Social Media Report for NCHI

SummaryWe looked at New Chauncey Housing Inc.’s Facebook page and analyzed the posts for the past year in order to perform a social media audit. The data we collected came from posts starting on September 1, 2016 up to September 14, 2017. We looked at 108 posts between those dates, recording what kind of content it contained, how many people reacted to it, how many times it was shared and the amount of comments as well as who replied to them. Each post was categorized based on the overall content (photos, links, videos, events).

Category BreakdownCategories for type of post included: fundraiser, fun, information, purchase, thank you, tag sale and shared. The category of purchase includes all the posts related to house purchases and sales. Information posts are anything that informs followers about the company such as Facebook profile pictures or contact information. Fun category is for the posts of non-NCHI events or activities. The category of “thank you” contains posts that thank the donors and those who participated in events.

The chart illustrates the percentage of each category post that NCHI’s Facebook page used in the past year. The majority of posts were dedicated to fundraisers with 57.9% while purchases were given the least amount of attention with 1.9% of the total posts.

AudienceIt is unclear who NCHI is trying to reach through their Facebook page. After speaking with our clients we learned their goal is to target lower income families, the Purdue community, and students in the West Lafayette area. They have a specific audience in mind that their page does not currently reflect.

Writing StyleThere are no posts where there is just text. Every post had text plus some kind of visual media, except for videos that they shared from other pages. The writing style is very informative and straightforward and exclamation points are used excessively. Overall, the tone lacks a clear personality. The text did not always add to the images. A few of the posts had too much text on them, while others had too little.

Reactions and SharesThe posts with the most reactions were houses for sale (purchases) on August 14 and 30, 2017, and on December 29, 2016.

● August 14, 2017: 33 reactions● August 30, 2017: 19 reactions● December 29, 2016: 19 reactions

The posts with the least reactions were shared posts on February 3, 2017, April 14, 2017, and June 16, 2017. These posts all had 0 reactions.

The posts with the most shares were houses for sale (purchases) and fundraisers on August 14, 2017, March 31, 2017, and several tied with 3 shares.

● August 14, 2017: 15 shares● March 31, 2017: 4 shares● February 8, 2017 (etc.): 3 shares

Several posts, from all categories, received 0 shares.

Frequency of PostsFebruary, March and April 2017 are the three months with the most posts in each month.There is not a consistent day of the week or time for posts, however, the posts for February-April 2017 were mostly about fundraising.

● February, 2017: 19 posts● March, 2017: 30 posts● April, 2017: 17 posts

In contrast, July 2017 only had 1 post for the whole month and November 2016 had 2 posts in total.

CommentsMost of the posts don’t have comments or replies. For the year we looked at, the NCHI page only had 21 comments total. NCHI replied a total of five times for the year. They did not tag anyone in their posts, and there was a lack engagement with followers.

Current Working Strategies While performing our audit, we noticed several positive strategies that NCHI is currently using. One of those strategies is thanking the sponsors and something the organization should continue to do. Secondly, the pictures posted are clear and of interesting content. The seasonal posts are

an excellent way to connect with followers. Another positive attribute is that NCHI participates in events with other local organizations, such as the hidden gems tour. Lastly, the about page on NCHI’s Facebook page is clear and to the point. The mission does a nice job of explaining what the organization does.

ConclusionWe can conclude from the social media audit we performed that there is not a lot of interaction with posts. NCHI focuses on fundraising, however, people reacted more positively to houses for sale (purchases). The lowest reactions were to shared and fundraising posts. Posting on the Facebook page is sporadic, with some months having significantly more posts than others.

Strategy and Recommendations

The next section of our report explains how to combat the issues we discovered while performing our audit of NCHI’s Facebook page. This will be in the form of recommendations and examples of how to execute suggested strategies.

Personality and Writing Style

PersonalityNCHI does not currently have a clear personality for their social media. It is vital for every brand to have a personality in order to connect with followers. The text on all posts for NCHI’s Facebook page should reflect the organization’s personality. The posts from the year we looked at are more informative than personal. NCHI is a nonprofit organization that works directly with people with lower incomes to help them find homes. The Facebook content should show this in their personality. There are a few ways for NCHI to emphasize their personality through their Facebook content.

