It has become a case of the survival of the fittest for nonprofit organizations in the twenty-first century, but it is not a case of working harder: you have to work smarter. One of the smartest things a nonprofit can do is to have a Facebook Page.

Social networking facts (Adults over 15 years):

312 million people in the US are internet users
274 million people in the US are mobile internet users
243 million are social networkers
9 out of 10 social networkers connect via their phones
Facebook, MixIt, LinkedIn, and Twitter are the most popular social networking services

International Facebook facts:

More than 200 million active users
More than 100 million users log on to Facebook at least once each day
More than two-thirds of Facebook users are over 25
The fastest-growing demographic are people over 35
Users spend more than 4 billion minutes on Facebook daily

Here are 10 reasons why your nonprofit should have a Facebook Page

Promote your logo

Use the logo of your non-profit as your Facebook Page picture and develop recognition of your logo. Using your logo on social media raises the profile of your logo and people will spot it more easily amongst all the logos that they see. They will come to associate your logo with the work that you do, thereby building your brand.

Gain a public showcase

A Facebook Page allows you to showcase what you are doing in your organization, and you can show your activities using photographs. People are highly visually literate and studies show that photographs attract twice as much attention as text. You can also showcase your work on video which is a far more exciting visual medium. Videos are 12 times more likely to be shared with others than photographs and text combined.

Talk to the world

Allow Facebook to provide you with a voice. Engage in conversations with people outside of your normal sphere of operation, build relationships with other organizations, similar organizations and individuals.

Listen to the world

Too often we forget to listen to others, including those who need or use our services. Use your Facebook Page to ask for comments, suggestions, advice, and stories about how other organizations tackle specific issues. Listen to what the world has to say. You may be surprised at how willing Facebook users are to share knowledge and experience that could be valuable to your organization.

Transcend the here and now

You can cast your net for supporters, and even donors, far wider than is possible with traditional methods of promoting your cause. Facebook is accessed by millions of people worldwide twenty-four hours a day. Your Facebook page will connect you to people in almost every country in the world as you leapfrog the limitations of time and place

Educate the public

Every nonprofit has to educate the public about its mission and the reasons for its existence. On Facebook, you can provide short, snappy bites of information about your cause while providing links to blogs that offer more in-depth presentations and analyses of the situation. Use Facebook to educate the public about new legislation and provide links to the legislation for those who wish to read further.

Make the world a happier place

The world has sufficient short-term traumatic incidents to provide doom and gloom. Happy stories and funny stories are rapidly shared. Show that you are making the world a better, happier place, and share stories of success. These success stories are especially important for your donors who want to know that their money has been well-spent. Relate your “bloopers” and give people a smile – they will share your story, thereby extending awareness of your organization.

RSVP

Promote awareness of events. Post general invitations to functions to your readers. People who would not ordinarily have known about such events may attend and swell numbers, takings at the door or refreshments table, etc. Attendance at a nonprofit function provides you with an opportunity to engage with people face-to-face which, in turn, can turn people into active supporters of your organization.

Create transparency

Use your Facebook Page to inform the public about those who work in your organization and those who are helped by the organization. Provide a human face rather than simply an organizational body. Share your history and welcome new members to your organization.

Size matters

Facebook is one of the largest user websites in the world with 1.11 billion users by early 2013. If you are not on Facebook, you are not in tune with the world in which we live. It may well be assumed that if your organization is not up-to-date with the most important social media, the work that you are doing is probably not relevant to today’s society.

10 Reasons your Nonprofit Organization should have a Facebook Page