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How LinkedIn is Changing the Nonprofit Game

By Matthew Balogh • July 17, 2023
 
One of the most important social media platforms for charitable organizations is LinkedIn. While traditional marketing methods can be effective, they can also be costly and time-consuming. Fortunately, social media has opened up a whole new world of marketing possibilities for organizations like yours.

As a charitable organization, you know how important it is to reach as many people as possible with your message. While traditional marketing methods can be effective, they can also be costly and time-consuming. Fortunately, social media has opened up a whole new world of marketing possibilities for organizations like yours. One of the most important social media platforms for charitable organizations is LinkedIn.

In this blog post, we'll take a look at what LinkedIn is, why it's valuable for marketing your charitable organization, and how to get started with it. By the end of this post, you'll have a better understanding of how LinkedIn can help you reach more people and increase your impact.

What is LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is a social media platform that is specifically designed for professionals. It allows users to create a profile that highlights their education, work experience, and professional achievements. Users can then connect with other professionals and join groups based on their interests or industries.

LinkedIn has over 700 million members in more than 200 countries, making it one of the largest social media platforms in the world. In the United States alone, there are over 200 million LinkedIn users. This means that there is a large audience on LinkedIn that your charitable organization can potentially reach.

Case Studies

Let’s look at some case studies of charitable organizations in the United States that have successfully used LinkedIn to grow their charities and raise donations.

Charity: Water

Charity: Water is a nonprofit organization that brings clean and safe drinking water to people in developing countries. The organization has a strong presence on LinkedIn, where they share stories, videos, and updates about their work. They also use the platform to connect with potential donors, partners, and volunteers. One of their most successful campaigns on LinkedIn was a fundraiser for World Water Day, which raised over $1 million in just 24 hours.

Save the Children

Save the Children is a global nonprofit organization that works to improve the lives of children in need. The organization uses LinkedIn to share updates on their work, job openings, and events. They also use the platform to connect with potential donors and volunteers. One of their most successful campaigns on LinkedIn was a fundraiser for Syrian refugee children, which raised over $200,000 in just one month.

Feeding America

Feeding America is a national network of food banks that works to end hunger in the United States. The organization uses LinkedIn to share updates on their work, job openings, and events. They also use the platform to connect with potential donors and partners. One of their most successful campaigns on LinkedIn was a fundraiser for Hunger Action Month, which raised over $40,000 in just two weeks.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is a leading pediatric research hospital that works to find cures for childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. The organization uses LinkedIn to share updates on their research, job openings, and events. They also use the platform to connect with potential donors and partners. One of their most successful campaigns on LinkedIn was a fundraiser for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, which raised over $50,000 in just one week.

American Red Cross

The American Red Cross is a humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and education inside the United States. The organization uses LinkedIn to share updates on their work, job openings, and events. They also use the platform to connect with potential donors and partners. One of their most successful campaigns on LinkedIn was a fundraiser for Hurricane Harvey relief, which raised over $200,000 in just one month.

These are just a few examples of how charitable organizations in the United States are successfully using LinkedIn to grow their charities and raise donations. By creating a strong presence on the platform and engaging with potential donors and partners, these organizations are able to make a bigger impact and achieve their goals.

The value of LinkedIn for marketing

Now that we've covered what LinkedIn is, let's take a look at why it's valuable for marketing your charitable organization.

Building a professional brand

One of the most important aspects of marketing your charitable organization on LinkedIn is building a professional brand. Your brand is how you present your organization to the world, and it's what sets you apart from other organizations in your space.

Your LinkedIn profile is a great place to start building your brand. Make sure that your profile is complete and professional, with a high-quality profile picture and a clear description of your organization's mission and values. Use your profile to showcase your organization's work, including any projects or initiatives that you're currently working on.

Networking with other professionals

Another valuable aspect of LinkedIn for charitable organizations is the networking opportunities it provides. LinkedIn allows you to connect with other professionals in your field, as well as potential donors and volunteers.

By connecting with other professionals on LinkedIn, you can stay up to date on industry news and trends, and potentially collaborate with other organizations on projects or initiatives. You can also use LinkedIn to reach out to potential donors or volunteers and build relationships with them.

