Using Automation to Boost Your Nonprofit’s Social Media Engagement

Creating quality nonprofit social media content is difficult enough, but engaging communities online is another task to add to nonprofit professionals’ endless “to-do” lists. Fortunately, many great tools can now do much of the heavy lifting, and one of them is chatbot automation.

One of the metrics social media platforms use to gauge whether or not posted content is quality is its engagement rate, meaning the number of likes, comments, and shares a post gets. The more engagement, the more the platforms’ algorithms favor that content and the more organic reach you get (meaning free, unpaid reach). And better reach also increases the chances of content going viral.

Chatbot automation is a great way to boost engagement, automate some of social media management work, and better serve the community. ManyChat is one grand, affordable tool for this.

1. Automate Community Engagement with Chatbots

One of the easiest ways to streamline your engagement is by using chatbots. Tools like ManyChat can be integrated with your nonprofit’s social media platforms, such as Facebook or Instagram, allowing you to set up automated responses to comments, direct messages (DMs), and inquiries.

How ManyChat Works:

• Keyword Triggers: You can set ManyChat to reply to users who comment with specific keywords automatically. For example, you ask followers to comment “Resources” on a post to learn how your agency can help them. A user comments “Resources”, giving your post that sweet, sweet engagement, which favors your content in the algorithm. But even better, ManyChat will instantly DM them (on your behalf) a link to your nonprofit’s resources or even deliver to their social inbox a .pdf guide where all of your resources are handily compiled in one easy document.
• Customizable Flows: You can design conversation flows that ask users questions and provide answers based on their responses, giving them a personalized experience even though it’s automated.

Example: On a Facebook post promoting an event, you could instruct users to comment “RSVP” to receive a direct link to your event registration page. Once they comment, ManyChat automatically sends them the link. In some cases, it can even gather email addresses for you from interested attendees, and integrate them into other programs, your CRM, or even something as simple as a Google Doc.

This automation saves time and ensures your followers feel heard and get timely responses, which builds trust. It also takes work off your plate and boosts your content's engagement.

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2. Automate Donations and Fundraising Campaigns

Fundraising is a core component of nonprofit operations, and chatbots can streamline the process by guiding users through the donation journey. Using automation, your chatbot can:

• Collect donations: Set up ManyChat to walk users through the donation process by providing different donation options and linking them directly to your donation page. You can even build keyword triggers around unique campaigns, such as Giving Tuesday, whereby you ask followers to comment “Tuesday” to get more information about how to donate online for this specific initiative.
• Send follow-ups: Once a donation is made, ManyChat can automatically send a thank you message and a donation receipt, ensuring timely and personalized communication without manual effort.

This hands-free system ensures that every potential donor is given immediate attention, reducing the risk of missed opportunities.

3. Boost Event Registrations and Reminders

Fundraising event promotion and management can be tricky, but automation can help by simplifying event promotion and registration. Set up ManyChat to:

• Drive event registrations: Encourage followers to comment with a keyword like “GALA,” “WALK,” or “REGISTER,” and ManyChat will automatically send them registration details or links or can send them a promotional guide to give them all the information they need about the event.
• Automate reminders: In the days before your event, you can schedule reminder messages to those who registered, ensuring high attendance without sending manual emails or follow-ups.

Automating these tasks keeps your audience engaged with minimal effort and ensures higher event participation.

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4. Automate Volunteer Recruitment

Many nonprofits rely heavily on volunteers, but finding and recruiting them can be resource-intensive. Here’s how automation can help:

• Collect volunteer applications: Automate the process of gathering volunteer interest by asking followers to comment or DM specific keywords, like “VOLUNTEER," which triggers ManyChat to guide them through an automated online application process.
• Answer FAQs: Automate responses to common questions about volunteering, such as hours, duties, and qualifications, freeing up staff time while still providing accurate information.

Automating volunteer engagement ensures that interested individuals receive timely responses, keeping them excited about opportunities and reducing the administrative burden on your staff.

5. Grow Your Newsletter Subscriber List

Email newsletters are critical for staying connected with your audience, but growing your subscriber list takes effort. With ManyChat, you can automate the collection of email addresses and integrate them directly into your customer management system (CMS). Here’s how:

• Email opt-ins: Set ManyChat to request email addresses when users engage with your content. You can even offer a free resource, like a guide or toolkit, as an incentive for signing up.
• Automatic follow-ups: Once users subscribe, ManyChat can send a welcome message and a thank you note, making the process seamless and engaging.

Building your newsletter list through automation ensures you stay connected with your audience and deliver valuable content without the hassle of manual collection and follow-up.

Related: If your nonprofit does not have a newsletter, you need one now! Here’s why.

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Repurpose Content Automatically

In addition to ManyChat, Repurpose is another powerful tool for automating your content distribution across multiple platforms. Here’s how it works:

• Cross-platform posting: Create content once and set Repurpose.io to automatically post it on multiple platforms, such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. This increases your reach without extra effort.
• Recycle old content: Repurpose.io can take your existing content and repost it automatically (even going back to old content posted months ago), helping you get more mileage out of your top-performing posts.

By automating your content distribution, you save time while maintaining a consistent presence across different channels, ensuring that your nonprofit stays top of mind for your audience.

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Final Thoughts

Automation doesn’t mean losing the human touch; it means working smarter. By incorporating tools like ManyChat and Repurpose into your social media strategy, your nonprofit can maximize community engagement while freeing up time for mission-critical work. Developing automation chatbot triggers around your content pillars can ensure that you’re also staying consistent with your social media messaging, and consistency is one of the core building blocks of a successful social media strategy.

To learn more about implementing automations and leveraging tools to achieve social media, check out the Marketing Magic Masterclass.