3 Tips for Building Trust with Donors Virtually
Building trust with donors can be difficult in today’s world. With so much fundraising interaction occurring online, we interact with thousands of people but often don’t build trust in these interactions. When you are working to build an online donor community, trust is still a key feature even though it is hard to build. With this in mind, we want to offer three tips to help you develop meaningful relationships with your audience and turn them into donors.
Be authentic
More simply put, connect with your audience’s humanity. Don’t treat users like numbers to increase and gather in, but rather treat your connections like you would in person. We all recognize that it would be rude to listen to someone speak to you and then just turn away and ignore them. Reply to your comments, interact with other users, like their content when appropriate. These actions accomplish two things. They remind users that you are there and doing good work, but they also show a level of care and connection.
Additionally, when you create content, create it with that authenticity in mind. Share who is on your team, what you are doing, and testimonials of your work. Feature your volunteers and members. They are key features of your nonprofit. Sharing a day in the office, a day in the life of a staff member, or a volunteer of the month, are all authentic ways to connect with viewers and build trust based on shared humanity. Viewers love storytelling and connect with it to a greater degree than other forms of content. This strategy is not just for building trust for donors but it also increases your likelihood of turning online donors into engaged supporters who will share your work, volunteer, or become members.
Stick with it
If you have spent any time working to grow your social media following, you have likely learned that it does not happen overnight and it does not happen with a single post. Building relationships online, especially ones built on trust, takes time. Don’t expect donors to suddenly appear in large numbers. Be consistent when applying your strategies in order to develop trust with donors. Spread those stories we discussed in the last point consistently and broadly. Don’t limit yourself to a single platform or channel. Maybe a video you created is quite long and fits better on a video-sharing platform. Cut out highlights and share them on Instagram or Facebook. Make sure to take advantage of the myriad opportunities for sharing content and reaching different audiences. Furthermore, different audiences trust different platforms differently. Some users feel that they can better connect or are more comfortable connecting on certain social media platforms. By making your content available across many platforms, you can more effectively reach different audiences and build trust with them in a more effective way. Take the stories you build based on authenticity and share them consistently in order to get users to remember your message and take notice of your mission. This strategy is predicated on dedication and consistency, so be patient and stick with it.
Share a positive message
This strategy follows from the idea of telling stories in some ways but gets at what often makes stories resonate. Positivity is something that is often lacking on social media. Invite your audience to witness and partake in your uplifting work. Focus your message on the community your organization is building and emphasize your vision for a better world. Finally, remember that these followers and viewers are supporting your mission. In light of that, show thanks. Don’t take their support for granted. This brings us back to our focus on humanity. People are donating much more than their money. They are giving their time and support to your cause, and your virtual presence should always take the opportunity to acknowledge your donors and supporters. By sharing a positive message, your organization will be sharing a message that will resonate with many viewers because it cuts through much of the negativity of social media and connects with people, not just “followers.”
Building a social media following is difficult. Even more difficult is building trust with your online donors. Nevertheless, it is the right way to do it. While building that community is difficult, it surely is not impossible, and with the right strategies, hard work, and consistency, your organization can build a following of donors that you connect with on a level different than just clicks and likes. In a virtual world, making human connections is challenging but all the more appreciated by donors and nonprofits alike. Try out these strategies to improve your fundraising and drive your mission forward.
NMBL Strategies has worked with nonprofits for years, helping in some of the greatest nonprofit developments of the previous 20+ years. In that time, we’ve raised more than $100 million, developed millions of dollars more in earned income, and most importantly, developed the strategies and insights behind these efforts. Let us bring that experience to your nonprofit today and ensure your financial future is in good hands.
