Every Monday I will create a short video answering a question from a member of the Nonprofit Social Media Storytelling Group. We call it #MailbagMonday! Check back ever Monday inside the Group to see if I answer your question!
This week I answer two nonprofit questions that are interrelated.
What narrative should we use on different platforms?
Do you tell the same story across all social media platforms?
To start, I will say that of course, you can and should repurpose your story across social media platforms, in fact I encourage this.
So which social media platforms should you use?
This is a crazy question for me to answer, because I don’t know anything about your nonprofit.
That’s like a stranger coming up to me and asking “Where should I buy a house?”
I recommend that you use the social media platforms that are used by your audience.
Your audience is made up of the people you want to see or read or hear the story.
Use the platforms that you like to use and the places where you feel you can add the most value.
Social media is a value exchange.
Your audience gives you their time and attention and you have to give them something in return.
You can’t force people to join you.
You have to entice them, and the best way for nonprofits to inspire people to join them and embrace their ideas is by telling a compelling story.
Join the free Facebook Group to watch the video, and others in the #MailBag Monday series!
If you have a great story, the story is the gold.
Andy Goodman of The Goodman Center said that the story is the gold, and, you mold it depending on where you are telling it.
For example, you tell a story differently at a gala reception, in a caption or a video on Instagram, in a formal direct mail appeal.
The way you mold the narrative on different platforms should play to the strength of each platform.
This is why understanding and recognizing the strengths of each social media platform is so imperative to your success.
Telling a long form story doesn’t work on Twitter for obvious reasons.
But only telling a two or three sentence story on your blog doesn’t work either.
Know what works best for each platform.
For example:
Video, especially live streaming video, gets the most engagement on Facebook.
Tweets with hashtags that tag other accounts work best on Twitter.
Eye-catching, colorful photos work on Instagram.
Vertical infographics get a lot of traction on Pinterest.
Understand the strengths of each platform, and mold your story accordingly.