How do I get donations from my Facebook audience?
This question comes up all the time in my conversations with nonprofit marketers and fundraisers. Even organizations that have millions of Facebook likes still struggle to get measurable value out of Facebook.
The answer to this question has eluded many nonprofits – often to the point that most have given up hope on Facebook being a viable platform for direct response fundraising.
But the answer to this question is a lot simpler than you may have guessed. And the key to understanding it is recognizing one key fact: people don’t get on Facebook to give, they get on Facebook to get.
And what are people looking to get? Content.
So if Facebook users are only on Facebook to get content for themselves, how do we get their attention? We have to give them what they want.
A New Model for Acquiring Donors on Facebook
Over the past few years, we’ve been optimizing a model for acquiring donors from Facebook that uses 4 components: a content offer, a Facebook Ad, a landing page, and a donation page.
1. The Content Offer
First, we have to develop a content offer that meets the need of the Facebook user who is in the “getting” mindset. We have to offer them something related to our organization (like an eBook) that will be relevant and bring value to them.
2. The Facebook Ad
A content offer is nothing if it’s not being delivered to the right people. By using Facebook’s ad platform, we can target people that are most likely to become our donors and show them our offer right in their Facebook newsfeed.
3. The Landing Page
When someone clicks on our Facebook ad, they get directed to a landing page where they can fill out a form to download the offer. On this page, we must ensure that we make the perceived value of our offer outweigh the perceived cost.
4. The Donation Page
Now that user has said “yes” to our organization by filling out the content offer form, we’re in a position to make a donation ask. Rather than showing a typical form confirmation page, we can show them a strong donation ask with a form to make a gift right there. We call this the instant donation.
Aligning Each Component
We’ve tested this model with many organizations, with all sorts of different offers. Over and over again, we see nonprofits acquiring new emails and new donors – and growing their online revenue in the process. The revenue that these instant donations generate often outweighs the actual cost of the Facebook advertising.
So what does this mean for you?
You can acquire new prospects, convert new donors, and grow your online revenue simultaneously.
In order for this model to work, each component has to be working effectively and be aligned with the other components. There’s not enough room in this blog to break down how to optimize each component, but there is an eBook that does.
In the eBook, Turning Like Into Donors, you’ll learn how to:
- Develop a unique content offer
- Launch an effective Facebook ad campaign
- Design a high-converting landing page
- Make a compelling instant donation ask
Turn your Facebook likes into new donors and new revenue for your organization by downloading the free eBook, Turning Likes Into Donors.
