4 Ways For Your Nonprofit To Go Viral

Every nonprofit wants their online content to go viral. It’s practically the Holy Grail of the online world. Of course, something so coveted doesn’t come easy. If you want your content to be the next Internet phenomenon, you are doing to have to do some work.

Whether it's a YouTube video of a recent special event or a blog post about the organization's mission, nonprofits are always looking for ways to enhance the exposure of their content. In "Nonprofit Management 101," Zoetica CEO Beth Kanter wrote that nonprofits need to encourage others to share their work if they want it to go viral. She suggested the following techniques to make this a reality:

• Give permission to share. Tell your audience that you want them to take your content and repurpose, remix, or recreate it. This can be done by using a Creative Commons “Share, Share Alike” license.
• Be explicit. Sometimes people are inspired on their own, but it also helps to reward them for sharing or creating your content. Kanter suggested creating a contest that gives a prize to the user who makes the best use of your content. You’d be amazed at what people will do free stuff.
• Stock the pond. No one likes to be first, so you may need to get staff and other insiders to jumpstart your effort.
• Lift up examples. Encourage and publically recognize people who create content for you. This can be done by highlighting their contribution in a blog post, on your website, or at an event.