Successfully Develop and Implement a Peer-to-Peer Social Media Campaign

Peer-to-peer strategies are a long-lasting and reliable way to start a social media campaign. Due to their social nature of customers engaging other customers, social media offers a great platform to operate from. Any campaign can thrive from this dynamic, and fundraising especially, can flourish with a personalized experience for everyone.

Social media is one of the most popular online resources and tools in the world. With these websites as a foundation, supporters and users can engage with the organization's campaign while then interacting with their friends and family. That engagement then continues to spread, and investment, donations and interactions will flourish.

Specific steps will aid in the development and implementation of a peer-to-peer social media campaign. Using them will bring about the best results.

Improve Social Media Content

The first step for working on a social media campaign will be optimizing its presence and content. The more reach, the better. The way to do this is through posting relevant and engaging content on multiple platforms.

Taking a multimedia approach will help. Some people are visual learners, whereas others prefer to read longer posts. YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest are some of the biggest social media platforms out there. Facebook alone has nearly 2.5 billion active users logging on every month. Each site provides different tools and benefits — using them for the campaign will spread awareness.

Also, the content should focus on people. While nonprofits and fundraisers have a central emphasis on donations, content should show people how the organization stands out. Posts that center around the people that the campaign helps or the people raising money will demonstrate a commitment to the cause.

Link Back to Your Website

Social media is where awareness of the campaign spreads. However, the organization's website is just as important. It will need to be clear, concise and to-the-point, just as the social media pages are. Additionally, everything will need to link together. The website, for instance, should link to all the different social media pages for easy navigating.

Raising money involves increasing traffic. When all web pages work together, this brand awareness can improve. In fact, 95% of non-governmental organizations agree that social media helps brand awareness.

With ease of use, people can access the website, find the information they need and share it. From there, they can start raising money across their own social media platforms and continue to engage other people. This domino effect begins with an optimized relationship between social media and the website.

Drive New Engagement

The factor that connects supporters with any social media campaign is engagement, the interaction that occurs when individuals share, like, retweet and comment on content. Then, further engagement occurs when those individuals' friends or family interact, and so on.

One way to foster engagement is to focus on sharing instead of directly asking for donations. While these posts are necessary, asking for donations can lose effectiveness over time. Focusing on how to get people to share the campaign and start their own fundraising will lead other people to get involved.

Additionally, those who run the social media pages should interact with the organization's supporters, customers and clients. They can have conversations, answer questions and solidify connections. With more compelling content, too, supporters will have an emotional reaction that causes them to take action.

The personalized element of peer-to-peer campaigns shows itself here — this dynamic will foster an individual experience for everyone. From there, engagement will prosper.

Help Supporters Thrive

The steps to becoming a viral movement can differ depending on the person. For instance, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge was a sensation that took off in the summer of 2014. Part of the reason this challenge was successful is because it required that people tag others — whether on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or YouTube. Additionally, it added a fun element on top of the social media sharing part.

To create a sensation like this, supporters or customers will need a task. Fundraising is the common denominator for social movements. The organization should provide individuals with their own fundraising pages to track progress, donors and goals. From there, supporters can share their pages.

Additionally, a fun and competitive element could bring the campaign to the next level. Viral sensations happen on social media, and they can gain speed overnight. Planning ahead to engage supporters through social media can help spread awareness and increase donations.

Thank the Contributors

Contributors are the source of trends, funds, donations and movements. They keep the campaign alive and going. It's through their hard work that causes can receive money to help those in need. During a campaign, it's important to thank the supporters to shower proper gratitude. Those who have helped will then receive the recognition they deserve, too.

A thank-you can come in different varieties and styles. Whether it's public recognition through social media or tokens of appreciation, gratitude is essential. Additionally, when an organization posts content that shows appreciation for supporters, others can share it.

Creating a Peer-to-Peer Campaign With Social Media

Social media is a powerful tool for peer-to-peer campaigns. Follow the tips above, from improving content to thanking supporters, to see success in your next endeavor.