INTRODUCTION
LinkedIn is known as the social media network for professionals, with many businesses leveraging the platform to market their company or post job openings. It is also an effective platform for nonprofits that are seeking to recruit volunteers for their next event.
According to LinkedIn, 75% of LinkedIn members have expressed interest in volunteering, and the platform even has an “Open to Volunteer” option for members to add to their profiles.
Following are some tips on how you can use LinkedIn to recruit volunteers for your event.
POST FREE JOB LISTINGS TO PROMOTE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
One of LinkedIn’s most powerful features is its ability to connect individuals with businesses that are hiring or recruiting volunteers via its job posting feature. Post a free job listing to make your volunteer opportunity public.
To start, go to linkedin.com/job-posting or navigate to the menu at the top of your profile page and select “For Business.” Then, select “Post a job for free” or “Post a job” from the list of options. Your nonprofit may only have one free volunteer opportunity open at a time.
Enter the name of the position (e.g., “Event Volunteer”) and click “Continue” to move to the next step. Click the pencil icon next to the name of the position to access additional fields. Add your nonprofit (e.g., company) name, the type of workplace (e.g., on-site), location and job type (e.g., volunteer).
Of note, adding the nonprofit name will associate the listing with your company page, making it accessible via the “Jobs” tab.
Next, add a description (max of 10,000 characters). Include detailed information in this field, such as volunteer role requirements, special skills (if applicable) and a description of your non-profit. You also should include key event information, such as an event overview and the date(s), time(s) and location(s).
Click “Continue” to view additional job settings. For instance, you can add screening questions or rejection settings to help filter out unqualified candidates. You also have the option to manage applications on LinkedIn or through an external site, and you can add a hiring frame to your profile image if desired.
Next, you may add must-have and preferred qualifications to help control who sees your listings. This feature is only available if you plan to run a paid promotion. Skip this and click “Post job for free” if you’re not ready to launch a paid listing.
To confirm you work for your non-profit, you will be prompted to add your company email address to receive a verification code before you can publish the volunteer listing.
Once it’s live, share the volunteer opportunity on your nonprofit’s LinkedIn page and encourage team members to share it on their personal LinkedIn profiles to help spread the word.
TARGET INDIVIDUALS INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING
Launch a paid ad campaign to increase the visibility of your volunteer opportunity and target ideal candidates. Your nonprofit will need a LinkedIn ad account, and you must have access to that account to create an ad campaign for your volunteer opportunity.
Once your ad account is set up, go to linkedin.com/campaignmanager or go to the “For Business” menu and select “Advertise on LinkedIn” to create a campaign. Click on your nonprofit’s ad account and click “Create.” Select “campaign” from the dropdown menu.
Add your campaign name (e.g., Name of Event – volunteer promotion) and select your campaign objective. If you are promoting an existing listing, select “Job applicants” in the “Conversions” column. Set the start and end dates for your campaign, or you may have it run continuously.
Of note, there will be another opportunity to set start and end dates at the ad set level (e.g., the next step). Select “Classic” as your ad set type and click “next.” This is where you will add your targeting.
Start by naming your ad set and setting up your target audience. Then add the location you would like to target (e.g., the same city/area as your event) and click “Narrow” under “Who is your target audience?” Select job titles like “volunteer” or “community volunteer,” as well as member skills like “volunteering,” “nonprofit volunteering” and/or “volunteer management” to target individuals who are likely open to volunteering at your event.
Select additional member skills or audience attributes as needed and save your audience. Make sure to name it something you can easily recognize later–this could be useful in the future for recurring events.
Next, select your ad format (e.g., single job), set your daily budget (minimum is $10 per day) and schedule, and then click “next” to set up your ad. Click “create new ad.” Name the ad, add some introductory text, which is text that will appear above the job posting, and connect your existing volunteer listing by searching the URL or by keyword.
Use the introductory text to capture the attention of prospective applicants by including concise and intriguing language (e.g., “make a difference”) related to the event or volunteer role. When you’re finished, save and launch the ad. It may take a day or two for LinkedIn to approve the ad before it begins delivering to your target audience.
USE LINKEDIN’S NONPROFIT RESOURCES AND VOLUNTEER MARKETPLACE
Launched in 2014, the LinkedIn Volunteer Marketplace was specifically created to help nonprofits attract skilled volunteers. For instance, the marketplace allows nonprofits to post volunteer opportunities to the platform for free or for a discounted rate. Plus, it integrates with Idealist, which merged with VolunteerMatch, to streamline your volunteer search efforts.
Your nonprofit must have a LinkedIn page (not a group or individual profile) to participate. You can then connect your page to Idealist to crosspost your volunteer opportunities on both platforms, thus increasing their visibility.
LinkedIn for Nonprofits also has a plethora of other resources that can help your nonprofit stand out and recruit volunteers for your event.