FACEBOOK*: BEST PRACTICES FOR NONPROFITS

*Social networking website used to connect and share with

audiences online. Connecting and sharing are important to

successfully engage with audiences online.

Quick facts about Facebook users

74% of online adults use social networking sites

o 71% use Facebook

936 million daily active users on average as of March 2015

1.44 billion monthly active users as of March 31, 2015

46% are over 45 years+

22% 35-44 years

57% users have college or university education

Facebook users are more trusting, have closer relationships and get

more support from their social ties on Facebook

Facebook users are used to GETTING more than GIVING

Women make more status updates and contribute more content on

Facebook than men

o Women make 21 Facebook status updates vs. men making 6 in a

one-month period

There is little evidence of “Facebook fatigue”

o Length of time on Facebook is not associated with decline in

Facebook activity

o The more time someone has used Facebook, the more frequently

they engage with others on Facebook

*Information from: http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheets/social-networking-fact-sheet/ http://newsroom.fb.com/company-info/

How to create a photo album on Facebook

Click the “Add Photos” button in the upper right corner of the screen

Select picture(s) you would like to add

Write a title for the album in the “Untitled Album” field in the upper left

corner of screen

o Short and descriptive title

Click “Select Photos to Upload”

How to create an event on Facebook

Click “Events” in the left menu of the Facebook homepage

Click “Create” in the top right

Fill in the event details

o Name, details, location, time, title

Click “Create”

How to post a photo on Facebook

Go to the album you would like to add photos to

Select “Add Photos” in the top right

Select the image files you would like to upload

o Add caption under each photo before uploading

o Short caption, describing the photos to Facebook users who may

not understand the context of the photo

How to post a status update on Facebook

Click “Update Status” on your News Feed OR Status on your Timeline

(Homeward Bound Pets’ Facebook page)

Click box to beging writing

Hit “Post” when you are ready to submit status for all to see

How to post a video on Facebook

Click Photo/Video at the top of the Homeward Bound Pets’ Timeline

Click “Upload Photos/Video”

Choose file you would like to add

Write short description of video

Hit “Post” when you are ready to submit

How to tag other organizations/people on Facebook

Using the @ symbol followed by the organization’s handle (name) will

allow you to tag that user directly. They will be notified that you have

tagged them.

How to promote your page/post

Go to post you’ve created and select “Boost Post” in lower-right corner

Choose audience and budget based on how many people you would

like to reach and how long you would like to boost post

Select “Boost Post”

WHY?

You can boost any status, photos and videos you post on your

Facebook page

When you “boost” a post, it will appear higher in News Feeds to

increase the chances of your target audience seeing the post

o If you don’t boost your post, people will still see it! Boosting

posts simply increases likelihood of people seeing post

DO

Use a “Call to Action”

o i.e. “Help Homeward Bound Pets save lives. Donate today!”

Use a great hook

o Answer the question “What’s in it for me?” Make the post

relevant to users with a message that will encourage them to

donate

o i.e. “Every dollar counts. Do your part to help Homeward Bound

Pets save the lives of animals throughout Yamhill County and

become a Homeward Bound Pets special donors circle”

Add photos or videos to make the message stand out visually

Ask users to share your message on their own Facebook pages

Try new things to test results! If something doesn’t work the first time,

try something new and compare your audiences’ engagement

Link for more information on boosting posts:

https://www.facebook.com/help/

http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/how-to-improve-your-social-media-

calls-to-action/

Facebook analytics/page insights

Analytics/page insights provide Homeward Bound Pets with data that

can help your organization identify engagement and help you make

strategic social-media decisions

To find it…

o Click “Insights” at the top of your Page

Here you can view metrics about your Page by clicking the different

sections at the top of the page (i.e. Likes, Reach, etc.)

How to use Facebook Insights to improve your Page

Insights can help you understand how people are engaging with your

Page

You can view metrics about your Page’s performance, see which types

of post receive the most engagement (Likes, Comments, Shares, etc.)

and see data about when your audience is most active on Facebook

Example:

o Look at each post within the last week to see which ones have

received the most likes, comments and shares

o Use this information to figure out which types of posts receive

the most engagement (do posts with photos or videos receive

more engagement? What about when you include a link to the

Homeward Bound Pets’ website?)

