I saw a social media post that other day that made my skin crawl. The nonprofit was recruiting board members and basically decided that a “digital billboard” was the best strategy. They had a few thousand followers, which means that post could reach everyone from the 70-year old donor with the potential to make an estate gift to the 25-year old woman who only follows the page because of last year’s giveaway.

My point? Recruiting board members via social media is tricky. I’ve talked extensively about board recruitment here on the blog (see related articles at the end of this post), and yet it looks like I’ve never explicitly talked about social media strategies for recruitment.

So, let’s dive into five critical tips about using social media for board member recruitment.

Use the right social media channels 

Similar to the process of discovering which social media channels your potential donors are using and focusing your efforts there, identifying your ideal board members also requires understanding where they spend their time online. 

While there may be some overlap between your donor audience and your board member audience, you can’t necessarily rely on using the same social media channels for 100% of your marketing. (And yes, board recruitment is marketing)

The most qualified board members tend to be on LinkedIn for many nonprofits, a social media platform designed for business professionals. However, this isn’t always the case. If your ideal board member is a young professional looking for an opportunity to give back, learn about nonprofit work, or provide meaningful contributions through volunteering, you may have a better chance of finding them on Instagram or TikTok. 

If you’re looking for an older, retiree board member, they might be on Facebook or not on social media at all. (This is where your email list becomes incredibly valuable)

All this to say, using the right social media channel is critical to board recruitment, and getting this correct is your best first step. 

Share meaningful content about your current board members

When was the last time you shared a photo of a board member on your social media platforms? If board recruitment is at the top of your list, as you’re creating your content calendar, include one or two posts per month that feature a board member or board-related activity. 

This type of content doesn’t mean a boring photo of your board (pun intended) sitting around the table staring at an agenda. Instead, shine a spotlight on a particular board member who has moved your mission forward through meaningful action – recruiting others, giving beyond expectations, or someone really passionate about the work. 

Other content ideas here include:

• Board member profiles with fun facts

• Testimonials (designed as quotes) from happy board members about why they serve

• Board accomplishments like achieving 100% giving from your board

• Committee work in action tackling an upcoming project or event

Focus your social media content on your impact, not your follower numbers

Can I tell you a secret? One of my biggest pet peeves is when nonprofits use their social media to share their follower counts and post messages like “help us get to blah blah number.” Yes, I know that more followers mean that more people might see your posts. And yes, awareness is important but awareness doesn’t pay the bills.

However, those posts do nothing for your impact. They say nothing about the work you’re doing, the lives you’re changing, or the needs you have. I’m not a social media expert, so this post doesn’t include how to build your follower count. However, I’ve been around long enough to know that people want to follow accounts that inspire them, motivate them, or move them to action. 

And potential board members? They won’t be motivated to serve on your board because you have 1,000-page likes. Instead, they’ll want to see how their contribution matters, how their work as a board member could impact their own community (and family), and maybe a benefit or two of what’s in it from them. 

Explore paid campaigns

I don’t know a single social media expert right now that recommends “boosting” a post. The world of social media ads has changed dramatically in the last few years, and again, I’m not a social media expert. However, I recommend exploring paid campaigns if your other board recruitment efforts haven’t been successful. 

The caveat here - work with an expert in social media and nonprofits. The strategies for nonprofits are vastly different from those of businesses, and there are simply more factors at play. That being said, a small financial investment in paid social media ads that results in recruiting a fantastic board member is definitely worth the time and effort. 

Just like car dealerships looking for automotive digital marketing services wouldn’t turn to a nutrition expert for advice, stick with someone who knows the nonprofit world and has experience writing ad copy designed for charities. 

Guide your current board with messaging

While it might be tempting to ask your current board members to share the word about board openings, it’s also a dangerous ask. The last thing you want is Jim making a post about how “serving on the board is so easy” and “only takes an hour a month and a few meetings.” 

Controlling your messaging around your board recruitment is critical. I call this “using your board voice.” While you don’t want to necessarily script your board members, you should guide their messaging to ensure everyone accurately represents the responsibility. 

The worst thing you can do is recruit someone who expects a low commitment and quickly becomes resentful when you ask them to step up and participate in far more extensive ways. 

Come up with a few canned responses your board members can post on social media and give them your blessing to personalize them without changing the tone or message. (I have some great scripts for this inside the Nonprofit Template Library.

Final Thoughts

Recruiting board members should be a cycle, not a task that creeps up when someone’s term is about to expire. If you’re working to cultivate potential members all year long through effective messaging, taking great care of your current board members (your best ambassadors), and using the right tools to identify your ideal board members, the recruitment part will essentially take care of itself. 

Until next time,

Andrea

Related Articles:

The five things you need to know before you recruit board members for your nonprofit

How To Identify Your Ideal Board Member

How to find more board members for your nonprofit (and welcome ideas, too)

Three ways to keep your board members engaged during this time (and your number one recruiting tool for new members)