Part of the fun of social media is its ever-changing nature. Keeping on top of trends can be tricky, and that’s where we come in. By now we all know what hashtags are and how to use them properly, but what are the best nonprofit hashtags? True to social media’s evolving nature, there are no exact answers to this question, but I can give you some solid winners to incorporate into your social media strategy. (And by winners, I mean hashtags that consistently reach a large number of social media users.) Here are the top 10 nonprofit hashtags to spark social good.
After running about fifty different hashtags based on top ranking nonprofit hashtag lists through Keyhole (a free social media analytics resource) for April 20-27, 2015, the following hashtags yielded the highest amount of reach. It’s important to note that due to Twitter’s most recent search algorithm update, you no longer have to hashtag these keywords in order for them to show up in searches.
1. #volunteer
Managing volunteers and calling up new ones is hard enough without highlighting contributions from your nonprofit’s helpers. Spotlight the good work of your nonprofit volunteers with this hashtag. You can also use it to publicize opportunities for supporters to get more active in your organization.
2. #causes
This somewhat general hashtag can be utilized in many forms. Calls to action, sharing beneficiaries’ stories and general announcements from your nonprofit’s marketing team would be well-matched with this versatile hashtag.
3. #donate
This hashtag dramatically outperformed its related hashtag of “donors”—it pays to do a little research before composing social media posts. Use this hashtag when making calls to support your NPO financially, or when asking for support of other causes.
4. #change
While this one is quite general, it can be smart to incorporate wide-sweeping hashtags to reach a broader audience.
5. #activism
Nonprofit organizations aren’t the only ones on Twitter to use this popular hashtag. Many individuals add #activism to tweets with comments on current events. Include it in yours when appropriate to join the conversation.
6. #nonprofit
This term might be wise to incorporate into your post, not as a hashtag, but in the context of the post.
7. #dogood
#DoGood is a more recently popularized hashtag. Utilize this when showcasing how your nonprofit is helping the world.
8. #charity
Use this hashtag when making general remarks on your nonprofit organization or highlighting another charity whose cause you support.
9. #fundraising
Add this hashtag to your nonprofit’s tweets about upcoming fundraising events or other donation opportunities. We also like the idea of thanking donors who have a Twitter account with this hashtag.
10. #philanthropy
Use this hashtag when promoting general news around your nonprofit organization.
Bonus! 11. #SocialGood
Mashable created this hashtag along with the Summer of Social Good. It’s a general hashtag appropriate in tweets related to the intersection of philanthropy and social media.
Your nonprofit’s social media strategy will be bolstered by a relevant Twitter feed that’s engaging and, above all, conversational.
Are there any other hashtags you’ve had success with recently that I missed? Let me know in the comments.
If you’re looking for more info on hashtags you should use every week, check out this post.