With the pandemic threatening to close more than 1 in 3 U.S. nonprofits during the next two years, according to estimates from Candid and the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, now is the time for organizations to expand their leverage on social platforms. 

Social media provides opportunities to engage audiences and to create conversations between audiences and companies. Rather than spending time and money on paid ads, social media is an effective method to engage constituents, establish trust and loyalty, and build communities.

Social media’s powers are incontestable but amongst other platforms, why choose to create a presence on TikTok and audio-only app, Clubhouse? Both TikTok and Clubhouse have content versatility, shareability, and are growing in popularity.

In March 2021, Clubhouse surpassed Instagram, TikTok, Zoom and WhatsApp when it topped Apple Inc.’s App Store in more than 30 countries. Recently, Clubhouse co-founders announced the platform would do away with its invitation-only concept, meaning the app is now open to everyone, and the 10 million people on the waitlist will be added over time. Additionally, Clubhouse continues to grow with 10 million weekly active users as of April who spend between 11 and 22 hours per week on the app.

TikTok is the seventh most-used social network in the world, has more than 689 million active users, was the most downloaded app in 2020 and has higher engagement among influencers in comparison to YouTube or Instagram. TikTok and Clubhouse have become prominent forms of communication in 2021 and are used by nonprofits to create informative content and to gain a substantial following. With this drastic increase in popularity on these platforms, nonprofit leaders could optimize their presence on these spaces to expand their awareness and to build relationships with their donors and volunteers.

Here are a few tips to consider when using TikTok and Clubhouse to raise new funds, reach new audiences, and build a community:

According to Social Media Today, TikTok is a valuable place to increase audience engagement. Tiktok influencers doubled between 2019 and 2020 and in 2021, the platform continues to be an effective way of reaching younger audiences.

Integrating TikTok into your marketing strategy can help raise awareness about your nonprofit’s mission, programs, and fundraising campaigns to people of all ages. Although 60% of TikTok users are from the Gen Z cohort (born 1997-2012), one-third of users are older than 24. Since 75% of young adults will raise funds for an organization that they care about, catering to Millennials can be beneficial to your nonprofit. TikTok is an effective way to target this demographic.

A few nonprofits that have a strong follower count on the platform are World Economic Forum (1.6 million), American Red Cross (745,000), and UNICEF (370,000). 

Fundraising Features on TikTok

When connecting with your nonprofit’s designated audience on TikTok, it’s important to take advantage of certain features and stay up to date with the latest trends.

The two main features to keep in mind when using the platform is to display a link for your nonprofit in your profile and incorporate “donation stickers” on your published content. By providing a link on your nonprofit’s TikTok profile, users will be directed to a page where they can view donation options and even see how much your profile or account has raised. 

You can even add stickers to your TikTok videos to raise awareness and funds. The best part about these features is that any other user on the platform can add your nonprofit’s link to their profile and add stickers to their content.

Staying informed of the latest trends can also contribute to your nonprofit’s growth on the application. Trends can originate from dances, challenges, songs, sounds, or features. 

Being a Nonprofit on Clubhouse

Clubhouse can support your nonprofit’s mission through hosting rooms, joining clubs, and the tipping feature. In 2021, BestPractice.Biz reported that Clubhouse “presents an amazing opportunity to establish yourself or the brand you work with.” With 10 million weekly active users and notable entrepreneurs such as Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg on the platform, Clubhouse can provide insightful conversations and opportunities to connect with highly influential people in popular culture.

Hosting rooms are like conference calls, and clubs are equivalent to joining a group based on interests and likes. Users can provoke conversation, network, and increase audience engagement. For example, you can connect with leaders of associations who can support your nonprofit or connect with other nonprofits that you might be interested in collaborating with.

Clubhouse recently launched a ‘payments’ feature where users can tip in which 100% of the funds will go straight to the host. Although a small processing fee will go to the platform that conducts the transactions, fundraising opportunities can also originate from building authentic relationships and inviting people to hear your nonprofit’s story. For example, Clubhouse icon and artist-activist Drue Kataoka has raised nearly $120,000 for racial justice through the Asian American Federation.

Saving time and fundraising money

Clubhouse is also a great space for nonprofits to save time, effort, and money in networking, or in planning and hosting events. Clubhouse can be used to create panel discussions, conferences, and networking events online across multiple-rooms in a type of conversational style that mimics real-life interactions, but without the hassles and expenses of hosting in-person events.

Additionally, you might have the opportunity to connect with popular icons. Celebrities including Drake, Oprah, and many other powerhouses in popular culture have created accounts, hosted their own conversations that you can join, and they may even show up to random discussions.

As Rasha Ali reports, “You may not be able to rub elbows with Elon Musk, Kevin Hart, Meek Mill, Tiffany Haddish and other celebrities on the regular, but you sure can hang out with them virtually,” and these iconic people might be the influential powers you need to amplify your brand awareness and increase audience engagement.

In the end, you can leverage TikTok and Clubhouse through diverse forms of content creation. Nonprofit leaders have the opportunity to capitalize on TikTok and Clubhouse now, as the platforms continue to exponentially grow.

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Steffen Schebesta is CEO North America and vice president of corporate development at Sendinblue.