Picture this: it’s a Saturday morning and you’re laying in bed. You’ve already scrolled through your Instagram feed three times and consumed over an hour of TikTok videos. Your eyes are going dry, your neck is cramping and you feel as if you’ve scrolled past every digital advertisement under the sun. What is this affliction? It’s a phenomenon called digital fatigue. 

Digital fatigue is a general state of disenchantment or disconnection that can arise after too much digital engagement. As a nonprofit marketing or communications specialist, you may have noticed a rising tide of digital fatigue among your supporters when it comes to your organization’s online outreach efforts. 

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic pushed interactions with supporters to the digital realm, your organization probably undertook a transformation to boost your digital marketing efforts. However, perhaps you’ve noticed your online engagement metrics are declining, and you’re looking for fresh ways to engage with your audience. 

Whether you’re hoping to better engage with donors online or grow your online following, use these four strategies to combat digital fatigue and re-engage your supporters: 

1. Use a multichannel strategy. 
2. Increase engagement surrounding virtual events. 
3. Bring supporters into the conversation. 
4. Recommit to personalization.

Communication is a foundational element of any successful nonprofit strategic plan. Your marketing and public relations strategy is how you present your organization to the wider world, and your outreach efforts shouldn’t ever bore or frustrate your supporters. 

Plus, fundraising statistics show that every generation, from Millennials to Baby Boomers, prefers donating on online platforms. With a strong digital communication strategy, you can keep online donations flowing while engaging new audience members, too. Let’s dive in. 

1. Use a multichannel strategy. 

If you only engage with your supporters via one digital communication channel, such as just Facebook or Instagram, you might find that you’re starting to repeat yourself or your post formatting is getting stale. This could become predictable and even boring for your followers, who are looking for exciting and fresh content to engage with. 

Alternatively, a multichannel marketing strategy allows you to engage with supporters across multiple platforms, using each platform to complement and highlight the others. When you pursue a multichannel strategy, you can share email content on your social media pages, social media posts within your weekly email newsletters and multimedia content across all platforms. 

Plus, Getting Attention’s guide to nonprofit communications points out that you can use different platforms to engage with different audiences. Younger generations prefer interacting via digital platforms like social media, while older demographics tend to use email. 

Conduct audience research using your donor database to determine your supporters’ demographics and preferred communication platforms. This will allow you to choose the right platforms to connect with the largest number of supporters possible. 

Remember, a multichannel strategy requires considering every channel at your disposal — including direct mail. While direct mail is often thought of as an old-school outreach technique, it can also appeal to younger audiences like millennials. Even these digital-savvy individuals need a screen break from time to time, and direct mail can provide the perfect opportunity for offline connections. 

Lastly, it’s never too late to try something new. That means you can always start up an Instagram account even if you’ve never had one before or try out TikTok for the first time. Your supporters will sense when you’re having fun with your digital outreach methods rather than using them to mechanically promote your organization. 

2. Increase engagement surrounding virtual events.

Virtual events are part of the new normal for nonprofit organizations. But if your organization is conducting mostly virtual experiences, such as online fundraising opportunities or campaigns, it can be tricky to retain supporters’ attention. Your supporters’ attention spans are constantly being pulled in different directions and they may not see the value in adding your organization’s digital events to their busy calendars. 

That’s why it’s valuable to improve engagement surrounding your virtual events and meetings just as much as you strive to engage supporters during your events. This means getting supporters’ input before and after your virtual experiences to ensure that you can hear and incorporate their opinions and ideas. Doing so allows you to plan events that they actually want to attend. 

You can do this by incorporating the following elements into your event planning process: 

• Pre-event surveys and research. Find out what your supporters want to see from your virtual engagement opportunities by sending pre-event surveys. Also, use data from past online events or fundraising campaigns to determine which opportunities saw the greatest engagement and why. Incorporate the most successful elements into your upcoming virtual experience. 
• Post-event surveys and follow-ups. After your virtual opportunities, continue engaging with attendees by asking for their feedback. For instance, if you hosted a virtual peer-to-peer fundraising event, ask supporters for suggestions on how the event could be improved in the future. And, be sure to thank all supporters and sponsors for their participation.

Keep in mind that any events your organization hosts, whether virtual or in-person, are just one element of a larger supporter engagement strategy. Make sure your virtual events aren’t the only instances that supporters hear from your organization. Maintain their support with an ongoing outreach and stewardship strategy that features multiple touchpoints and check-ins. This helps fight digital fatigue by showing your supporters that you genuinely care about and appreciate their interest and support. 

