Social Media Ideas, Storytelling Strategy
Top 5 Instagram, TikTok & Facebook Tips for Nonprofits
In today’s era of technology, social media for nonprofits and foundations has become essential to establish a strong digital presence and ultimately raise more funds. Every platform has unique features that meet the preferences of a wide range of audiences, including those most important to you – potential donors! I’ve put together a thorough guide with the best advice for making interesting content for Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. This guide will help great change-makers like you successfully navigate the ever-changing social media scene.
5 Tips for Instagram
- Utilize Stories & Reels: Leverage Instagram Stories and Reels to deliver engaging product tutorials, entertaining or funny content, and exclusive behind-the-scenes glimpses to your followers. Reels, in particular, are effective for boosting brand awareness and increasing visibility. These features facilitate authentic connections with your audience and provide opportunities for creative expression.
- Enhance Visual Aesthetics: Instagram thrives on visually captivating content. Uploading high-quality images and videos that resonate with your nonprofit’s aesthetic is crucial for fostering audience engagement. Utilize editing tools such as Canva, Adobe, SnapSeed, and CapCut to enhance your visuals and make them stand out in users’ feeds and timelines. Experiment with trending filters to add flair to your content.
- Maximize Hashtag Potential: Research and incorporate relevant hashtags to enhance the discoverability and reach of your posts. Combine trending hashtags with industry-specific ones to broaden your audience while maintaining relevance. Strategic hashtag usage can significantly boost post visibility and encourage interaction from users.
- Maintain Consistent Posting: Consistency is key to retaining audience interest. Maintaining a regular publishing schedule increases the likelihood that your followers will stay interested and look forward to your posts. Posting consistently guarantees that your content shows up in the feeds of your followers and enhances your nonprofit’s visibility on Instagram. To ensure consistency, stick to a posting schedule and make use of automated postings.
- Build Connections with Your Audience: Develop genuine connections with your audience by actively engaging with messages, comments, and tags/mentions. Genuine interest is shown through authentic engagement, which also builds brand loyalty. Making your brand more approachable by interacting with clients in this way enables you to build genuine relationships.
5 Tips for TikTok
- Participate in Trends: Stay updated on the latest TikTok memes and trends and, when suitable, integrate them into your content strategies. This demonstrates your nonprofit’s relevance, cultural awareness, and active participation within the platform’s dynamic community. Engaging with popular trends facilitates connection with TikTok’s younger demographic, positioning your organization as contemporary and relatable. Incorporating trending topics also expands your audience reach and ensures your content remains current and relatable.
- Create Short-Form Videos: TikTok’s algorithm favors concise and captivating content, so ensure your videos are brief and to the point. Capture your audience’s attention within the first few seconds and convey your message quickly and effectively. Keeping videos under 60 seconds increases the likelihood of retaining viewers’ interest and securing essential views.
- Take Part in Challenges: Identify trending challenges that align with your nonprofit or content niche and participate in them. Offer a fresh and innovative approach for promoting your nonprofit or your programs. Leveraging viral challenges presents opportunities to enhance brand visibility and engagement within the TikTok community.
- Engage With Your Audience: Cultivate meaningful interactions with your followers by actively liking and commenting on their content. Consider duetting or stitching videos from other users to answer their questions. Building a sense of community and inclusivity on TikTok is important for success. Engaging with your audience not only increases the likelihood of future interactions with your content but also provides valuable feedback to the algorithm, informing it about which users to prioritize in showing your content to next.
- Use Your Creativity: TikTok thrives on authenticity and creativity, so leverage your creative talents to the fullest. Experiment with different editing formats, styles, and music choices to produce compelling content that resonates with your audience. Providing original and innovative content increases the likelihood of capturing more attention and creating amazing connections with viewers.
5 Tips for Facebook
- Join Facebook Groups: Join relevant communities on Facebook that align with your community and mission to connect with like-minded individuals and ultimately find new donors and volunteers. Engage in group discussions, offer assistance, and subtly promote your nonprofit to build relationships and establish credibility. Your active participation and expertise contribute to increasing positive engagement. Particularly for new or small organizations aiming to establish a bigger presence, participation in groups can provide valuable feedback and support.
- Find Your Optimal Posting Times: Experiment with posting at different times throughout the day to identify when your audience is most active and likely to engage with your content. Posting during peak activity periods increases the visibility of your posts and encourages interaction, signaling to the Facebook algorithm to prioritize your content. Utilize Facebook Insights to analyze the performance of your posts and determine the most effective times to connect with your target audience.
- Use Visual Storytelling: Use eye-catching videos, photos, and graphics to draw in viewers and successfully communicate the story of your nonprofit. Facebook users are more likely to connect with visual material, so take the time to produce eye-catching images that effectively tell your nonprofit’s narrative and connect with your target audience.
- Engage in Valuable Interactions: Meaningful interactions are highly wanted because simply scrolling through your Facebook feed without engaging with others can lead to feelings of discontent. To enhance interaction on your Facebook posts, prompt discussions, conduct polls, and share thought-provoking content. Focus on producing material that encourages engagement, as Facebook’s algorithm favors content that fosters meaningful interactions.
- Prioritize Community – Generated Content: Incorporate authenticity by showcasing content created by your community: program participants, volunteers, staff, board members and donors. This approach helps others relate to your content and demonstrates legitimacy. Additionally, content created by your supporters serves as trusted testimonials, highlighting the impact your nonprofit is making. This can enhance trust and credibility in your brand.
You can improve your social media for nonprofits strategy and increase the reach and engagement of your audience on all platforms by implementing these tips. Whether you’re using the visually appealing content on Instagram, the community-focused approach on Facebook, or the trend-driven content on TikTok, you need to modify your content and strategies to fit the unique features and preferences of all the social media for nonprofits platforms. This adaptable strategy guarantees deep engagement with your audience on all platforms, ultimately producing the greatest outcomes.
About the Author
Jade-Lynn Beltran
Marketing Intern, MemoryFox
As a marketing intern at MemoryFox, Jade-Lynn is dedicated to ethical storytelling practices. With a background in business administration marketing from San Diego State University, she brings a passion for helping nonprofits, evident through her work at MemoryFox and volunteering experiences, including coaching young cheerleaders and assisting those in need through various community initiatives. Connect with Jade on LinkedIn.