How can a non-profit organization benefit from Instagram?

Instagram sits at over one billion users, and its numbers continue to climb, so there is no better time than now to integrate Instagram into your non-profit’s marketing mix.

To convince you further, here are five ways a non-profit can benefit from Instagram:

It is an easy way to reach a socially-aware younger audience.
It has several functions to tell the story behind your non-profit, and the lives it is affecting.
It allows for real-time posting from your events, fundraisers, and activities.
It facilitates more engagement with your non-profit and encourages sharing it with others.
Through hashtags, ads, and location markers, you can reach a new audience outside of your existing mail list.

Now that you have seen some of the benefits of using Instagram for your non-profit let’s discuss best practices to get you started in the right direction.

Set up your account as a business profile. This allows you to add buttons for your phone, address, and email. Plus, it gives you access to insights about your account and gives you access to ad creation.
Post engaging high-resolution photos or videos several times a week, and check your notifications for comments. Respond to all comments as soon as possible to let your followers know you care!
Use Instagram as a way to tell a story by not only featuring the people, animals, or other organizations you help but also by also showcasing the people behind the scenes that make it all happen.
Use up to 30 hashtags on your posts, including some popular hashtags, mixed with much more specific hashtags (think #restaurant vs. #sacramentorestaurant). Create a branded hashtag for your non-profit and use it consistently on every post. You can also create a hashtag for your fundraising event, and encourage participants to use it to spread the word even farther.
If your non-profit is local, use location markers so people that search for content in your area might see your post.
Get interactive by using Instagram Stories to post real-time updates, and ask people questions, polls, and quizzes. Don’t forget! Instagram Stories also have a Donation sticker you can add to your Story to collect donations on the spot!
Tell longer stories about your non-profit by using IGTV to host a video. Put a one-minute teaser in your main Instagram feed to lure people over to IGTV.
If you need your post seen by a larger audience than what you get organically, use the promoted post feature to buy an ad that goes to your target audience.