3. Bring supporters into the conversation. 

Have you ever had a friend or acquaintance who seemed to only ever talk about themselves? Even if you were fond of that person, it can become quite tiresome to have a totally one-sided conversation. 

Your supporters feel the same way about their relationship with your nonprofit. You want to ensure that you avoid talking at them and rather talk with them. To do this, make your online content more interactive and engaging. Here are a few content ideas to help bring your supporters into the conversation: 

• Blog posts. Supporters want to know what your nonprofit is up to. From your current projects and upcoming fundraising initiatives to your capital campaign plans, they’re curious about how you’re using their support and donations to make a difference. Keep supporters in the loop with detailed blog posts that include photos, videos and quotes from key staff members, volunteers or community members. 
• Social media polls. Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter allow you to send out polls and questions to your followers. This is a great way to keep your finger on the pulse of what your supporters and community members are interested in or get their feedback on certain issues or initiatives. 
• Online contests or challenges. Incorporate a few contests or challenges into your annual social media posting calendar to generate organic engagement with your followers. For example, challenge your followers to enter a photo contest related to your Giving Tuesday campaign or start a personalized online donation page as part of a peer-to-peer fundraiser. These ideas empower supporters to take a more active role in interacting with your organization and advancing your mission. 

These content ideas help keep supporters informed about your activities while giving them an essential role in participating in those activities. Rather than passively scrolling past your organization’s Facebook posts or Instagram photos, supporters can actively engage with you online, helping to defy digital fatigue. 

4. Recommit to personalization.

Personalization is a popular buzzword in the nonprofit marketing world. You know that your content should be customized to match supporters’ preferences and motivations, but it can be difficult to continually put this idea into action. 

However, there are numerous benefits of using better personalization techniques to combat digital weariness. When you speak to supporters on a personal level, they won’t feel like an overlooked, anonymous face in the crowd — they’ll feel like valued partners working toward your mission. 

Plus, supporters are tired of seeing emails that start with “Dear Friend” or “Dear Valued Supporter” in their inboxes. While these greetings are better than a generic “To Whom It May Concern,” they still make it clear that the sender didn’t take the time to learn about the person they’re trying to reach. 

Reinvigorate your approach to personalization with the following strategies: 

• Address supporters with their preferred names. Use your donor database to identify supporters’ preferred names and ensure you use them in all email, social media and direct mail communications. This shows supporters that you see them as individuals and that you’ve taken the time and effort to learn and use their preferred names. 
• Ask about supporters on a personal level. We’ve already discussed the benefits of using surveys to gain supporter feedback, but you can also use them to learn more about supporters on an individual level. Asking about their interests, motivations, communication preferences, reasons for being involved and more can help you craft outreach messages that resonate with them. 
• Personalize content based on interests. Once you’ve gathered information about supporters using your internal database and surveys, you can group supporters based on shared interests and preferences. Then, you can design campaigns and outreach strategies that appeal to each group. This helps you save time while still delivering the personalized content that supporters are more likely to engage with. 

It’s easy for supporters to scroll right past generic messages or posts without even registering them. But personalized greetings capture supporters’ attention, helping your messages stand out in their inboxes or social media feeds. Then, once you’ve grabbed their attention, your individualized content can help ensure that supporters actually read through your messages and further engage with your mission.

If you need a helping hand to build or revamp your digital communication strategy, consider working with a consultant. These professionals can diagnose your communication issues and develop new strategies to fit your unique needs. Review Aly Sterling Philanthropy’s guide to hiring nonprofit consultants for tips on how to find the right partner for your organization. 

With these strategies in place (and a consultant’s help when necessary), you can fight digital fatigue and cut through the clutter to ensure supporters are engaged in and excited about your organization’s mission and projects.

About the Author

Aly Sterling

Long before Aly Sterling founded her eponymous consulting firm, she was solving the unique yet similar problems encountered by nonprofit organizations.

Her decision to start her own business in 2007 was driven by her belief in leadership as the single most important factor in organizational success, and her determination to work with multiple causes at one time to scale societal change.

Aly’s expertise includes fundraising, strategic planning, search consultation and board leadership development for the well-positioned nonprofit. She is regularly sought for comment by trade and mainstream media, including the Chronicle of Philanthropy and U.S. News & World Report. She has contributed to publications of BoardSource and The Governance Institute, as well as the Toledo Chamber of Commerce and The Giving Institute.