For many organisations, the words ‘technology’ and ‘digital’ can be scary ones, but they need to get over their fears and join the modern age! I’m not saying every organisation needs a digital team managing five social media platforms, creating Vines and developing interactive resources, but they do need to be present in the digital world which can take many forms depending on the organisation’s needs.
Then, there is always the question of resources. Having a digital presence and taking advantage of technology can be expensive, but the internet gives us endless free tools and, as charities, we can get even more – we just need to invest time and effort to find them. Below are some tips and useful tools to make the most of the digital space to generate the engagement we need, which is what it’s all about.
Be visual. With so much information, we need to cut through the clutter. Posts with relevant images get 94% more views than those without. So if you’re tweeting always leave some characters for an image.
- You can get fantastic copy right free photos from unsplash – they are “free (do whatever you want) high-resolution photos.”
- Create infographics. These are great to show the impact of your work. Sites like Piktochart give you free templates which are quite easy to edit.
- Icons are perfect to bring simple graphics to live. This website gives you loads of icons for free! (Don’t forget to check if you need to credit the author).
Be automated. Although the digital world seems complicated, there are many tools created to make your life easier. You don’t need to be online all the time tweeting and updating posts, or manually sending hundreds of emails.
- Online systems such as MailChimp help you reach your audiences, track their responses and test different messages for free. There are paid options, but I’d recommend doing the free version first and, only if you really need to, you can pay for the premium account at a later date –we find the free version works well enough!
- If you manage many social media accounts, Hootsuite should be on your radar. Their free version lets you manage multiple accounts across platforms, schedule posts and engage with your audiences. It can look a bit scary at first, but it’s harmless and very useful.
Be smart. Take advantage of your charitable status. Always ask if there is a charity discount – you have nothing to lose.
- AdWords is a big one. Charities can apply for Google Grants, which give you in kind advertising. The application process is not the simplest and the setup can be very daunting, but if you have the time to invest in it or have a very tech savvy and enthusiastic team member, it can really make a difference to your web traffic and engagement.
- If you really need to have design software and the Open source (free) option is not enough, charities are eligible for much cheaper Adobe licences. This needs training, but if you know the basics, check online tutorials to learn more.
- Advice is always free. Whether it is Google, a colleague or a LinkedIn group, always ask. It is very unlikely you’re the first person facing a particular issue and the charity community is always up for helping each other.
Truth be told, nothing is for free. The time and effort we put into things –especially at the start – should always be accounted for, but these tools do help to make things easier and, more likely than not, better.