The honest truth about social media and fundraising
Most teens use social media every day — but almost none of them use it to raise money. That is a massive missed opportunity.
When you are fundraising for an expedition, social media gives you something incredibly valuable: a direct line to hundreds of people who already know you and want to see you succeed. Your followers are not strangers — they are friends, family, classmates, and their networks. That is a warm audience that most businesses would pay a fortune to reach.
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Think about this: If you have 300 followers and just 10% of them donate £5 each, that is £150 raised from a single post. Now imagine posting regularly, telling your story, and building momentum over months.
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What most people get wrong
The biggest mistake teen fundraisers make on social media is treating it like a charity tin — just posting 'please donate' over and over again.
That does not work. People scroll past it. They feel awkward. They do not know why they should care.
What does work is telling a story. People do not donate to causes — they donate to people. They want to know who you are, why this trip matters to you, what you are going to do, and how you are getting on. That is what this course teaches you to create.
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Just posting 'please donate' — people ignore it
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Only posting when you need money — feels desperate
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Using generic captions — nobody connects with it
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Telling your story consistently — people invest in you
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Sharing your progress and setbacks — people feel part of the journey
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Mixing fundraising with content about your trip — people get excited for you
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What this course will teach you
Over the next six lessons, you will learn how to build a social media presence that genuinely raises money — without feeling awkward or pushy.
1
Set up your fundraising profile on Instagram or TikTok
2
Create content that people actually want to see
3
Use hashtags and captions effectively
4
Use Stories and Reels to reach more people
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Build a simple posting plan that you can stick to
Quick check — make sure this has landed
What is the most effective approach to social media fundraising?
Post 'please donate' as often as possible
Tell your story consistently and share your journey
Only post when you have a fundraising event coming up
Keep your fundraising completely separate from your personal account
✏️ Your first task — look at your current profile
Open your Instagram or TikTok profile right now. Look at it as if you were a stranger. Does it tell the story of your expedition? Does it make someone want to follow your journey? In the next lesson, you will learn how to set it up properly.
Good — now you have a baseline. In Lesson 2, you will learn exactly how to set up your profile so it tells your story from the first second someone lands on it.