Have you ever heard that saying “Clear as mud?” You know, when you’re trying to explain something to someone, and you realize you’ve taken something that was simple and overcomplicated it? 

Sometimes that’s what happens with Facebook and Instagram posts.  You’re afraid you might only have this one chance to tell them about your nonprofit organization, so you tell them everything!  But in this crazy, busy, distracting world we live in, it’s more important than ever to give people little bite sized pieces of information on Facebook and Instagram.

In today’s episode, we’re talking about how to create those little bite sized pieces of information. By keeping things crystal clear, your followers can understand what you’re saying to them and have a good feeling about your nonprofit organization.  Then as they get to know, like and trust you, they will keep coming back for more.

This is a skill, and if you practice it, you’ll be amazed at the crowd you’ll begin to attract with your Facebook and Instagram posts. You have to remember two things about your people on social media:

1. Your Facebook and Instagram audiences’ attention span is short. You have SECONDS to make an impression on someone on social media, and if they don’t understand what you’re saying right off the bat, they’ll just scroll on by to the next thing they see on Facebook and Instagram.
2. They don’t know your nonprofit organization like you do. You might know every single detail about your nonprofit organization and how great your mission is. Seeing your organization’s Facebook and Instagram post might be the first time someone has ever heard of you, so get straight to the point with a bite sized message.

Here are four easy, doable tips to help you create ULTRA CRYSTAL CLEAR messages:

1. Focus on ONE TOPIC per post.Knowing your brand helps you be clear when you talk about your nonprofit organization. In Episode 4, there is a fun quiz to help you figure out what the 3 – 5 most important things your nonprofit does. Once you identified those, then you can make those things into little bite sized pieces of information for posts.
2. Keep your posts simple. Try to give your audience a sip of water, not a drink from a firehose. You can do this by using the outline that WORKS!  Every post should have a picture, a caption and a call to action.  A picture can be an actual picture you have permission to use. A caption is 1-2 sentences with the main point of your post.  A call to action is when you tell your audience to call your phone number, or visit your website and you include the link. 
3. Pretend you’re new in town. Don’t assume your audience knows anything about you. Talk to them like this is the first time they’re meeting you. Focus on keeping your posts simple and to one topic, and they will be able to learn about you a little at a time instead of just scrolling by because there is too much to read.
4. Give only the “Need to know” information. I know you might be tempted to share lots of information because you think it might help someone make up their mind, but if they don’t even read your message because you’ve overloaded it with details, then what’s the point? 

So there you have it, four things you can do today to help your message be crystal clear. Focus on one topic per post, keep it simple, pretend like you’re new in town and give only the “need to know” info.

If you apply these four things to everything in your nonprofit – your website, your emails, your events, all your different kinds of advertising, your social media, you will be amazed at how much of an impact you can have. Your words will have more impact because you removed all the clutter!

Over time, your messages will bring new people to your nonprofit.  Keep showing up with clear messages and consistently.

And always keep in mind WHY YOU ARE DOING THIS! It’s easy to get bogged down in the day to day stuff, but always remember your WHY. You are making a difference in the world. A big difference is the culmination of a lot of little steps. 

So take that next little step today and make your message clear so your audience can understand you! 

Remember to check out the free tools we have on NonprofitPotential.com like the FREE GUIDE that breaks down into easy-to-understand steps What makes a good Facebook and Instagram Post

I’d love to be friends and learn about what kind of nonprofit organization you work with so I can give you a shout out and use examples that apply to your situation – so keep in touch on Facebook and Instagram, just search for me under Nonprofit Potential.

Links mentioned in this episode: Episode 4: NonprofitPotential.com/4

Episode 7: NonprofitPotential.com/7

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If links are not visible in your podcast app, visit the Episode Webpage and Show Notes at https://nonprofitpotential.com/14