Beyond the algorithm: social media for charities

We’ve all got lots to say, but do our followers want to hear it? In this talk, we’ll share examples of how Sightsavers has used audience insight to maximise engagement and deliver stakeholder and follower-friendly social media comms.

Looking to kickstart your fundraising results on social media? In this session, Raw London will walk through a recent international fundraising campaign that drove results on social media. We’ll explore planning content across the customer journey from prospecting, retargeting and conversion, and share the creative frameworks that can help optimise your content and make your messaging land.

At StreetDoctors, we see young people as central to the solutions for reducing violence. So, co-creation runs through everything we do. In this talk, Frances will share StreetDoctors successful co-creating journey communications campaigns which started in 2020 with #ApplyPressure – a film educating young people on what to do if someone’s been stabbed. This then led them to co-create educational TikTok videos with a youth marketing agency, and most recently with LADbible to tell the story of one of our inspirational healthcare volunteers.

Balancing internal asks for social content can be tricky. In these discussions, we’ll explore how we can keep the peace between competing requests and the balance between engagement, broadcast and calls to action. We know that you – our delegates – have a wealth of experience to share with each other. Please come to these chats armed with your challenges and be prepared to help others with theirs.

Citizens Advice is using TikTok to reach new audiences and engage with younger people – a group that historically was not familiar with its services. In this talk, Eleanor will share the top tips she has learnt through using TikTok – from getting unsure stakeholders on board to how to flex a well-established brand for a new platform, plus how to get people to be in videos!

If the thought of running ads on Facebook makes you want to hide under a blanket, then this session will help! Facebook ads give you the opportunity to reach your perfect supporters, donors and fundraisers, quickly and cost-effectively. Right now, Facebook is making A LOT of changes to its ads system in reaction to Apple’s tracking technology updates. In this session, there will be practical advice on what you can do to get started and to make your account ready for this. You’ll leave with hints and tips to help your Facebook ads perform as well as they can for your cause.

With the rise of Clubhouse, Twitter Spaces, Facebook’s live audio rooms and even Spotify’s greenroom, social audio is one of the biggest trends right now. In this talk, we’ll explore how social media managers can start navigating these exciting new spaces.

With the success of TikTok, the abundance of UGC-content and the rise of short, snackable videos in 2021 – the way we tell stories has changed. In this talk, Courtney will share how Childline has adapted its social media content to tell authentic stories, plus hear her top tips for creating social-first storytelling.

Likes. Shares. Mentions. Followers. Reach. Our social channels provide us with lots of data – but what does it all mean? In this talk, Dan and Rebecca will explore how we can best measure our efforts on social media, going beyond the vanity metrics. But more importantly, they will cover what controls each of these key metrics, how algorithms affect your ability to grow and scale; and what you can do to maximise the value you receive from social.

In her talk, Abbie will walk us through how she conducted an extensive audit of the British Veterinary Association’s social media channels (including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn). She will share advice on how to audit channels, the tools you can use, what metrics to look out for, setting KPIs, and how to use this data to establish a strategy. She will also talk about how her charity has been tackling changes to algorithms.

We know that you – our delegates – have a wealth of experience to share with each other. Please come to these chats armed with your measurement challenges and be prepared to help others with theirs too.

As social media managers we face many challenges, from dealing with trolls and abuse to handling PR crisis situations and managing our own mental health and wellbeing in the midst of it all. In this panel discussion, our guests will talk about their own experience and offer advice for dealing with the dark side of social.

In this talk, we will hear some of the ways you can make your content on social media more accessible, from using image descriptions to checking the contrast of your text. Now more than ever, ensuring your work can be understood by everyone should be an essential part of all communications. Natasha will share her thoughts on how the social media team at Sightsavers creates accessible content.

Charities Against Hate is a group of charities working together to combat hate speech on social media and make online spaces more equitable and safer for everyone. Over the past year, they have created a range of guides and resources to support charity staff and their wider communities in tackling online hate. Sarah outlines some ideas and recommendations for best practice in ethical digital marketing and communications for the third sector.

Last month, Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri, announced the social network’s plans to start showing users full-screen, recommended videos in feeds. In her talk, Justine will outline some of the changes we can expect to see, what they might mean for marketeers and the reasons for why they are happening. She will also explore the benefits to charities and some pointers to help you prepare and approach the new developments.

Whether you’re managing a team or you’re a sole comms professional taking care of your mental health is essential. The added pressure of a global pandemic, additional caring responsibilities and financial worries has taken its toll on the charity sector – how do you ensure you’re protecting yourself, your colleagues and volunteers? 

Chris O’Sullivan discusses Zooming through burnout and barrier – protecting your mental health as a comms team, and Alana Genge shared 5 ways to wellbeing. 

These talks were filmed at CharityComms Scotland Network event in March 2021, but the content is relevant to anyone working in comms throughout the UK.