Link for more information on analytics:

https://www.facebook.com/help/383440231709427/

Facebook best practices for nonprofits

1. Have an eye-catching cover photo and profile picture . Visually

appealing photos and designs can draw in your audience and increase

the chances of people “liking” your page

2. Photos pictures frequently with posts . Posts with photos typically

receive the most engagement when compared to stand-along posts or

posts with links and videos. Feel free to use videos and links when

applicable, but when in doubt, go with a photo!

3. “Pin to Top” popular updates . To raise awareness about a

particular event or topic, select the “Pin to Top” option in the right-

hand corner of your post under the arrow.

4. Have multiple admins for your page . This will help Homeward

Bound Pets from losing access to its page, as well as encourage

multiple admins to post regularly on the page.

5. Add Facebook events as they happen throughout the year . This

will raise awareness among your target audience about the events,

increasing the chances of people attending. When fans “Join” an event,

they are notified about the event the day of to act as an additional

reminder to attend.

6. Like other organization’s status updates : Flattery goes a long way

on Facebook. Liking other organization’s posts will help make them

notice Homeward Bound Pets, increasing the chances of users

following Homeward Bound Pets.

Every other day take a few minutes to like 5-8 posts posted

by other organizations you follow

7. Share at least 3-4 times a week : To gain followers, Homeward

Bound Pets must be active on Instagram. If possible, feel free to post

more often!

8. Respond to comments/questions from users . Sometimes people

will post on status updates with either questions or comments about

the content you’ve shared. Make sure to respond in a thoughtful way

to show Homeward Bound Pets cares about its audience.

9. Get personal : show the behind-the-scenes experiences of Homeward

Bound Pets with followers. This will help your target audience feel more

connected to the organization and part of the HBP community online

and offline

10. Follow other organizations : Follow other nonprofits, shelters,

local businesses and even personal accounts to grow your online

community.

11. Show the impact Homeward Bound Pets has : Show through

photos and descriptive captions WHY people should care about

Homeward Bound Pets (i.e. photos of animals finding their Forever

Homes)

12. Highlight the volunteer aspect of HBP : Volunteers play a

large role in running and maintaining Homeward Bound Pets. Post

photos of volunteers working at the shelter, during a fundraiser or

playing with animals to thank your volunteers while showing how

valued they are

13. Have fun! Facebook is a creative social media platform with a

ton of potential for Homeward Bound Pets. If you ever feel

overwhelmed, just remember: it’s just a photo!

Facebook best practices for raising donations

1. Promote fundraising events : When Homeward Bound Pets is

involved in a fundraiser, create an event on Facebook! Encourage

followers to either attend the event or give them other options of ways

to give back (i.e. donating online)

2. Thank your donors : Be sure to ALWAYS ask for permission before

posting donors’ names online. This is a great way to show Homeward

Bound Pets’ gratitude while also showing the need for donations to

keep the organization running

Organizations to follow on Facebook for inspiration:

1. TED - https://www.facebook.com/TED

a. Short, descriptive captions with engaging content

2. UNICEF - https://www.facebook.com/unicef

a. Wonderful profiles of people around the world with engaging

“hooks” (sentences that get users to keep reading and/or click

the link they have attached)

3. NPR - https://www.facebook.com/NPR

a. Informative and witty posts

4. Oregon Humane Society - https://www.facebook.com/OHSFanPage

a. Oregon Humane Society’s social-media campaigns encourage

others to engage with them online by asking questions and

posting useful information with adorable animal pictures

5. Humane Society of the United States -

https://www.facebook.com/humanesociety

a. This organization posts relevant content and has several great

contest ideas

6. World Wildlife Fund - https://www.facebook.com/worldwildlifefund

a. WWF takes national holidays to promote its photos and

mission

7. St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital -

https://www.facebook.com/stjude

a. Profiles of children and engaging status updates make this

page fun to read

8. American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals -

https://www.facebook.com/aspca

a. ASPCA asks engaging questions, shares relevant content and

responds to its followers online

9. PetCo Foundation - https://www.facebook.com/PETCOfoundation

a. PetCo uses relevant hashtags, shares informative content and

posts engaging videos and photos