Writing StyleThe first and one of the most important ways to show personality is through the writing style. NCHI should have a clear and consistent writing style throughout their social media. It should all be one voice that reflects the values and mission of NCHI. In order to have personality within this voice, text should not just be informative or basic. It needs to be friendly and showcase the welcoming nature of NCHI. A friendly voice will help followers relate more to the content and feel more inclined to donate. Almost all of the text on the posts we examined used excessive exclamation points. Exclamation points should be used sparingly. Too many exclamation points can come off as a yelling or an overly enthusiastic voice. According to The Sales Lion, exclamation points “can cheapen your message” and shouldn’t be used in marketing content. The tone of voice should instead be conversational. This method will allow the organization to

establish a relationship with followers through social media. Followers will engage with posts if they can relate to the voice and feel welcomed.

ImagesAnother key factor in portraying personality through social media are the images on posts. Photos and text should work together to bring the organization’s voice to life on Facebook. This means that captions should say something about the images they’re being posted along with. Images should also be relevant to the words on the post. According to Visit.Org, “Visual storytelling (using photos to tell a story) is a powerful way for nonprofits to increase engagement with their audience.” Images are one of the first things people notice while scrolling on social media. They give followers a visual aid to what the text is describing.

The article from Visit.Org describes why imagery is vital to storytelling on social media. According to the article, “Images convey more information and are more likely to be remembered than text (“picture superiority effect”).” People may not recall what the text of a post said, but they might remember an interesting or well taken photo. The article also states that “The human brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text.” This is important when thinking about how quickly people scroll through feeds on social media. Organizations only have a few seconds to grab a person’s attention. The article explains that “Photographs compel people to read further and inspire them to take action.” After seeing an intriguing picture, people are more likely to look at the text on the post and click links in order to learn more about the topic. The images and text combined can increase the engagement that followers have with a post.

Example of a Current PostBelow, is a post from the year we looked at for our audit and report. This post received seven likes. The post shows how text is being written and what pictures are being taken by the organization. The text lacks personality and the photos do as well. The images could also be taken from from a better angle. According to the article on Visit.Org, images for nonprofits on social media should show moments, illustrate relationships, include faces when possible, take a series of three-five photos, use the rule of thirds and experiment with angles.

The images in the post could be improved by showing a person planting or watering the flowers. This would allow the personality of the organization to be shown more than simply photos of the flowers. A person in the photos also makes them more relatable by adding a human touch. The photos themselves could be taken from a different angle in order to use the rule of thirds. The rule of thirds means that the subject of an image is never in the dead center. Basically, the subject would be more to one side of an image. This can be accomplished while taking the photo, or later with cropping. The post does a good job of have a series of photos, but would be better if the photos weren’t all of the same thing.

An example of alternative text for the post using more personality would be (placed with a photo of someone watering the flowers):

Our Executive Director Ann Brandyberry works to keep our beautiful flowers alive. Stop by to see New Chauncey neighborhood in full bloom.

The text is friendly and includes a call to action. This can lead to an increase in engagement with the post.

Share Stories According to Social Media Examiner, a way to share personality with followers is to “tell a really good story.” This is good advice that NCHI can use. Followers want to know what the organization is doing in the community and what events they have going on. Sharing these stories in a friendly writing style is a way to connect with followers. The stories of families that are willing to speak out about their experience with NCHI would make excellent social media content. They are real people that have been helped by NCHI. Followers can relate to stories and images of families like themselves a lot more than generic posts. These stories can add personality to the Facebook page.

A way to do this would be to include blurbs from stories from NCHI’s newsletter about families who have purchased homes from NCHI. The post could also include a link to the newsletter so followers could read the full article. In the post below, a caption with more personality could have included part of the story about the family. A caption could have been:

Marion Welsh found her first house through NCHI. She and her two daughters are proud to call 1016 Riverton Drive with the bright yellow door their home.

The images would have been stronger if there was a photo of Marion and her daughters, with their permission. An image of a family that was able to buy their first home through NCHI shows how the organization makes a difference in the lives of local people. Followers like to see how nonprofits use the money being donated to them. A firsthand account could also lead to an increase in donations and engagement. This post already got a decent amount of shares, so imagine how many it would get if the post was about a specific family that followers could relate to. Accounts of real families benefiting from NCHI would add personality to the page.

Another way to include personality through stories is by sharing spotlights about NCHI’s board of directors and staff. A headshot or photo of the staff working around the office along with a short paragraph about them would give followers a look into the people behind the organization. Social media can put up a all between people and an organization, but sharing stories about real people makes NCHI more relatable and gives the organization a personality. Posts about people and their stories have more emotional value than ones about inanimate objects.

