Get the word out

So you’ve made your Givealittle page. Well done! But wait, don’t leave us yet! Leaving your page to sit by itself on the Internet won’t guarantee that you get support. This is where sharing becomes really important.

Being an effective fundraiser is all about the sharing. If people aren’t told about your cause or project, how will they know about the amazing journey they could be supporting?

Time to get talking

The first donations or pledges that you receive are most likely to come from people that you already know, or that know you. When you’re receiving these first ones, you’re doing what’s called ‘gaining social proof’.

Social proof is where people need evidence from others before they do something. In this case, if a stranger sees that you’ve already got a band of people who care about you, they’ll know that you’re genuine. They’re more likely to trust you because they can see that you’re trusted by others.

Nice! So, who are these first supporters going to be?

It's who you know

Your first supporters will be:

• Your family
• Your friends
• Your coworkers

Make a list! Go through your email, phone and social media contacts (e.g. your Facebook friends list). This is an easy way of seeing how big your own crowd of supporters is.

The same chat won’t work for everyone!

Let’s have a think. You talk to your grandma in a different way than you talk to your coworker, right? Right! Tell them about your Givealittle journey in different ways - the same email or Facebook message won’t come across the right way to everyone you send it to.

There’s nothing like the personal touch, so make sure each person you tell feels like the message was written especially for them. It might be a little more time consuming, but it’ll be worth it in the long run!

Your paragraph outlining what your Givealittle page is and why you’re in need can stay the same, and be copied and pasted between emails or Facebook messages. However, make sure you start the email by addressing the recipient personally, and follow up with a couple of sentences just for them. Ask them how their new job is or remind them about a family dinner coming up, before launching into your Givealittle story.

Let’s see what a difference this can make. Check out the generic approach below:

This email could be copied and pasted to all of your contacts, but we wouldn’t recommend it! The main paragraph is fine, but look what a difference a personal touch can make:

Think about the channel you use too

If you normally communicate with your friends on Facebook, don't feel you have to change platforms for your Givealittle ask.

Likewise, if you normally text, stick to that! Chances are your friends will have a smartphone and be able to click through your link to our mobile site.

Think about setting up an account on a different platform if you don't already have one and know your friends hang out there.

Also, don’t forget about the phone! Give people a call if you don’t normally communicate across the internet.

It's not just about donations

Money isn’t the only thing you need. If your supporter isn’t able to donate or pledge money to your Givealittle page, getting in touch hasn’t been a waste of time. Ask them to share it with their network too. Unless you know exactly the same people, this will enable you to reach those outside of your own circle that might not have heard about your page yet. More awareness, and more potential for support!

Know somebody who knows somebody?

If you’re hoping that your cause or project will be able to connect with a particular audience outside of your own circle, see if you know anybody that can give you a hand getting in touch. Does your friend from university know that journalist from the television? Didn’t you meet a sports coach at a party that time? Think about what type of people will find your cause relevant, and see if you’ve got a way of talking to them.

Take some time to get the word out there - are so many different people you can reach, and they’re right at your fingertips!

Share with the people you know, and ask them to do the same.

Before you know it, your network will be far larger than you thought.

Keep communicating

Sometimes the donations come flying in with the first round of sharing. But maybe people were busy and forgot to get back to it, maybe they couldn't donate at the time, or maybe they donated and you can ask them to share your page? There can be lots of reasons a follow-up post might help. Check out our suggestions for keeping in touch with social media and creating a community around your page.