Hootsuite has developed a program for nonprofit organizations designed to help them harness the power of social media at a discount.
Amping up your nonprofit’s social media game by utilizing a social media management tool like Hootsuite could help get your organization’s message to the world.
Here’s What You Should Know about Hootsuite and Its Work with Nonprofit Organizations:
Hootsuite helps organizations maintain and develop their social media presence. Hootsuite offers a discount of up to 50 percent on Team and Professional subscriptions for nonprofit organizations. This discount must be applied for on Hootsuite’s website.
Does Hootsuite Offer Discounts for Nonprofits?
Hootsuite offers discounts to nonprofit organizations.
As part of Hootsuite’s stated commitment to social responsibility, it offers discounts of up to 50 percent to nonprofit organizations. Nonprofits must apply for the discount on Hootsuite’s website.
Can You Get Hootsuite for Free as a Nonprofit?
Hootsuite has a limited free plan available to anyone, which nonprofits are welcome to use. However, this plan has limited features.
That is why, as an incentive to adopt the paid subscriptions, Hootsuite offers nonprofit organizations a discount on Team and Professional subscriptions.
Do Nonprofits Typically Use Hootsuite?
Not all nonprofit organizations use Hootsuite.
But some of the largest nonprofit organizations in the world use Hootsuite, such as United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
According to Alfredo Trujillo Fernandez of UNESCO, their use of Hootsuite allowed them to have more time to develop more meaningful campaigns, as Hootsuite allowed them to streamline their workflow.
Another notable Hootsuite user from the nonprofit industry is the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), which uses the Enterprise plan.
Using Hootsuite, they were able to raise over 50,000 signatures in their #EndangeredEmoji campaign. They were able to track over 500,000 mentions of their hashtag and the WWF brand.
Even the White House has used Hootsuite.
While they are not a nonprofit organization, the White House Communications Team under President Barrack Obama openly endorsed Hootsuite as their social media tool of choice.
What Are the Most-used Alternatives to Hootsuite for Nonprofits?
If you think Hootsuite is a bit steep even with the discount, you can check out our article about Hootsuite’s pricing breakdown, and you can consider the following social media management alternatives:
Buffer
Buffer is a great alternative to Hootsuite, and it offers comparable features as Hootsuite for its paid subscriptions.
Upfront, the cost of Buffer is cheaper than Hootsuite—and it offers a flat 50-percent discount to nonprofit organizations upon verification of nonprofit status.
While Buffer might seem like a logical alternative, you might want to look at what you get at each price point.
At the basic cost, Hootsuite still offers better features, such as the number of social media profiles that can be linked and max number of scheduled postings.
While Buffer may not have as many features at its lower price points, the flat 50-percent discount for nonprofits is worth checking out.
Loomly
Loomly is a social media management tool that is similar to Hootsuite. The most basic plan allows up to two users, as opposed to Hootsuite’s most basic plan, which only allows one user.
Loomly offers a 50-percent discount for nonprofits upon approval of your application and verification of nonprofit status.
Unfortunately, Loomly doesn’t offer as many Analytics features as Hootsuite and Buffer.
SproutSocial
SproutSocial is another social media tool that is very similar to Hootsuite.
You get comparable features to Hootsuite, but the price of its basic plan is higher than Hootsuite. The price of SproutSocial’s most basic plan, which only allows one user, costs as much as the Team plan from Hootsuite.
While it may seem like SproutSocial offers the least for the most money out of all the management systems in this article, it offers something that the basic plans listed above do not have: in-depth social listening.
Social listening is normally an add-on feature for many social media tools, but it comes included in the most basic plan of SproutSocial.
Plus, SproutSocial offers a nonprofit discount. However, SproutSocial has not disclosed the specifics of their nonprofit discount, and you must get in touch with them for that information.
SmarterQueue
SmarterQueue is an affordable option for those looking for a social media management tool that does not cost an arm and a leg.
The features of this system are comparable to Buffer, although the latter has more and better features.
The most basic plan of SmarterQueue can only publish 10 scheduled posts a day, and it can only link four social media profiles.
The most basic monthly subscription for SmarterQueue is $16.99, but a 50-percent discount is available for nonprofits, registered charities, schools, and students.
What Are the Most Used Features on Hootsuite for Nonprofits?
The features most used by nonprofit organizations on Hootsuite are:
- Scheduling: A scheduling tool for your social media posts is vital. You can plan out campaigns in advance, get your posts proofed by your team, and make sure your campaigns are all synced up and ready to go.
- Analytics: This free Hootsuite feature allows nonprofit organizations to track how their social media campaigns are reaching people.
- Campaign Management: The Campaign Management feature for Business and Enterprise plans lets nonprofit organizations tag content for easy evaluation and identification of gaps in the rollout.
These features can be strengthened further with the Amplify tool for Hootsuite. Check out our article about what Hootsuite Amplify does.
Hootsuite also offers trainings for nonprofit organizations. The company has a dedicated course on social media and nonprofit work.
Sources:
How UNESCO used social media to raise awareness of crimes against journalists
How the WWF inspires global action with social media
The 10 Best Social Media Tools for Nonprofits That Save Time and Money
HOOTGIVING: A connected world is a better world.
