Whether it’s increasing awareness of your mission or organization, garnering more volunteer support or raising funds to sustain programming, establishing a digital presence is key in today’s landscape. And while there are myriad social media platforms available to help promote your work with PAL youth and the community at large, sometimes it can be overwhelming trying to decide how best to utilize them all.
Create Connections That Matter
“Social media isn’t just great for brand awareness,” says Tom Strader of our social media support team. “It also gives organizations an effective platform to share upcoming events, relevant updates, inspiring stories and more with their members.”
Social media has quickly become one of the most effective ways for nonprofits to reach audiences and build relationships that are important for their organizational success.
“The goal with social media is to create a dialogue, not just share information. The ideal situation would be for the community of supporters and advocates to interact on their own—sharing stories, experiences and opinions related to your organization that help build relationships over time.”
Social media is a powerful tool that can be used to reach, engage and grow your PAL audience. Here are some tips for making the most of it.
By using social media effectively, your Police Activity League can build relationships with supporters, increase visibility and reach new audiences.
How to Use Social Media in Your Police Activity League
When using social media effectively, your organization’s goal should be to build relationships with supporters, increase visibility and reach new audiences.
Social media has become an essential tool for organizations—including Police Activity Leagues—to reach, engage and activate their audiences.
But leveraging social media involves more than just creating a few profiles on popular platforms like Facebook or Twitter—it requires careful planning, the right strategy and ongoing effort to get results.
5 Tips for Using Social Media in Your PAL
So if you’re looking to connect with PAL supporters in a meaningful way online, here are some tips on how best utilize social networks.
Choose the Right Platforms
You and your peers may be on LinkedIn, but is it where your parents are? What about your donors? Reaching these unique stakeholder audiences can be challenging for a small organization with limited resources.
In some communities, Facebook may be the most important. In others, it could be Instagram or TikTok. Ask your current parents, they’ll be the best ones to answer this question.
Not all social networks are created equal.
Know Your Audience: Be Concise
When crafting posts geared towards specifically engaging those interested in law enforcement activities or community service initiatives, make sure the messages are impactful yet concise.
At the same time, clear calls-to-action in posts—whether that’s an invitation to a PAL event or encouraging people to become volunteers—can help increase conversion rates.
Consider Videos or Photos: Get creative!
Consider creating videos featuring actual PAL participants actively engaged in activities related to police activity leagues as well as promoting special events like fundraisers or volunteer opportunities.
Photos can also be great for building and maintaining an audience on social media, especially if they are of real people or activities.
Images and videos have the power to evoke emotion which can be an effective way of connecting with your supporters. So consider adding visual elements to posts in order to make them more interesting, shareable and relevant.
Don’t Overpost: Quality > Quantity
It can be tempting to post too frequently, but doing so will only lead to decreased engagement and followers. Too many posts all at once can overwhelm your audience.
Instead, focus on quality over quantity and be sure to post when you have something important or relevant to share. This can help keep followers engaged as well as make for a better user experience overall.
Stay Positive & Authentic: Showcase success stories
Make sure your accounts are regularly updated with positive yet meaningful content about activities within your Police Activity League, as well as any successes by members of said organization. A great way to do this is through showcasing user generated content and testimonials from those involved!
These types of posts can be incredibly useful for showcasing the work your organization is doing and conveying impact, plus they provide third-party validation which helps you gain new followers who are interested in similar causes.
“It’s important to stay positive and authentic when engaging with your audience,” explains social media consultant Angela Watson, a member of the PALPartner social media team. Angela previously led social media for one of the nation’s largest nonprofit youth organizations.
Social media can be a great source of feedback from your network, so use it wisely.
Engagement > Blasts
Engaging on social media doesn’t just mean pushing out information; conversation matters.
So be sure to take the time to comment, reply and share content from your supporters. When people write in or comment on your post, take the time to acknowledge them and educate yourself by reading their comments.
Doing this will encourage engagement on your organization’s posts as well as help build a sense of community amongst those interested in Police Activity League activities.
Next Steps for Your PAL
Social media allows organizations to connect with their target audience in real-time and reach new people, deepen connections with current followers and strengthen relationships for better visibility.
Through digital engagement, nonprofits can build relationships with their members and help increase awareness of their programs and mission.
As PALs and other nonprofits strive to engage new volunteers, donors and supporters online, understanding how to use social media strategically can be critical for success.
Additional Resources:
- Learn more about how PALPartner supports PALs across the nation.
- Explore ways of improving your PAL website and get a better understanding of how PALs are benefitting from a good website.
