This article is the written version of our podcast episode on social media strategy. Prefer to listen? Search “Marketing from the Frontline” in your podcast app.
Social media isn’t about looking busy — it’s about driving action
Most organisations post because they feel they should. They chase trends, refresh follower counts, and hope a “viral moment” will move the needle. But likes don’t pay salaries and followers don’t fund services. Social media only earns its keep when it drives action: clicks, calls, bookings, donations, sign-ups.
This guide shows you how to reframe your approach so social becomes a reliable bridge between attention and outcomes.
Social media is a channel, not a strategy
Social isn’t the strategy. It’s a tool your strategy uses.
Effective social media marketing means:
- Clear goals tied to business or mission outcomes
- A specific audience you’re talking to
- Content designed to move people one step closer to action
Anything else is just filling a feed.
“Marketing should move the needle. If it doesn’t connect back to a business or mission outcome, it’s just noise.”
Why it matters for charities and businesses
Attention has shifted. Donors, volunteers, and customers live on their phones. Your posts are often the first impression.
- Charities: supporters aren’t waiting for leaflets. They’re reacting to stories, reels, and events. If you’re not showing up with purpose, you’re invisible.
- Businesses: prospects check you online before they call. Your content either builds trust—or sends them to a competitor who communicates better.
Real-world contrast:
A charity posted generic “awareness” content for months. Plenty of likes, almost no donations. When they ran a focused Giving campaign—impact stories, a simple donation message, and clear links—they raised thousands. Same platforms. Same audience. Different strategy.
Stop tracking vanity metrics
Followers, likes, and views feel good, but they’re weak indicators of impact. A small account with 500 engaged followers can outperform an account with 50,000 if the smaller one is engineered for action.
Rule of thumb: Track what translates to real-world results, not what merely looks good on a dashboard.
What to actually track (the metrics that matter)
For businesses
- Enquiries originating from social (tracked in your CRM)
- Consultations/calls/demos booked from social
- Purchases attributable to social posts/ads
For charities
- Donations tied to specific social campaigns
- Event registrations generated by social
- Volunteer/fundraiser sign-ups attributed to social
Engagement helps with reach; traffic and conversions tell you if social is working.
The Social → Action Framework (use this on every post)
Before publishing, sanity-check your post against this 3-step mini-framework:
- Hook: Why should they stop scrolling?
- Help: What problem do you solve or what value are you giving?
- Hand-off: What’s the next step (CTA) and where does it go?
If you can’t answer all three in one sentence each, refine it.
Example (business):
Hook: “Struggling with slow response times on your website chat?”
Help: “Here are three quick tweaks that cut average reply time from hours to minutes.”
Hand-off: “Want the checklist? Download it—then book a free review.”
Example (charity):
Hook: “Tonight, a young carer in Essex will miss sleep to look after their sibling.”
Help: “Our respite programme gives families a break—here’s how it helps in 24 hours.”
Hand-off: “Donate £10 today to fund a support visit this week.”
Choose the right platform (one used well beats five used badly)
One of the biggest mistakes organisations make is trying to be everywhere at once. You don’t need to be on every platform—you need to be on the right platform.
The choice should never be about what’s trending or what you personally enjoy. It’s about where your target audience already spends their time and what kind of content they expect to see there.
To put it into perspective: a high-level solicitors’ firm isn’t going to use TikTok for lead generation. Their potential clients aren’t scrolling there looking for legal advice. They’re far more likely to be researching on LinkedIn, reading thought-leadership posts, or engaging with professional networks.
Flip that around and imagine a streetwear brand trying to generate buzz on LinkedIn—it’s just not the natural home for their audience. They’d be better off investing in TikTok and Instagram, where trends, visuals, and community drive attention.
The lesson? Pick one or two platforms where your audience is already active, then go deep and do them well. One well-run channel beats five half-hearted ones every time.
Key takeaway
Social media marketing matters because it’s where your audience already is. But it only works when it’s tied to strategy and measured by outcomes. Stop chasing vanity metrics. Track what drives action.
For businesses, that’s calls, bookings, and sales.
For charities, that’s donations, registrations, and volunteers.