Twitter is more than just a free app that lets you stay in touch with celebrities and friends. It can be a powerful tool to spread the message regarding virtually any charitable cause. As millions of users browse through messages on a daily basis, you can potentially connect to a large number of these people without spending a single dime. You also don't need a vast collection of followers in order to have your messages noticed.
Hashtags
Hashtags are how messages become grouped within a conversation in Twitter. You can create your own or use one that is already populated. Since you only have 140 characters in twitter to share your message, it's best if you try to use the hashtag within the material itself and not afterwards. For example, "I like to drink #Coffee in the morning." would be a better use of available space than "I like to drink coffee in the morning. #coffee"
Mentions
Don't be afraid to mention a popular brand, product or company by its Twitter handle. If your comment is favorable, the operator of that account could retweet or favorite your comment which will allow others to see the material. This could quickly spread your message across the followers of that account. For instance, you can use "@CocaColaCo" within your message and possibly have your content shared among the 300,000+ followers of The Coca-Cola Company. This has great potential for starting a conversation and allowing your charity to become viral on Twitter.
Links to Your Blog
If you operate a blog for your charity, adding the link could help increase its exposure. Because Twitter is restrictive on the number of characters you can use in a single message, there are many online tools that can help you condense the link to make it fit within your message. Buffer, Ow.ly, WordPress and more can shrink those links for free. It can help create awareness of your cause while informing others of current events.
Join Conversations
An effective way to get your charity noticed is by joining other conversations. The more active your account becomes, the more interest it will generate. However, you don't want to make it look like you're advertising your charity. A casual mention of it may suffice as long as its within the topic. For instance, you don't want to advertise your charity for breast cancer awareness within the hashtag "#kidztoys" unless you're selling toys for the benefit of cancer facilities.
Don't Buy Followers
Some companies on the Internet guarantee a certain number of followers for a specific price. This is a terrible practice as not all of the followers are real people. It doesn't matter how many users follow as long as you maintain your account on a daily basis. It'll be the hashtags and mentions that will be the most productive for your charity.
Social media can put you in touch with people you never thought possible. Nearly anyone is capable of seeing your message in Twitter, and using the site wisely can help you connect with potentially thousands of individuals. People like Marc Shmuger use the service to share information with others in order to inspire and draw attention to various causes. Utilize the free tools and social sites available to you and the charity may get a considerable amount of attention regardless of its size.
This post is written by Sarah Coulsey. She is a Wife, and Mother of two boys living in New England. This post may contain affiliate links.
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