With LinkedIn so heavily associated in people’s minds with the for-profit world, it’s easy to overlook it as a powerful tool for promoting your nonprofit fundraising event. But in reality, using LinkedIn as a marketing tool to attract donors should be a no-brainer because so many potential donors live in the profit-making realm. Here’s how to best use LinkedIn to attract the donors you need to raise funds and make your nonprofit fundraising event a success.

Best practices for using LinkedIn as a marketing tool

When it comes to using LinkedIn as a social media marketing tool to attract donors, here are some best practices you should follow:

1. First and foremost, make sure your organization’s LinkedIn page is up-to-date and includes relevant information about your mission and the work you do. Post to it on a regular basis without long gaps of inactivity.
2. Take advantage of LinkedIn’s “company updates” feature to promote your fundraising events.
3. Ask members of your staff to update their own LinkedIn profiles and status updates to help spread the word about your event and your cause
4. Be sure to reach out personally to LinkedIn connections who you think might be interested in attending or donating to your event. Be as personal as you can, especially if you have some sort of connection with them — even a distant one.
5. Of course, always provide a clear link to your fundraising page.

Using LinkedIn groups to promote fundraising event

Another great way to use LinkedIn to promote your nonprofit fundraising event is by using LinkedIn groups. There are likely already several groups on LinkedIn dedicated to philanthropy and nonprofits in your target area. These groups can be a great way to reach potential donors who might be interested in supporting your mission.

When promoting your event in a LinkedIn group, be sure to follow the group’s rules and guidelines.

And as always, personalize your message and make it relevant to the group members.

Bonus tip: Have your staff members join these groups to help promote your event. Ask them to share stories about how fundraising has impacted their mission. Just be aware of coming across as spam. Their comments need to be personalized and relevant.

How LinkedIn can be used to reach potential donors who might not be reached through other channels

Here’s how best to use LinkedIn to reach the donors needed to make your nonprofit fundraising event a success.

1. Search for  potential donors who are likely to be interested in your event. For better search functionality, upgrade your account to LinkedIn Sales Navigator, which is far superior to LinkedIn’s free search feature. It will help you find donors that have interests that align with your organization.
2. Once you’ve found them, connect with them and start a conversation. Be sure to promote your event in your conversations and include all the relevant information, such as date, time, and location.
3. It’s also a good idea to create a LinkedIn group for your event and invite potential donors to join. This way you can continue the conversation and keep them updated on all the latest news about your fundraiser.

By following these simple steps, you’ll be able to use LinkedIn to reach potential donors who might not be reached through other channels. Fundraising on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter without using LinkedIn is going to make it harder to reach the people with the most money. That being said, don’t neglect Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter in favor of solely using LinkedIn. We recommend a multi-touch approach to attract the most donors.

Tips for creating a campaign to promote fundraising event on Linkedin

When creating a LinkedIn campaign to engage potential donors and encourage them to support your event, there are a few key things you should keep in mind.

1. Clearly identify your target audience. Make sure your campaign is relevant to your audience and includes information that will be of interest to them.
2. Create eye-catching content that will capture their attention and prompt them to take action.
3. Create engaging content that encourages people to share and react to it, which will push your post onto other people’s feeds.
4. Don’t blindly copy and paste your social media posts from other channels into LinkedIn. Something that might get laughs on Instagram may not be professional enough for your organization’s LinkedIn image. Tailor your LinkedIn content as needed.
5. And don’t forget to use LinkedIn to target sponsorship opportunities with business owners who might want to support your fundraising event.

What about running LinkedIn ads to promote your event?

LinkedIn is certainly not the cheapest social media platform for advertising, and you have to be patient when waiting for results. However, the leads you’ll get from these ads will typically be high quality.

LInkedIn ads can be a powerful way to raise awareness for your nonprofit fundraising efforts among individuals who may not be familiar with your organization. The key is to create an ad that resonates with the LinkedIn user base, which is largely made up of professionals.

When creating your ad, make sure to:

• Use eye-catching visuals
• Keep your copy short and to the point
• Focus on the impact of your fundraiser
• Include a clear call to action

Armed with these tips, use LinkedIn as your secret weapon to let the professional world know what you’re about and why they need to be a part of what you’re doing.
Are you in need of a platform that will enable you to run a more efficient and effective fundraising event? MaxGiving’s software was developed in collaboration with nonprofit executives to outpace the outdated platforms organizations have grown frustrated with and to give you the tools you need to maximize your fundraising efforts. Learn more at MaxGiving.com.