Growing a Nonprofit Organization on Instagram
Instagram for Nonprofits
Instagram is one of the best social media platforms for nonprofits to reach potential supporters and donors. The platform's visual nature allows users to share stories, show impact, and promote their mission in a more engaging way. In 2020-2021, over half of donors said they were as likely or more likely to learn about new causes and donate through social media compared to other mediums. This highlights the importance of having an active presence on Instagram for nonprofits who want to generate support and donations in 2022 and beyond. Nonprofits should create content to engage their followers by highlighting their mission, sharing stories that show impact, creating compelling visuals, and actively responding to comments. By utilizing Instagram's powerful storytelling capabilities and building meaningful relationships with their audiences, nonprofits can effectively grow their organization on this popular social platform.
Business Accounts
Making your nonprofit's profile a business profile on Instagram is a great way to increase visibility and reach more people. When you register as a business, you can add your website and contact information, so potential donors can easily contact you. You can also list yourself as a nonprofit so visitors immediately understand your social mission. With the insights available to business accounts, like engagement and impressions, it's easier to analyze how effective specific content strategies are for your organization. Additionally, Instagram provides e-commerce options that allow you to directly sell branded products and experiences to supporters or start a fundraiser on Instagram!
Instagram Bios
A great way to start is by crafting a compelling Instagram bio. You are limited to 150 characters, so it's important to get straight to the point, draw attention with emojis and campaign hashtags, and include a call-to-action.
Using these strategies, you can craft an Instagram bio that effectively communicates your mission and provides resources for those who want to support your cause. Remember: keep it short, sweet, and focused on your target audience!
Instagram Stories
Stories can be used to capture events such as volunteer activities, fundraising campaigns, or even small everyday moments like a staff member getting coffee or a group of volunteers working together. By sharing these moments in real time, nonprofits can show potential donors and supporters what they are doing and how they are making an impact.
Stories also allow nonprofits to experiment with different media formats and styles. They can use videos, images, GIFs, and other creative media elements to capture their work and express themselves in ways that don't fit their usual visual aesthetic. With Instagram Stories, nonprofits can bring more attention to their cause and drive engagement from followers who may not have noticed them otherwise.
Save Stories to Highlights
Remember to save your stories to Story Highlights on your page to ensure they reach the most people possible. This way, users who visit your page will see these highlights featured prominently at the top of your profile so that they won't miss out on any critical updates from your organization. Compared to an Instagram post that gets lower and lower on your page once you upload more photos to your profile. All in all, Instagram Stories can be an effective way for a nonprofit organization to get more engagement and spread its message far and wide!
Post Video Content
Video content is crucial for any nonprofit organization looking to grow their Instagram presence. There are several ways to leverage video through Instagram, but two of the most popular are Instagram Reels and Instagram Video.
Instagram Reels allows users to create 15-second videos with filters, music, and other creative tools. It's similar to TikTok and can help your organization capture the attention of a younger audience. Meanwhile, Instagram Video makes posting longer videos on the platform easy. Both features let you share stories engagingly, encouraging people to take action or donate.
When creating video content for your nonprofit's Instagram page, keep it concise and focus on stories that evoke emotion or illustrate the impact of your work in a creative way. You can also use these videos as part of a more extensive campaign or series that promotes your cause over time. With more video content, you'll be able to reach more people and increase engagement with your organization's mission.
Answer Direct Messages Promptly
Direct messages (DMs) are a great way for nonprofit organizations to connect one-on-one with their supporters on Instagram. By responding to followers' Stories and responding to inquiries, nonprofits can build strong relationships with their audience. However, this process can be time consuming and require much staff attention. Therefore, we recommend having a social media manager or someone in charge of answering your direct messages to ensure all questions or comments are acknowledged.
Schedule Posts
Schedule posts ahead of time to save precious time that you can use to engage with your supporters instead. When posting on Instagram, a tool lets you schedule automated posts. If you are still deciding precisely when you would like to post, you can even save drafts, meaning you can create them in bulk and then post them strategically when the time is right without spending time creating new content.
Scheduling your posts ahead of time ensures that your followers will always see the content at the most optimal times and helps drive engagement. It's also a great way to ensure you don't miss important deadlines or campaigns related to your nonprofit organization. With the right automation tools and an organized strategy, you can ensure that your messages get seen by the right people at the right time while still having plenty of energy left over to engage with your audience.
