hbp instagram best practices

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INSTAGRAM*: BEST PRACTICES FOR NONPROFITS

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INSTAGRAM*: BEST PRACTICES FOR NONPROFITS

*Social media platform used to share stories and experiences with others through photos and short captions

Quick facts about Instagram users:

26% of online adults use Instagram

64% are women, 36% are men

73% of users are between 15 and 35 years old

70% are have already taken part in contest (i.e. posting photo to enter to win prize)

33% of users think the easiest way to enter a contest is to post using an official hashtag (#)

70% have looked for a brand (company, organization, product, etc.) on Instagram

41% would follow a brand to benefit from special offers

76% believe receiving likes encourages them to post more frequently

65% of users feel flattered if a brand likes one of their posts

46% have higher education degrees

62% follow a brand they already love/like

54% follow a brand to discover new things

48% follow a brand that has interesting and funny content (posts and photos)

*Information from:

http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheets/social-networking-fact-sheet/

http://blog.iconosquare.com/11-instagram-facts-every-marketer-must-know/

How to post a photo on Instagram:

Tap the blue camera icon at the bottom center of the app screen

Take a picture or choose a photo from your phones album

Tap the blue button to take a picture

Tape the gallery button on the lower left to choose a previously taken photo

Edit your image

Why do this? Visually appealing photos are everything on Instagram, so feel free to lighten up a dark photo or make something black and white for a dramatic look! Play around with filters and settings until you get an image you are happy with

Hit next in the top right corner

Add caption. This is where you will also include your relevant hashtags!

Tag people in picture by tapping on the Tag People button. Select the person in the picture you want to tag and searching for their username

Tag your location by selecting Name This Location. Its a good idea to tag your location wherever you are, especially when you are attending fundraisers and events at other locations.

Select other social networks to share this post on if desired

Share photos to Facebook! This will let your Facebook followers know your Instagram exists and encourage them to follow you if they arent already

How to post a video on Instagram:

WHY? Videos bring a new visual way to share stories with your target audience! Videos add a new dimension to the idea of visual storytelling

Tap the blue camera icon at the bottom center of the app screen

Tap the camera button in the bottom right corner.

Tap the gallery button on the lower right to choose a previously taken photo

Press the red button to record a 15 second video

Edit your video

Edit the length of your video here. Because it can only be 15 seconds, youll want to choose the best 15 minute segment to post!

Hit next in the top right corner

Add caption. This is where you will also include your relevant hashtags!

Tag people in picture by tapping on the Tag People button. Select the person in the picture you want to tag and searching for their username

Tag your location by selecting Name This Location. Its a good idea to tag your location wherever you are, especially when you are attending fundraisers and events at other locations.

Select other social networks to share this post on if desired

Share photos to Facebook! This will let your Facebook followers know your Instagram exists and encourage them to follow you if they arent already

How to tag others on Instagram:

Using the @ symbol followed by a users handle (name) will allow you to tag that user directly. They will be notified that you have tagged them.

What is a hashtag (#)? Why use it?

A hashtag is a word or phrase used on social media sites (such as Instagram and Twitter) to identify messages on a specific topic

Using a hashtag turns that particular word or phrase into a searchable linkthis helps connect your organization to a particular topic or discussion.

Clicking on a hashtag allows you to see all the posts with that particular hashtag.

Hashtags help others discover your account and photos when they search for a particular hashtag (i.e. #ShelterPets)

How to make/use hashtags (#)?

DO:

Use popular hashtags to help make it easier for others to find your account. While its great to be creative occasionally (i.e. when youre posting about a specific Homeward Bound Pets fundraiser and decide to use the hashtag #HelpHomewardBoundPets), using common hashtags will increase the chance of others finding and following Homeward Bound Pets

Be specific! This will help connect Homeward Bound Pets to users with similar interests and values

Be relevant. Try to use hashtags that relate to what your posting commonly used on Instagram. (i.e. #Caturday when posting a photo of a cat on Saturday)

DONT:

Do NOT use spaces. Even if you are using multiple words, group them together and differentiate between words with capitalized letters (i.e. #HomewardBoundPets)

Do NOT use punctuation marks (no commas, periods, exclamation points, question marks, apostrophes, etc.)

