Social media presents a low-cost alternative to more expensive traditional marketing methods. However a new report titled The State of Social Media Use in Australian Non Profit Organisations reveals that Australian not-for-profit (NFP) organisations haven’t ventured very far into social media, and those that have aren’t using it in a way that maximises their return on investment.

Platforms

The report analyses the social media usage habits of approximately 600 Australian NFP organisations. It was found that 97 per cent have a website but only 32 per cent have Linkedin, 31 per cent have Facebook, 23 per cent have YouTube and 22 per cent have Twitter.

Usage

Facebook had the highest number of fans/followers compared to other social media platforms, recording an average of 2,538 fans compared to an average of 576 followers on Twitter and an average of 149 followers on Google+.

However, NFP organisations that use Facebook reportedly only make an average of three posts per week, compared with an average of eight on Twitter and 16 on Google+.

Customisation

Twitter and YouTube were the most customised platforms by NFP organisations, with 48 per cent aligning the platform with their branding on Twitter and 47 per cent doing so on YouTube. Only 32 per cent of NFP Facebook users customise their page.

Unfortunately the opportunity to integrate social media across other platforms such as websites is commonly being missed, with only 15 per cent of NFP organisations integrating YouTube and twelve per cent integrating Twitter.

This is surprising considering the valuable cross-promotional marketing that this provides.

The report concluded that although social media has a relatively strong presence within Australia’s third sector, NFP organisations need to identify how to target certain demographics and best connect with relevant end users to achieve greater marketing success.

Abandonment rate

The report measured social media platforms that NFP organisations no longer use. Blogs recorded the highest dropout rate, clocking in at 31 per cent, while 20 per cent of users abandoned YouTube and 14 per cent stopped using Google+. The report attributes the work required to set up and the time, resources and skill and bandwidth necessary for YouTube as key factors in their abandonment.