There are many different social media platforms an organization can use to increase visibility and connect with potential donors, volunteers, and clients/customers. It is important to know which platforms to use to attract maximized attention to your organization. Instagram is the second most used social media platform because of its photo sharing and social networking application. If your organization is wanting to join social media and is researching if Instagram is the right platform to use, then you’re in the right place. Flyer Consulting will highlight how Instagram can help bring attention to your organization.
When determining the optimal social media platform for your organization, it is important to know your target market, a particular group of consumers at which a product or service is aimed. If your organization is trying to attract millennial (ages 25 to 40) and Gen Z (ages 9 to 24) demographics, then Instagram may be the right platform for your organization. According to Hootsuite, Instagram users are predominantly women under 30 and live in the United States. It is good to use Instagram to reach the younger generation and provide a more visual representation of your organization, because Instagram is all about getting existing and potential customers excited about what you do.
Instagram is used by organizations for many different reasons. On Instagram, organizations can share their story through photos and videos to increase visibility and connect users to your mission. Storytelling is a way to invoke emotions and emotion invoke reactions and reactions help your organization. Organizations should post frequently on Instagram in order to keep people interested and involved. Instagram allows organizations to share news in real time. Your frequency of posts can depend on what your organization is focused on such as selling products, services, or asking for donations/volunteers. Instagram offers different features that can be used to highlight different aspects of your organization and help build viewership.
If your organization sells products, then the Instagram Shopping feature may be beneficial for your organization. The Instagram Shopping feature can allow your organization to promote products and sell them directly through instagram or link it to your website. It is the best way to convert followers to shoppers. Your organization can tag products directly in post and bring followers or viewers directly to your shopping page. It is the best way to create a seamless shopping experience for your customers and allow for a quick and easy checkout.
If your organization is not selling products but selling services the best way to bring followers to your website is to have it linked in your bio. Instagram allows anyone to provide links in their bios that can take them directly to certain pages. This is another effortless way to bring followers or viewers to your website and create an awareness of your services. Flyer Consulting encourages all organizations to link their websites in their bio because it is such a good way to bring people to your website.
Third Instagram feature that is good to utilize is Instagram Lives. Instagram Live is a good way to show your followers what you are doing at a certain moment. If your organization focuses on making your own products, then it may be beneficial to start an Instagram Live of you making a product. This can be a good way to show your followers all the effort that is put into creating a certain product and connect them to the product. If you are wanting to encourage people to volunteer, then it can help to create an Instagram Live on what a day as a volunteer looks like and answer some questions that come up. Instagram Lives can be used in any way that can show followers what you do, how you do something, and connect them to your organization in real time.
Instagram stories is a tool used to create “stories” about content that is open for viewing for 24 hours. Posting stories of your organization allows viewers to have real time news. This is in hopes to attract followers, gain donors, and bring awareness to your organization. Another feature that is similar to Instagram Live but allows followers to view content any time of the day and not only when a Live is going on. Instagram Stories can also help to retain information by using features such as Poll Stickers, Slide Stickers, Question Stickers, and Quiz Stickers.
If Instagram is right for your organization, it is important to make a business account rather than a common account. When you create a business account on Instagram, you gain access to analytics such as follower growth, impressions, reach, and engagement. Your organization is capable of tracking engagement on your page and providing insights on what people enjoy and what they don’t.
If your organization is already using Facebook, then adding Instagram is a click away. Facebook and Instagram are linked platforms and content can be posted on both at the same time. There are many perks to creating an Instagram account for your nonprofit, but it is important to know its uses. If your organization is looking to increase engagement with 18-35 year olds and provide a visual representation of your organization then Instagram is right for you.