For Good’s Sake: Strategic Social Media Influencer Communication in Non-Profit Organizations

Abstract

Strategic social media influencer communication has become increasingly professionalised in recent years, as evidenced by the emergence of established processes and routines. The continued success and opportunities associated with social media influencer communication are also relevant for non-profit organisations. Theory suggests that both credibility and the social relationship with their followers–two central aspects of the success of social media influencers–are also mission-critical for non-profit organisations. However, the impact of these requirements on the processes of strategic social media influencer communication in non-profit organisations is almost unexplored so far. Therefore, this study uses expert interviews with non-profit organisations, agencies and social media influencers to investigate how the processes in non-profit organisations differ from those encountered in for-profit entities. The results show that the main process steps (planning, organisation and evaluation) are organised similarly to for-profit campaigns, e.g. with brands. Differences emerge with regard to the special communicative requirements of non-profit organisations, which necessitate specific changes in the design and weighing of the individual steps. These must already be taken into account in the conceptualisation stage of strategic social media influencer communication of non-profit organisations. The study also indicates that the social media influencers’ perspective as independent strategic actors (and businesses) in strategic communications deserve attention in further research.