Calendar Content

General SuggestionWe recommend that our client utilize the scheduling tool on Facebook and a social calendar that highlights when and where events will be and when there are slower periods during each month.

By planning out each month in advance, it makes it easier to place things on their Facebook page in a strategic manner. This allows NCHI to highlight their events and happenings while also planning for fun posts.

Frequency and Timing of PostsThe number of posts per month on Facebook is important in regards to how much your audience will interact with them. Posting too much will significantly lower your audience interactions as their Facebook feeds become muddled with content. Posting too little can also significantly lower your audience interactions as your posts will not appear as often on their feeds or be completely shut out due to Facebook’s algorithm. We recommend posting 3-4 times a week. A study by HubSpot.com found this to be the magic number based on your number of followers. It is also important to spread your posts out evenly through the week so as not to bombard your followers with information. One exception to the rule would be during months in which you have events, such as fundraisers. While we still recommend posting 3-4 times a week during event months, some days may require more than one post per day. For example, if you were having a tag sale on a Saturday, it would be important to share a reminder post in the morning about the event happening later that day, and then another post when the event itself starts. This ensures that your audience is exposed to the key information (time,date, location) of the event. The time of day content is posted is also an important factor. There are certain times during the day that Facebook in general sees more traffic due to a number of circumstances. According to Non-Profit Quarterly, posts on Facebook should be shared between 1p.m. and 4p.m. due to lulls in the workday.

Engagement PostsDifferent types of posts are key to a successful social media page. Engagement posts are posts that allow the audience to actively interact with the business. According to SocialMediaToday.com, engagement posts benefit the brand and organization and gives the audience the opportunity to share their voice and insight. Getting your audience involved in the conversation surrounding your organization and brand is important as it creates a positive rhetoric around your business. Engagement posts include, but are not limited to:

● Asking business relevant questions○ “What types of events would you like to see NCHI host for the New Chauncey

neighborhood?”○ “What is your favorite fall home decoration?”

● Sharing user created content○ “Share your own home DIY project with us. It may be featured in a future NCHI

post.”○ “Summer is fast approaching and that means gardens are blooming. Share a photo

of your garden with us.”It is important to remember that engagement posts must include content relevant to your organization. Simply asking, “What’s your favorite season?” is not relevant to housing and home

buying assistance. Asking relevant questions and asking followers to share relevant content with you allows the association between your brand and their minds to strengthen and grow.

Post RulesWhile post content varies, there are certain rules that should be followed. These rules keep posts consistent, generate the most audience traffic, and help make the page itself more successful. There are two main rules that every organization should follow on social media (via AudienceBloom.com and MarketingGizmo.com):

● Be concise ○ Followers have short attention spans○ Shorter posts are viewed as more authentic by followers○ Concise posts contain the most valuable information○ Makes the organization focus on what they are trying to achieve with each post

● Tag related groups/businesses○ Includes people/businesses that attended an event you hosted○ Alerts someone when you talk about or mention them○ Gives credit to people/businesses when credit is due○ Increases the reach of your social media marketing by encouraging others to share

it

Sharing Relevant ContentIt is important for NCHI to share enough posts throughout the month to keep followers interested in the organization. One way to do that is to share useful, meaningful and relevant content on Facebook. Sharing posts from other pages is an easy way to have information on your page during slow periods, like non-event months, when you don’t have any of your own content to share. Listed below are some suggestions for relevant content that NCHI can share, as well as brief explanations to better clarify why that content is suitable for their Facebook page.

● Houses ○ Sharing posts about homes for sale in the local area is a good way to advertise the

other functions of NCHI. Specifically, if NCHI doesn’t have a project for sale they can advertise that they offer financial assistance to those looking to purchase a home

● Easy and cheap DIYs○ Our audit showed that NCHI followers responded well to posts about DIY

projects. Sharing posts about cheap projects is a great way to engage with those who are interested in personalizing their home on a budget.

● HGTV and similar pages○ Pages like HGTV often promote posts about DIY projects, home decorating tips

and even beginner renovation suggestions. People moving into a new home or someone looking to improve something in their current house might find posts like these useful and entertaining.

● Partner posts○ NCHI has partnered with several organizations in the past for fundraising and

events including Talbots and Whyte Horse Winery. Promote your partner companies by sharing their posts and encourage them to share NCHI posts as well. Sharing partner posts and having NCHI posts shared by them is one way for both organizations to reach new audiences.

Photos should reflect NCHI and much like sharing posts from other pages the images should be relevant and meaningful. Listed below are suggestions for images NCHI can attach to text.

