How to Use Instagram for Nonprofits

We all have a little pro photographer nature in us. But for most, becoming a world-renowned, award-winning photographer is out of the picture. That’s where Instagram comes in. With cool features and settings, we can transform everyday photos into pieces of art. But we need to know what Instagram is?
Instagram is a social network that operates through a smart phone application. It lets you take a picture and, with filters and contrast, turn it into an extraordinary work of art. When you are finished altering your photo, you can post it directly to Facebook and Twitter to easily share with friends and family. You don’t have to be a professional to create amazing photos your supporters will love. With Instagram, anyone can do it.
Here is a list of tips that will help nonprofits make the most of Instagram.
First off Show who you are:
More than most other businesses, your audience wants to know who you are. They want to see your personality and meet the people behind the doors of your nonprofit. Your biggest strength is the passionate community you already have. Take advantage of it.
Instagram is a fantastic place for you to show your audience who you are and what you do. Take pictures of your staff doing what they do every day. Take pictures of your volunteers working hard for the cause. Go behind the scenes to show your personality and what you stand for.
An Instagram is worth a thousand words
As a nonprofit, you probably hold more events and fundraisers than other businesses. This is a great opportunity to show your supporters what they can expect from your events. It’s also a simple way to promote your next event.
Taking pictures of your event is great, taking pictures of people at your event is terrific, but taking pictures of volunteers in action is powerful. Have your event attendees take pictures and use a designated hashtag to group all of these images together or use your handle when publishing the image. That’s right…Instagram allows you to use hashtags! If you’re not familiar with hashtags, they’re basically a fancy term for the actual # symbol used in front of a word or phrase on Instagram. Hashtags help categorize photos so that they can be easily found.
Build awareness with hashtags
Just like Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn, Instagram uses hashtags to group images together. A large number of people peruse Instagram by searching for their favorite hashtags. Make sure to use this technique.
There are many hashtags out there that can help build awareness. Search around and find the ones that are right for you. Some of the most popular hashtags are #nonprofit #csr or #socialgood, but there are plenty for you to choose from.
Remember though, if you are going to use hashtags, you should only share your photo with other social networks that also use hashtags.
Connect the dots            
One of the best features of Instagram is how easy it is to connect your account with your Twitter, Facebook, Email, Tumblr, Flickr, Foursquare, and even your website. This makes Instagram a dynamic tool that can help you build awareness and connect with your audience.
Get comfortable with something new
The best way to get to know any new social network is to take the time to see how other nonprofits and businesses are using it. Or to consult us to address your social media requirements. So that we can handle all your needs.