A nonprofit organization has to communicate what its mission is, how it plans to achieve objectives, and why donating money to its cause is so important.
You can can spend hours writing thousands of words but there are times when that really isn’t necessary. The old adage, “a picture is worth 1000 words” is very accurate in this day of social media. A nonprofit organization can deliver a strong message to the right people by using Pinterest and Instagram.
The Demographics
According to SproutSocial Pinterest currently has 291 million monthly active users, with 79.5% being female. And Instagram has about 1 billion active monthly users. It is also interesting to note that 64% of 18-29 year olds use Instagram. (These are 2019 numbers.)
A nonprofit organization has to be aware of the demographic groups it chooses to target and Pinterest and Instagram should not be ignored. The same people who use either are likely also on other social media platforms, and they could easily become followers of established nonprofit account on other sites as well.
Shaping Your Group’s Message on Pinterest and Instagram
Pictures tell the story on either platform. A nonprofit can best use Pinterest and Instagram by posting pictures and visuals that highlight its mission and activities. Interesting pictures of events can grab a person’s attention and are better than just using statements.
To establish a connection with a visitor, the nonprofit can post pictures of what goes on behind the scenes. Funny pictures of staff members at office parties or events, or ones that show delivery of service can warm the heart of your supporters or potential supporters.
It is a serious rule of social media that content is king and neither site need be limited to just photos. Content can be posted but the important thing is that it should be interesting to look at, with information that is educational, useful and sharable. Using graphics and short paragraphs with bullets quickly convey your non-profit’s message.
(Check out Unicef’s Instagram and Pinterest pages.)
Both platforms also have functions that can maximize their use.Instagram Direct will allow you to choose a specific person to receive a special message along with the photo. This can help with targeted fundraising and a picture along with a message adds special emphasis to what is being communicated. The same can be done on Pinterest with Pinteresting.
These are both means by which a personal relationship of sorts can be developed between the followers and your nonprofit organization. If it is done on a regular basis and when the time comes for launching a fundraiser, your followers don’t have to be educated on the mission or the objectives. In fact, they may have already developed a connection with the nonprofit organization to the point where they are willing to donate without a lot of prompting.
Also read: Checklist: Create Your Social Media Strategy
Tools for Spreading Your Message on Instagram and Pinterest
Instagram is a photo app and you can only post via a mobile Apple device or an Android device; however, you can still view any account on a PC as well. (Of course, there are apps and tips for posting via PC, but they generally don’t offer all functionalities that the app has.) Instagram is set up to easily share pictures on the go or during an event.
Instagram and Pinterest will both connect with various other social media networks. It is possible to post on Pinterest via mobile devices in addition to a traditional PC.
The ability for your message to be spread across a lot of channels through Pinterest and Instagram is a definite advantage for any small nonprofit organization engaged in a fund-raising campaign.
Use Your Imagination
Fundraising and attracting a follower base is serious business but that does not mean it can’t be fun at the same time. Pinterest and Instagram allow a poster to be extremely creative which is excellent for any marketing. Followers want to see pictures that are attention-grabbing and share-worthy. Sharing and re-posting images results in new visitors and followers to your non-profit’s social media accounts.
The question at this point would be which platforms should be used or should perhaps both be used? That is really up to the decision-makers of the nonprofit organization. What is essential, though, is to take a look at the demographics. What group do you want to target? It may be a situation where in a given campaign emphasis placed on one platform while the other just received routine posting maintenance.
Pinterest and Instagram have the potential to spread the message and attract potential donors with visuals. People enjoy looking at pictures and if used properly these same photos may convert them into active followers.
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