Wish You Were Here: Social Media and the Dog Days of Summer

If you’re like us here in Nashville, summer time (and its heat!) is still very much upon us! As we sit here and try to stay cool in the Kindful offices, we know that you may be experiencing a cool-down of your own when it comes to donor engagement. But while August may not be the perfect time for big email campaigns or peer-to-peer fundraising, you can still make your mark on social media!

Here’s the thing about summer: days get longer, pace gets slower, and summer vacations may distract people from visiting your website or reading your emails. But everyone is still on social media! Whether they’re sharing pictures of mountain cabins or beachside cabanas, your followers are still likely checking Facebook and Twitter everyday. Use their short attention spans to your advantage!

Have as much fun as they are!

Share your own stories and pictures of summer fun (and continued productivity!) at your organization. Maybe you have an in-office beach day (hula skirts instead of business suits, anyone?) or a staff-wide picnic to celebrate summer. Maybe you have a big volunteer appreciation event or host an outdoor concert series. Whatever the case, make your summer activities fun and then talk them up on social media. It’s a great way to continue promoting your work without seeming too serious during the summer months.

Automate social posts

Donor engagement may be a bit slower during the summer, but that can actually give you the opportunity to do some much-needed planning for the rest of your year. And if you’re using this time to get strategic, the best way to stay active on social media is to schedule it in advance. Take advantage of social automation tools like Hootsuite and automate your Twitter and Facebook posts for the month. Of course, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still spend a few minutes everyday on live interactions, but it will dramatically cut down on your posting time and give you space to think ahead.

Summer may not be the busiest time for your nonprofit. If that’s the case for you, don’t let things die down completely during these months, especially for your social media. By adjusting your normal social media habits for the summer months, you can continue promoting your brand and engaging your followers, but at a more relaxed pace.