This resource is part of our Communications Toolkit for Civic & Nonprofit Tech.
Finding information online about how to create social media posts can be like drinking from the proverbial firehose. We have selected a few resources we’ve found useful when we’re making posts for social media. These resources are current as of fall 2024, when this toolkit was published; we’ll do our best to keep them up to date.
Assessing your social media needs
Audience definition
- Our pick for beginners: Persona builder, by Okthanks
- Audience persona template, by Superbloom (Miro)
- Behavioral persona exercise, by Miro team (Miro)
- User persona template, by Figma (Figjam)
Competitive analysis
Writing text
- 30 headline formulas for tweets, posts, articles, and emails, by Buffer
- 71 techniques for social media updates, by Buffer
- Template: Social media text (Google Docs)
Creating images
- Template: Social media posts, by Superbloom (Miro)
- Social media image size guide, by Brandwatch
- If you’re tempted to use generative AI for your social media posts, our advice is: nope. Here’s why.
Planning and scheduling
- Scheduling social media content, by Buffer
- Template: Social media calendar, by Superbloom (Google Sheets)
Guidance for specific platforms
- Best practices for growth on Instagram, by HootSuite
- Creating successful posts on Instagram, by Instagram, naturally
General social media guidance
- Why nonprofits need a values-based approach to social media, by Keidra Chaney for Nonprofit Quarterly
- 10 social media tips for nonprofits, by United Nations Development Programme
- Content creation strategy, by HootSuite
Fundraising on social media
- Social media stats for nonprofits 2024, by Nonprofit Tech for Good
- The ultimate social media guide to nonprofit giving tools, by Societ
Does social media feel like a lot to take in? Orient yourself by giving your community and other stakeholders the opportunity to guide you. Ask them what platforms are most meaningful to them and why. If your loyal boosters like staying caught up on LinkedIn, posting your updates on GitHub may not be reaching as many people as you’d like to!
This toolkit was developed with the support of the Open Technology Fund Learning Lab. Got feedback? Want to work together? Please write to us at [email protected].