Don’t miss the Snap, Non-Profits!

President Obama delivered his final State of the Union (SOTU) earlier this month and I found myself laying in my bed watching bits and pieces of the SOTU via Snapchat. It really got me thinking, if the White House, with all the risk and private/confidential information it has, can be on Snapchat, what is your excuse?

Before we move on, let’s make three things very clear: (1) The White House has resources that most companies & non-profit organizations don’t, (2) most people underestimate the effort and creativity it takes to do well on Snapchat, and (3) even digital marketing “experts” are unsure about Snapchat strategies.

For this piece, lets focus on non-profit organizations.

What is Snapchat? Pocket-Lint did an incredible article explaining Snapchat. Read it here (Watch Casey’s video and you’ll be solid to get through this article!)

You may think that Snapchat is only for young people and you are right, for now. Remember when you told yourself, “I would never get the Facebook, it’s for college students”? What about Instagram? Social media platform trends upwards in age and it’s only a matter of time when baby boomers will be using Snapchat. As Social Media guru Gary Vaynerchuk said, “You weren’t born knowing how to drive, you learned how to drive; so you don’t know it yet, but you’ll learn snapchat too”

So, what can Snapchat do for your non-profit? A lot.

First – Let’s talk about donors. Through Snapchat, donors can subscribe to the development of a cause they care about. Even when it’s the executive director giving a 10-second update about the project, Snapchat allows for an intimate 1 on 1 interaction between the non-profit and it’s supporters. There’s nothing like seeing your money in action through a first person point-of-view. This helps donors get more emotionally attached to the cause.

Second – Snapchat’s casual and fun persona makes a serious non-profit a little more relaxed. While many are used to professional, formal, and well-thought out marketing messages, a raw and unpolished view of the organization will open doors for intimate relationship building.

Third – Growing your Facebook audience is like growing within your own demographics. Just ask any teenager how much time they spend on Facebook vs. Snapchat/Instagram? If every 13-year-old to 25-year-old is spending most of their time on Snapchat, some of their time on Instagram, and bare minimum on Facebook, you should at least mirror the allocation of time and resources so your work is being discovered.

Fourth – Don’t make the mistake of closing too early. Many non-profit organizations tend to make the ask too early. Keep in mind that the people responding to your pitch are not computers, they are humans. Treat social media like a cocktail party – spend time building a conversation, giving value, giving more value, and when it feels right, make the ask – and do it nicely. Give your audience a chance to hear you out, tell a good story, an intimate story (using Snapchat).

Lastly, It’s really cliche but have FUN! Check out this Snapchat campaign by DoSomething.org

When changing the world, don’t forget to have some fun, laugh till you cry, and cringe a little. Snap away!