● People at the events○ Post photos of the NCHI staff interacting with people who come to events, as well

as photos of patrons/guests engaging with each other. ● Houses for sale

○ Include interior and exterior shots to allow potential buyers a quick look at the house. If the home has any interesting rooms or stand-out architectural features, include images of those as well.

● Seasonal photos○ Sharing photos that are relevant to the season, or certain holidays in specific

months, is an easy way to post content on days when you need something to share. However, limit how many of these posts you share; one or two seasonal photos is more than enough for a month.

Monthly PostsOne of the functions of a social media calendar is to outline what your organization’s page will look like for a given time frame. Adhering to a schedule and posting on a semi-regular basis is one way to make sure NCHI stays on the radar. Given that we can’t guarantee NCHI will have original content every single day, it’s nice to have designated days where you’ll post similar content each month. Koozai.com writes that by posting 2-3 times a week you can increase awareness for your organization, bring more traffic to your page and even boost engagement (more likes, shares and follows). Listed below are some of our suggestions for monthly posts for the NCHI Facebook page, as well as the dates to share them.

● House of the month○ On the first day of every month a “House of the month” will be featured. The

house of the month would be a house that is for sale in the local area, or a house that NCHI has purchased. 3-5 photos of the interior and exterior of the house would be included along with a message about how NCHI offers down payment assistance to those looking to purchase a new home.

● Voting on next month’s house○ On the 15th of every month, NCHI will post a question asking for followers to

help nominate and vote on the next month’s featured house. Encourage people to share photos in the comments and write why a certain house should be featured.

● Fundraising posts○ On the 2nd and 16th of every month, the days after the featured house and voting

for the next one, NCHI will share a fundraising post. The type of content can be different from month to month, as long as the post is about fundraising. For example, in one month you might post about a fundraising partnership you’re doing, like the one you did with Talbots, but in another month you might share something about what you use donations for in the organization. Keep the content interesting and fresh and limit your fundraising posts to those designated days. Exceptions can be made in event months, but try to limit the amount of “asking” posts to no more than once a week.

Not every post has to be planned out for a specific date, as long as it is shared at some point each month. The following suggestions have flexibility when it comes to posting them monthly;

NCHI can pick a day that works for them.

● Income limits and other info○ Starting in January NCHI can

share a post about the income limits for the year as well as information on low-income housing. If the housing limits aren’t up-to-date at the start of the year, share last year’s information with a message like:

“The annual gross income limits for 2018 won’t be updated until June. For more information feel free to contact us at (765)743-6244, or stop by our office at 279 Littleton Street.”

Feel free to also share information about how to qualify for home ownership assistance, or what kind of aid NCHI offers to those looking to purchase a home that the organization doesn’t own.

● History fact of the month○ Like the featured house of the month, NCHI can post a monthly fun fact

about the organization (and the office/house), the New Chauncey neighborhood or West Lafayette. Consider relating the fact to the season it’s posted in, for example, in October you could share a spooky urban legend about a West Lafayette location.

● Question posts○ In an effort to encourage engagement with Facebook followers, we would

like to see NCHI post a question or two each month. Just as we recommended for seasonal photos and interesting historical facts, try to ask questions related to the month. On the example calendar we created, we asked followers how they celebrated the holidays and what recommendations they had for handling snow. Respond to people who comment on the post and encourage them to ask NCHI questions as well.

Some months may not include a lot of content or events. To combat this, we have created a generic seasonal post for each month of the next year. This allows NCHI to post even when times are slow and can be in any of the forms mentioned above.

● January: New Year’s resolutions ● February: different ways to show love to your home and neighborhood● March: St. Patrick’s Day● April: Spring has sprung● May: Mother’s Day/Memorial Day/Graduation● June: Father’s Day● July: Fourth of July● August: Back to school● September: Fall/Labor Day● October: Halloween● November: Thanksgiving● December: Happy Holidays

NewsletterTo keep it short and sweet, the NCHI newsletter should be posted to the NCHI Facebook page when it is released to the public. This way it is easily accessible for those who do not regularly receive the NCHI newsletter, want to send it to someone else or have lost their own copy. It is also a good way for NCHI to keep track and archive their newsletters for future needs.

ObjectivesWe learned from staff members at NCHI that the organization’s goals for their social media were to increase awareness and engagement. Through an audit of their Facebook page and research we came up with methods for NCHI to achieve their goals. By following through with our recommendations, the organization will be able to have more brand awareness and interaction with their social media.