Do NOT hashtag everything. Try to stick to 5-10 relevant hashtags per photo

Instagram best practices for nonprofits:

1. Have a short, clear description: The bio of your account should be short and simple for users to quickly understand what Homeward Bound Pets is all about. Be sure to include a link to your website!

2. Use Instagram to report live: capture moments and events in real-time through photos and videos (i.e. during fundraisers, events, adoptions, when animals enter the shelter, etc.).

3. Add hashtags to captions: Including hashtags in captions will increase your chance of gaining followers and building a community on Instagram (see Social Media Hashtags document for more information). Hashtags help your organization connect with others with similar interests and values while raising awareness about Homeward Bound Pets.

4. Monitor hashtags on Instagram using the search option: Keeping an eye on common hashtags on Instagram (such as #ForeverHome #Adopt and #ShelterPets) and engaging with those posts will help keep you in the loop and engaged in Instagrams online community.

Be sure to like other users posts, comment if appropriate and follow other users. Again, the point is to keep you engaged and on your target audiences radar!

5. Like other users photos: Flattery goes a long way on Instagram. Liking other users photos will help make them notice Homeward Bound Pets, increasing the chances of users following Homeward Bound Pets.

Every other day take a few minutes to like 10-15 images posted by users you follow and/or users using a specific hashtag.

6. Share at least 3-4 times a week: To gain followers, Homeward Bound Pets must be active on Instagram. If possible, feel free to post more often!

7. Get personal: show the behind-the-scenes experiences of Homeward Bound Pets with followers. This will help your target audience feel more connected to the organization and part of the HBP community online and offline

8. Connect your Instagram with your Facebook page: This will help Facebook followers find and follow the new Instagram account. Steps on how to do this are explained in the How to post a photo on Instagram section of this guide.

9. Follow other accounts: Follow other nonprofits, shelters, local businesses and even personal accounts to grow your online community.

10. Show the impact Homeward Bound Pets has: Show through photos and descriptive captions WHY people should care about Homeward Bound Pets (i.e. photos of animals finding their Forever Homes)

11. Highlight the volunteer aspect of HBP: Volunteers play a large role in running and maintaining Homeward Bound Pets. Post photos of volunteers working at the shelter, during a fundraiser or playing with animals using hashtags such as #ThankfulThursday and #Volunteers to thank your volunteers while showing how valued they are

12. Have fun! Instagram is a creative social media platform with a ton of potential for Homeward Bound Pets. If you ever feel overwhelmed, just remember: its just a photo!

Instagram best practices for raising donations:

1. Use hashtags to promote fundraising campaigns: Create a hashtag (such as #HelpHomewardBoundPets) and use it to encourage others to donate. Have a set monetary goal and deadline and encourage followers to donate by your deadline

2. Promote fundraising events: When Homeward Bound Pets is involved in a fundraiser, promote it on Instagram! Encourage followers to either attend the event or give them other options of ways to give back (i.e. donating online)

3. Thank your donors: Be sure to ALWAYS ask for permission before doing so. This is a great way to show Homeward Bound Pets gratitude while also showing the need for donations to keep the organization running

Nonprofits to follow on Instagram for inspiration:

1. @charitywater breathtaking photos used to demonstrate the organizations efforts to improve lives through clean water

2. @ASPCA inspiring pet rescue nonprofit with 82k+ followers

3. @MercyCorps humanitarian relief nonprofit that uses photos to tell stories

4. @oregonhumanesociety great resource for hashtags (every post has a great combination of common and creative hashtags)

5. @Robinhoodnyc this foundations fights poverty in New York and uses Instagram to document these efforts

6. @sandiegozoo cute photos and videos of animals with funny and captivating captions

7. @oregonzoo a more local version of the San Diego Zoo. Cute photos and videos with interesting and hilarious captions

8. @unfoundation this organization features announcements, campaigns and volunteers through photos

9. @oceana beautiful, inspirational photos that help tell the story of the ocean

10. @dallaspetsalive this no-kill dog rescue posts a variety of eye-catching photos and campaigns to help raise awareness about its organization

11. @humansofny photos are used along with detailed captions to tell the hidden stories of New Yorkers

12. @susiesseniordogs this nonprofit organization focuses on adopting out senior dogs