5 Twitter Hacks for Nonprofits

Out of all the social networks available to nonprofits, it’s hard to beat Twitter for one-on-one conversation and engagement. No algorithm controls what’s seen and not seen, with millions of potential and current donors, volunteers, employees and other supporters just a few keystrokes away.

Here are five quick and easy things you can do to boost your nonprofit’s Twitter activity:

1. Add “Tweets by @username” to your bio

Interacting with a brand on social media is just weird. You’re basically talking to a logo, with no idea who is sitting at the keyboard. A nice way to take the edge off is to be transparent about who is tweeting from your organization.

This will help ease one-on-one conversations, especially if you’re responding to criticism.

But don’t rely on just your corporate account alone. Your employee’s should be tweeting just as much, if not more, from their personal accounts on behalf of the organization! Donation and volunteer “thank yous” will have a greater impact coming from a human account.

2. Create a dedicated Twitter landing page and add the URL to your bio

Sending referral traffic to your homepage can be like a single drop of water in the ocean. No other page on your website has as many navigation and conversion options as your homepage, and it can be difficult to get a visitor to do what you want.

As such, choosing your homepage as the URL on your Twitter bio isn’t recommended. Instead, consider adding a unique landing page like www.nonprofit.org/twitter so that you can give a personalized welcome to Twitter users who happen to click-through. You can direct them to specific information on your website that mirrors what you typically share on Twitter, giving them a seamless, cross-channel experience.

For more social media tips, check out these 4 LinkedIn Hacks for Nonprofits >>

3. Include a photo with every tweet

This is an incredibly under-rated tactic, which works to the advantage of those who take the time to do it. Every tweet should include an uploaded photo (not just a link to a photo).

Why?

Photos automatically display in users’ timelines and expand the real estate that your tweet takes up. It immediately stands out among all other tweets.

See how this tweet with a photo stands out among all of the other plain-text tweets?

You can even include a photo in tweets that include another link.

4. Ask for Twitter @usernames on donation/sign-up forms

Twitter is an awesome place to show appreciation to those who support you. Why not ask for Twitter @usernames on your donation forms? You can make it an optional field with the rest of your contact info. If they give you one, send them a thank you tweet!

Since Twitter is inherently an exhibitionist network, chances are they will retweet your thank you, further increasing your visibility. But, most importantly, it will make them feel good.

5. Find out when it’s best to send a tweet from your organization

This isn’t as hard as it sounds, and everyone can do it for free!

To find the best day of the week to tweet, check Twitter Analytics. You can eyeball which day has gotten the most impressions.

To find the best time of day to tweet, follow these instructions. Data is your best friend!

Is your organization using Twitter in unique ways? Let us know in the comments below!

Want to start measuring your social media performance? Download our Social Media Performance Scorecard to self-report your social media metrics. And while you’re at it, follow @BloomerangTech on Twitter.

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