Use Hashtags
Using hashtags on Instagram is an effective way for nonprofit organizations to reach new followers. Hashtags are clickable links that people can add to posts, ads, and Stories. They help increase the discoverability of content and make it easier for potential followers to find your posts. Use popular hashtags such as #GivingTuesday, # nonprofit, and so on to maximize your reach. When people click on these hashtags, they'll be directed to a feed filled with similar posts—hopefully, yours will be among them! In addition, it would help if you created unique hashtags specific to your organization or cause to track engagement and measure success easily. With the right combination of popular and custom hashtags, you can attract new followers and grow your nonprofit's presence on Instagram.
Tag Posts
Tagging is an essential part of growing a nonprofit organization on Instagram. It lets you thank sponsors, recognize volunteers, and promote events with other organizations in a visible and memorable way. By tagging each party involved in your posts, you ensure they will see the post, which can help build relationships and foster goodwill between all parties. It's also great for free marketing as it increases the visibility of your post, meaning more people are likely to see it in their Feeds. Plus, when other accounts tag you in their content or share your content, it further boosts awareness and engagement with potential supporters. So remember to add tags to every post - it could be the difference between building relationships with key stakeholders or missing out on a great opportunity!
Link in Your Bio
Strategically using the link in your Instagram bio is a great way to grow your nonprofit organization. This can be done by changing the link with each new fundraising campaign or other initiatives you have going on. Additionally, since you cannot post hyperlinks within your posts, it's important to indicate that the link is in your bio when posting about a new campaign or initiative. By doing this, you are able to drive more donors and supporters to your website without having to clutter up your posts with multiple links. This strategy also helps give Instagram a cleaner feel, making it more attractive to potential followers.
Casual Posting
When it comes to growing your nonprofit organization on Instagram, don't be all about business all the time. Sure, you want to post content relevant to your mission and work, but sometimes it pays off to shake things up.
Posting fun content – like pictures of an office pet or candid photos from an event can help you reach more of your target audience and keep them around for longer. This will allow users to feel more connected with your organization and its mission.
Your nonprofit doesn't have to lose sight of its mission while growing on Instagram; instead, try adding some personality into the mix so your followers can connect with you on a deeper level.
What to Post to Maximize Success
Using Instagram to grow your nonprofit organization can be incredibly powerful, especially using the right content. Here are multiple types of content that consistently get high engagement:
1. Tell stories with visuals.
People love to hear about how your organization is making a difference and impacting people's lives. So use visuals like photos and videos to tell stories and draw in followers who want to know more about your mission.
2. Share success stories.
Showing how your organization has positively impacted individuals' lives is a great way to build trust and show success. Ask permission from those involved before sharing their story on social media, and make sure you provide context, so readers understand why their story matters.
3. Sharing volunteer stories.
One of the best ways to motivate others and highlight the impact of their work. By hearing from current and former volunteers, potential recruits can gain insights into the various roles available and understand why their assistance is so important. Sharing positive feedback from existing volunteers is also a great way to show appreciation for their work and build enthusiasm for getting involved in future projects.
4. Engage followers with questions or polls.
People love feeling heard, so ask them what they think or give them the opportunity to vote on something related to your organization's work or mission. This will help keep them engaged with your page and help you better understand what type of content resonates best with your followers.
5. Instagram users love quotes—
they get a lot of engagement and often let you express yourself meaningfully. Quotes are especially popular with nonprofits, who use them to relate their cause to a larger audience. A recent example of such a post would be, "Check in on a friend. You never know what someone is dealing with privately." This inspiring message resonated strongly with Instagram users supporting others or enjoys encouraging messages. This post would fit well in with a nonprofit that supports mental health. Whether it's something inspirational or simply something to put a smile on people's faces, quotes are an effective way for nonprofits to grow their following on Instagram because when an Instagram user likes a post, they often reshare it to their own story.
Conclusion
We hope by following these tips; you will realize that Instagram is a great way for your nonprofit to reach a wider audience than you ever could before. Once you use these practices more and more, you will become more comfortable posting and sharing your nonprofit's thoughts, mission, and extra content that is related to your nonprofit without any trouble. The more you post, the more natural it will come to you as well as look to your viewers. Keep posting, and your reach will continue to reach a larger audience, in turn helping your nonprofit. Fundraising 
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