this unprecedented time. Facebook is a complex platform, however it’s a great tool for purpose-led organisations when it comes to fundraising, running campaigns and growing a community.
Facebook’s traffic has surged since a number of countries have rolled out quarantine measures. The company has adapted fast to ensure they can help with fundraising efforts and keep people in contact globally. Aibhínn shared with us a whole host of new tools that have been introduced and tips on how to best use them for purpose-led campaigns, along with a breakdown of the best ways to use the platform’s already existing tools.
Below is a list of tools and tips that we think you should know about right now.
It may seem daunting, but it’s true that more people are sitting at home online as a result of global lockdown measures and this could mean there is a whole new audience out there waiting to hear from you. Both Facebook and Instagram have seen an increase in the use of Live Streams as well as a dramatic increase in the number of people watching them. Organisations are being creative and using the tools to share timely updates, status reports, and even entertainment.
Facebook have made going live so much easier with options for audio-only, closed captions and the introduction of ‘Live With’ which allows you to go live alongside someone else. Don’t forget to make sure you have stable internet and that your video and sound are working beforehand!
Fundraising on Facebook can be really effective and with new features, it’s easier than ever. You can setup your own fundraising activity through your Non-Profit Facebook page directly, or have supporters fundraise on your behalf and link to a donate button. This can be a really effective and more personalised way to ask for donations.
Celeste Barber, an Australian comedian initiated a fundraiser on Facebook that raised $28M in just 4 days for the NSW Rural Fire Brigade during the Australian bushfires. She received donations from all around the world. Other influencers saw her campaign and continued to share the message.
Having the options to include the donate button on your Facebook page and now also add it to your Facebook Live Stream also means there is plenty of ways to be creative with your donation asks. Learn more about Facebook Live here.
Despite the fact that many events have been cancelled, so many organisations and companies are trying to think of creative ways to host them online. Using your Facebook Event page is a great way to do this.
The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association (UK) were not able to host their tea party in real life, so they used their Facebook Event to ask people to post selfies with their dogs having tea. They asked influencers and celebrities to join in and received lots of engagement and donations. Whilst having an online event might not be the same, it also comes with the benefit of including people from around the world who may not otherwise have been able to be there.
Facebook groups are a great way to get connected. Organisations can setup multiple groups alongside their own pages to connect with supporters in different ways. Groups have the functionality to be open, closed or secret, meaning that you can tailor them to your goals when it comes to how you want to connect people. They also make it easy to share files, conduct polls and go live to a particular audience.
A lot of organisations use Facebook groups to test messaging and ideas for their campaigns to a small audience before going live to the whole of Facebook. This can be an extremely effective way to ensure that your messaging really resonates with your supporters and performs well. Find out more about how to use groups here.
We are all used to being in the office, so working from home has come with a whole host of new challenges. Facebook Workplace is a tool designed by Facebook, separate from your personal account, that lets you engage with other staff members, and it’s free for Non-Profits!
It’s pretty much Facebook’s version of Slack! It allows for fast communication and with 50% of the global workforce now being Millennial’s, it’s helps to equip your staff with tools that meet their expectations.
You can create groups for easier collaboration on projects, live broadcast or send videos to your organisation and you can automate a lot of processes that might have been done manually. It’s also really helpful for having a written trail of everything you have done in case things are lost or forgotten.
Facebook is a great tool for the purpose-led sector and with the platform’s wealth of tools, your organisation can be increasingly creative with its campaigns. You can find further Facebook resources for Non-Profit’s around how you can react during COVID here.
Social Misfits Media is a social media and digital agency. We regularly host events for purpose-led organisations to help shape social media strategies and encourage all readers to check out the links to articles and campaigns featured in this blog. Use the best practice advice, stay safe and wash your hands. Follow us on Twitter to find out about upcoming #MisfitsLive events and keep up-to-date with our work.
