Instagram for nonprofits: a picture’s worth a thousand words

The perfect storm of mobile and image-based technology. Check out the Instagram profile, Nonprofit Organizations, a portal to all nonprofit organizations.

Instagram combines two of the most powerful forces in the social technology market—mobile and photo sharing—to create a platform that truly offers a unique value. It’s is a way for a brand to employ visual storytelling. It can have continuity and artistic value. Also, with the absence of advertising, business uses for an Instagram profile center around awareness and branding. This is why we think nonprofits can get great use out of the Instagram app.

Below are helpful tips to help your nonprofit get the most out of this tool. These tips are taken from Mobile for Good: A How-To Fundraising Guide for Nonprofits.

1. Report Live on Instagram

Report live from the field or from events and conferences, to capture moments and events in real-time through photos and video. Try to include a short caption, and like other social networks, inspirational quotes and powerful stats to increase engagement.

2. Share Screenshots of Photos or Regram

Use the screenshot function on your smartphone to add images to your smartphone’s photo library that can then be shared on Instagram. You can create screenshots of your own photos or of images that you have posted on other social networks and then share them. You can also share screenshots of interesting and relevant photos posted by others. When using images from others, be sure to tag them if they have a presence on Instagram using the “Add People” function.

3. Add Hashtags to Captions, and Like the Photos of Others

Nonprofits that consistently use hashtags on Instagram have twice as many followers as those that don’t. Instagram users regularly monitor hashtags. This will help your nonprofit gain more exposure to potential new followers. And since the predominant of users is 18-29, this is a great way to reach out to a younger audience. In addition to your event and cause awareness campaign hashtags, your nonprofit should also monitor and use the hashtags that are most popular. Also, as part of your event reporting and cause awareness campaigns, you can crowdsource images and videos on Instagram by asking your followers to use your hashtag when sharing images.

 5. Share at Least One Image Daily

Like all social media platforms, to gain followers on Instagram, you must be active. If possible, post once in the morning and once in the afternoon or evening. Images and video have peak activity during the first four hours after sharing, so to be consistently active, you need to post twice daily. If you cannot be active that often, then sharing one image or video daily is enough activity to build a following slowly but surely over time.

One of our favorite accounts is the Humane Society of America. They have such great content to work with (animals!!!) and do a great job of sharing real life stories though pictures.

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