How can nonprofits use Instagram?

Instagram is a great platform for all types of businesses to use. I’ve written about it multiple times in the past year or so, but many nonprofits may wonder how they can actually use the social media platform. Here are some ways nonprofits can use Instagram.

Figure out what’s visual about your mission

Instagram is the definitive platform for engaging, visual content. To post there, you have to determine what’s visual about your organization’s mission.

Help people? If it makes sense, post pictures of smiling people, either while you’re helping them or after they’ve been helped. You can also download and use stock photos from a platform such as Depositphotos. It’s honestly worth the investment.

Work with animals? Photos of animals tend to get a lot of engagement on Instagram. How could they not? Take tons of pictures of your adorable animals! We love to see it.

Do you help kids? You’ll need to get the appropriate permission, of course, but photos of kids get a lot of engagement. Again, stock photos are also an option.

Are you focused on the arts? Anything visual, creative, or eye-capturing makes great Instagram content. People love to see featured art from talented artists.

What if nothing is visual about your mission?

With all of those examples, it’s easy to see how you can come up with visual content, but what about when it isn’t so obvious? What about when there are privacy concerns?

Here are some ideas when visual content isn’t as obvious:

• Inspirational quotes related to your mission
• Staff photos with fun facts
• Questions with accompanying stock photos
• Video tutorials
• Pictures of your workspace
• Utilize daily or trending hashtags

Post regularly

Now that you have some ideas for what to post, it’s time to start sharing your photos and images! If you want to get the most out of Instagram, post daily—at the very least. I’ve talked about how BANGS Shoes posts more than once a day, and they get tons of interaction as a result.

Do you have to post every single day? No, of course not. For some organizations, even once a week can provide some benefit. Determine what’s best for you! You can always experiment and change strategy if you aren’t getting the engagement you want.

Interact with others for followers and engagement

Success on social media, especially Instagram, is all about getting people engaged. Leann wrote a great article on “How to get more engagement on Instagram.”

The short version of how to get more engagement? Engage with other accounts on Instagram that are active and related to what your nonprofit does! Do it consistently over time, and you’ll gain followers who are way more likely to be engaged with you than a random Instagram account would be.

Take great photos

Finally, if your photos stink, Instagram won’t do you a lot of good. If you’re going to use Instagram for your nonprofit, become a student of photography, hire a professional, or find a professional who will volunteer. Remember, a better camera doesn’t always mean better photos. A bad camera in the hands of a good photographer is better than a good camera in the hands of a bad photographer.

Every day, 500 million active users access the Instagram app. Don’t miss out on spreading the word about your nonprofit and its mission!