Jul 252 min read

Dear Nonprofits: Get in to User Generated Content!

I go to a lot of networking events and after most of them I typically post a cute highlight reel of my experience: What I wore, who I met, the visuals of the space, maybe the food, generally giving people the vibe they missed out on. And I’m not the only one, lots of people do- for restaurants, shows, thrifting, just about anything that they do nowadays. While these posts are often self-serving, they are also free marketing and publicity for the organizations and businesses we are highlighting.

WELCOME TO USER GENERATED CONTENT.

User generated content (UGC) is content posted on social media about your brand. It can be paid or unpaid, but unpaid is gold because these are genuine and unprompted experiences from people who are choosing to engage with you! I don’t know about other people, but I only spend my time on things I like, so take it as the highest compliment if someone is sharing about you!

So why is UGC important to you as a nonprofit?

It helps to spread the word about your cause. People who may not have known about your organization now have a chance to get a sneak peek into your world and may become curious enough to start to engage with you in some way themselves.
It gives social proof to the impact of your work. I tend to think of this like advice from a parent: you usually don’t take their advice, but the same advice said by a friend just hits different. These users are giving proof and legitimacy to your work, helping to build more credibility around your organization.
It’s free marketing! Everybody’s budgets are tight. So getting a small boost from your community can’t hurt.

User generated content can come in a variety of forms such as videos or reels, pictures, mentions in posts, reviews and testimonies. Each of these formats help to build a broader picture about your organization which can be valuable in the decision making for donors, sponsors, volunteers, and board members.

So how can you leverage these snapshots of your digital story?

Well, you can hire me to devise a strategy 😊 or you can try on a few of these ideas:

Did you host an event? Connect with attendees from the event afterwards and like, repost, & comment on content they may share about their experience. You can get even more adventurous and create a highlight reel of your own from their highlight reels! Just remember to give credit to the original creators for their content!
Did you post something that’s getting a lot of engagement? Keep engaging back and share your favorites with your network. Did you know that on Instagram, you can post comments into your story? This can draw more people to the original post and keep the party going!
Did you collect feedback or testimonies? Share them appropriately. You want to be mindful to protect the privacy of your community. However, these testimonies and feedback can be useful in giving new members of your community a feel for how others view your organization. So when someone says something nice, let us know!