So much has changed since March. Households, essential workers, small and large businesses have all experienced major shifts as everyone makes adjustments to the “new normal” brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. As reality sets in and states and local communities try to find a way to safely reopen to the public, we have seen requests for assistance on social media from local businesses. Some of social media’s major players have rolled out or ramped up their donation and fundraising efforts to help those impacted by the coronavirus. These are great features to use if you are wanting to find a way to support and give back to the community using social media.
Instagram Story Donation Stickers
Originally launched in May 2019, the Instagram Stories Donation Sticker has seen a lot of use since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only can you support the major nonprofits responding to COVID-19 like the CDC Foundation or the United Nations Foundation, but you can support local nonprofit organizations by simply searching for their name in the Donation Sticker search box and including them in an Instagram Story. All nonprofits receive 100% of the money raised as part of these donations.
We have seen social media influencers and local businesses use their platforms to support nonprofit organizations in their communities. With large audiences and loyal followers, placing a Donation Sticker on your brand’s Instagram Story and tagging the nonprofit you want to support is an incredible way to raise awareness and support your community. Provide a backstory as to why you are choosing to support the nonprofit, post a reminder about the Donation Sticker within the 24 hours that your Story is available and share with your followers how much was raised at the end of the 24 hours. This type of engagement will encourage followers to get involved.
TikTok Donation Stickers
Last week, TikTok rolled out their new Donation Stickers. The, “new in-app feature offers creators a way to help raise funds within their videos and TikTok LIVE streams for the charities and causes they care most about.” Just like the other creative effects that users can embed into their videos, the Donation Sticker is interactive and can be easily added to content. Viewers can make a donation via a pop-up window without leaving the app. To kick off their newest feature, TikTok announced that they will be matching donations made through the new Donation Stickers until May 27th.
While TikTok doesn’t have as many nonprofits registered under their Donation Stickers as Instagram and Facebook’s donation platforms, the charitable partners they have chosen to support can still do good in your community.
Facebook Fundraisers
Facebook’s Fundraisers feature supports fundraisers for non-profit organizations as well as personal causes. The personal cause fundraising feature has been really helpful for small and local businesses that have closed due to COVID-19. With rent due, wholesalers to pay and employee benefits to keep, small businesses have really felt the fiscal impacts.
Local restaurants and other small businesses that don’t have the ability to work from home have created fundraisers to help support their staff through these trying times. If you see a local business that has started a fundraiser, you can support by donating and sharing to your brand’s Facebook page. The more people that see the fundraiser, the more support they are likely to receive.
Using Your Platform For Good
A few weeks ago, we shared Ways to Help Support Local Businesses During the Coronavirus. We compiled lots of great ways that you can use your social media platform to support local businesses. You can also use your platform to give back to the community, whether that means simply sharing another business’ fundraiser to your brand’s page or asking your followers to show their support by donating to your community’s local food bank or homeless shelter.
Due to the recent economic hardships surrounding COVID-19, the “global generosity movement” that has come to be known as Giving Tuesday, which always takes place the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, has created a new global day of giving called Giving Tuesday Now. Now is the time to support, unite and give back to our communities. The ways to support your community are endless and no act is too small to make a difference.
