With hundreds of millions of daily Facebook users, your nonprofit needs a Facebook page. Unfortunately, it is no longer an “if you built it they will come” platform. It is getting more and more difficult to grow a Facebook page without paying for advertisements. Fundraising on Facebook is also getting more and more popular plus powerful. One more reason you should build your nonprofit’s page organically or with paid promotions.
Even if you do decide on paid promotions, here are a few tips to help you grow organically:
Network with other organizations
Facebook is a great place to network with other causes in the same field or geographical area. You can follow pages as your page, comment on their content and share it to your page. You can also tag the other page in your own posts. To aid your networking, take part in the NonProfits on Facebook group and join Causes Like other Pages as your Page, comment
Add a like box to your website
Not only will this get your more likes but if you have a lot of fans it is a great way to have social proof of your cause on your site.
Ask for likes
This is a simple, but neglected one. Make sure your employees, board members, volunteers have liked the page.Ask them to share something at least once or twice a month as well. Write the words Share and Spread the Word in your Facebook posts
If you make a presentation, it could be a call to action if you are not hoping the audience will join your email list, donate, etc. (you could even have a computer set up to the page).
Ask on other social platforms too. Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Google plus are easier to grow organically. Facebook you need to work for it.
You may even want to ask your most committed fans to ask others who might be interested like the page.
Post natively
You want to be posting consistently, but you can schedule it on Facebook and get better results than simply automatically posting your tweets. Create a content promotion calendar and have separate Facebook content (250 characters or less) with excellent pictures. Mix it up. Don’t be afraid to promote other’s content if it is relevant for your fans and feel free to throw in a survey, question or quote once in a while instead of just posting blog entries, events or soliciting donations.
Tag pictures
If there are people you know in the pictures, please tag away. You may also just want to post pictures with quotes from volunteers or the people you support and tag them.
Facebook page growth conclusion
You do need to be on Facebook but you may want to focus on other platforms first. Find out where your current (and future) fans hang out and focus your efforts there. Of course, Facebook pages will be helpful in spreading awareness but don’t stress about them too much. Getting Facebook page likes should not be the end goal of your online presence. You should have a good website and newsletter and use Facebook to direct people there.