Advertising opportunities

LinkedIn also offers advertising opportunities that can be valuable for charitable organizations. LinkedIn Ads allow you to target specific audiences based on factors like job title, industry, and location. This can help you reach the people who are most likely to be interested in your organization and its mission.

Showcasing your organization's work

Finally, LinkedIn is a great platform for showcasing your organization's work. You can use LinkedIn to share updates and news about your organization, as well as any successes or milestones you've achieved.

Sharing your organization's work on LinkedIn can help build awareness of your organization and its mission. It can also help you build relationships with other professionals and potential donors or volunteers.

How to get started with LinkedIn

Now that we've covered why LinkedIn is valuable for marketing your charitable organization, let's take a look at how to get started with it.

Setting up a LinkedIn account

The first step to getting started with LinkedIn is to set up a profile for your organization. To do this, you'll need to create a LinkedIn account if you don't already have one.

To create a LinkedIn account, go to the LinkedIn homepage and click "Join now" in the top right corner. Follow the prompts to create an account, including adding your organization's name and logo.

Building a professional profile

Once you've created a LinkedIn account, it's time to build a professional profile for your organization. This should include adescription of your organization's mission and values, as well as any projects or initiatives that you're currently working on.

Make sure that your profile is complete and professional. Use high-quality images and graphics to showcase your organization's work. This will help you stand out on LinkedIn and make a strong impression on potential donors, volunteers, and other professionals.

Connecting with other professionals

Once your profile is set up, it's time to start connecting with other professionals on LinkedIn. You can do this by searching for people or organizations in your industry, and sending connection requests to those that you want to connect with.

When sending connection requests, make sure to personalize each request and explain why you want to connect. This will help you build stronger relationships with other professionals on LinkedIn.

Joining LinkedIn groups

Another way to connect with other professionals on LinkedIn is by joining groups. Groups are communities of professionals who share common interests or work in the same industry.

Joining groups can help you stay up to date on industry news and trends, as well as connect with other professionals in your field. Look for groups that are relevant to your organization's mission and values, and actively participate in them by sharing your organization's work and engaging with other group members.

Creating and sharing content

Finally, to make the most of LinkedIn for your charitable organization, it's important to create and share content on a regular basis. This can include updates about your organization's work, industry news and insights, and other relevant content.

When creating content for LinkedIn, make sure to keep it professional and relevant to your organization's mission and values. Use images and graphics to make your content more engaging, and consider using LinkedIn's publishing platform to share longer-form content like articles or whitepapers.

Best practices for using LinkedIn

Now that you know how to get started with LinkedIn, let's take a look at some best practices for using the platform effectively.

Regularly update your organization's LinkedIn profile

To make the most of LinkedIn, it's important to keep your organization's profile up to date. This means regularly adding new projects or initiatives, updating your profile picture and description, and keeping your organization's information current.

Engage with followers and other professionals

Engagement is key to building relationships on LinkedIn. Make sure to respond to comments and messages from your followers, and actively engage with other professionals on the platform.

Share relevant content

Sharing relevant content is a great way to build your organization's brand and showcase your expertise. Look for industry news and insights that are relevant to your organization's mission and values, and share them on LinkedIn with your followers.

Utilize LinkedIn's analytics

Finally, make sure to use LinkedIn's analytics to track the performance of your organization's profile and content. This can help you understand what's working and what's not, and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Conclusion

LinkedIn is a powerful tool for charitable organizations that are looking to make a difference in the world. By using the platform effectively, you can build your organization's brand, connect with other professionals, and increase your impact.

Now that you have a better understanding of how to use LinkedIn for your charitable organization, it's time to take action. Set up a profile for your organization, start connecting with other professionals, join relevant groups, and create and share content on a regular basis.

If you're looking for more information on how to use LinkedIn effectively, check out LinkedIn's resources for non-profits and charitable organizations. You can also check out other resources like the Nonprofit Marketing Guide and the Nonprofit Times for more tips and insights.

Remember, using LinkedIn effectively takes time and effort, but the rewards can be significant. By building your organization's presence on the platform, you can reach more people, attract more donors and volunteers, and ultimately make a bigger impact in the world.

So what are you waiting for? Get started today and see how LinkedIn can help your charitable organization achieve its goals!

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