Most charity social media is run by a very small team, and often by one person squeezed between the newsletter, the volunteer rota and the funding report. It’s no surprise that posts can start to sound like press releases. Here are five habits that help your posts sound like the people behind your cause.

1. Start with one person, not the whole cause
“Thousands of families need our help” is true, but it’s hard to picture. “Every food parcel starts with someone who gave a tin of soup” is easy to picture. Lead with one moment, one volunteer or one thing that has changed, and let that stand for the bigger story.
Always ask permission before sharing someone’s story, and use only details you know to be true.

2. Describe the people you help with dignity
The words you choose shape how supporters see the people you work with. Describe them as people first, with their own strengths and choices, rather than as problems to be fixed.
A simple test is to ask whether the person would be happy to read the post about themselves. It also helps to write down a few rules for how your charity talks about the people it supports, so that everyone who posts follows the same ones.

3. Make one clear ask
A post that asks for everything usually gets nothing. Decide what this post is for: a donation, a volunteer, someone to come along to an event, or a share. Say it plainly, say it early, and tell people exactly how to do it.

4. Say thank you, often and specifically
Thanking people shouldn’t only happen at the end of an appeal. Name what their help made possible: the parcels packed, the room that was warm, the event that went ahead. Specific thanks feels personal, and people who feel noticed are far more likely to stay involved.

5. Plan a few weeks ahead
Posting only when you have a spare moment makes it hard to be consistent. Pick one appeal or event and plan a short run of posts around it, perhaps two a week, with a date for each. You’ll keep your tone steady, avoid last-minute rushes, and still have room to post something timely when it comes up.

6. Keep it true
Whatever you post, stick to what you actually know. If you don’t have a figure, don’t use one, and never make up a story to fit a post. Supporters trust charities that are honest, and that trust is worth more than any single post.

Where Postable Social fits

We’re building Postable Social to take the blank-page problem out of charity social media. You tell us about your cause once and set the rules for how you talk about the people you help. We then write ready-to-post drafts for each platform, with image ideas, using only what you’ve told us. You review them, change anything you like, and decide what gets posted. If that sounds useful, join the waiting list and we’ll email you when we open, with your founding-member price.