The more people “like” your nonprofit organization on Facebook, the more credibility you have. The more credibility you have, the more trust you can build. Plus, every update you post provides additional opportunities to stay in front of your fans and spread your message, ask for volunteers or promote events.

Sounds simple enough—but, how do you increase your Facebook “likes?” That’s pretty simple, too, if you follow a few tips.

Ask: A little too simple, perhaps, but you will gain new followers by simply asking for them. Post a “looking for new likes” message on  your organization’s page, and ask current fans to share it on their own timelines.

Give Away a Prize: Do you know local restaurants, cupcake shops, hardware stores or grocers that would be willing to provide gift certificates for a prize drawing? Promote their business and your cause by offering a gift card at different levels: for every 25 new likes, all your fans will be entered in a different drawing.

Partner Up: Think about the businesses that support your nonprofit, and how you can help each other gain more likes. For example, the business can offer to make a donation to your organization for every 25 or 50 new likes it receives, while you can promote the business on your Facebook page. Ask their fans to like your page, too.

Engage: Don’t just post and forget about your followers. Respond to their questions and comments. That’s what the “social” in social media is all about.

Tag, You’re It: You can tag businesses or individuals in your posts by using the @sign before their name. When you do, it alerts the person or company that they’ve been tagged. They may share your post, or “like” it, which puts it on their timeline—where your organization will now be seen by all of their fans. Depending on the company, a mention like this could be worth hundreds or thousands of impressions.

Follow these tips to increase your Facebook followers, boost your credibility and expand your reach—in just a few minutes of your time.

Tags: Social Media for Non Profits

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