Insights Made Simple: Smarter Decisions for Small Charities
When it comes to social media, many charities start out by simply sharing updates and hoping they reach the right people. But real impact happens when we understand what works – and that’s where insights come in.
Insights are the data stories behind your posts. They tell you who’s engaging, when they’re online, what kind of content resonates most, and what quietly flops. It might sound technical, but we promise: once you know where to look, it’s a powerful (and surprisingly simple) tool to help you connect more deeply with your community, and reach new people, including potential members and donors.
In our upcoming Social Media Basics Lunch & Learn, we’ll walk you through how to find and use insights on platforms like Facebook and Instagram – no jargon, no overwhelm, just practical guidance. We’ll help you spot what’s working so you can do more of it, and tweak what’s not landing so your message cuts through.
Insights for Charity Admin
And it’s not just about content. Insights have a place in admin too. Knowing when your audience is online can help you time communications and responses more effectively. Tracking which event posts generate interest can inform your planning. Noticing a particular kind of update always gets shared? That’s a sign to double down, or even to create a newsletter feature or printable version for offline supporters. Good admin supports good engagement, and insights help us make informed decisions without second-guessing.
It’s not just about social media. Insights of all kinds can play a powerful role in the day-to-day admin and long-term planning of a charity. For committee members and administrators, paying attention to patterns, responses, and engagement levels – whether online or offline – helps inform smarter, more strategic decisions.
Insights in Use: Practical Examples
- If attendance at certain events is consistently low despite strong promotion, that’s an insight worth exploring. Is the timing off? Is the topic no longer resonating? Do transport or accessibility barriers need to be considered?
- If you’re trialling a new activity or outreach initiative, collecting informal feedback (verbal or written), tracking sign-ups, or simply noting how many people stay for tea and conversation afterwards can all offer useful insight into what’s working.
- Questions that regularly crop up in emails or phone calls could indicate that information isn’t clear or accessible – prompting a rethink of signage, website content, or induction packs.
- Keeping an eye on newsletter open rates, website traffic, or even footfall into the building or Meeting House during certain times of the week can help you plan comms and staffing more effectively.
- Even things like volunteer rotas, room bookings, or fundraising response rates offer valuable data. Patterns here can highlight what your community values, when people are most available, and how best to reach them.
In short, insights are everywhere – not just in your analytics dashboard, but in the questions people ask, the events they attend, and the things they quietly stop showing up for. By tuning into these clues, committees and admin teams can adapt thoughtfully, focus resources, and serve their communities with greater confidence and care.
Gemma White
MBS Marketing Team
Join us on Wednesday 7th May at 12.00 noon for a lunch and learn session with the MBS team. This 60-minute session will give you an overview of the basics – including how to track engagement.
This is a useful session for charities looking to start a presence on social media or build on your existing profile. Â
