{"id":30571,"date":"2022-06-14T16:26:50","date_gmt":"2022-06-14T20:26:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.qgiv.com\/blog\/?p=30571"},"modified":"2022-06-14T16:26:51","modified_gmt":"2022-06-14T20:26:51","slug":"instagram-fundraising-for-nonprofits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.qgiv.com\/blog\/instagram-fundraising-for-nonprofits\/","title":{"rendered":"The Nonprofit’s Guide to Instagram Fundraising"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Social media has long been a powerful marketing tool for nonprofits worldwide. Now, as platforms launch their own in-platform fundraising tools, social media is becoming more than just a marketing tool, but an active fundraising platform as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With over 1 billion active monthly users, Instagram is one of the internet\u2019s biggest social media platforms. Functioning primarily as a picture and video sharing platform, Instagram is a great place to share visuals of the work your organization does. From volunteer and staff highlights to infographics to raise awareness, there\u2019s no shortage of content you could be sharing with your donors on Instagram. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to connecting your nonprofit<\/a> with your supporters, Instagram has a host of in-platform fundraising tools, making it an extremely helpful resource for raising money and expanding your reach to new audiences. Fundraising on Instagram helps your donors stay engaged with your organization and gives them more than one place to donate from. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting Started on Instagram<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
  1. Create your organization\u2019s business account <\/li>
  2. Enroll in Facebook\u2019s Charitable Giving Tools <\/li>
  3. Write a compelling Instagram bio <\/li>
  4. Brand your account <\/li>
  5. Request verification <\/li>
  6. Enable profile buttons <\/li>
  7. Add a website to your bio <\/li>
  8. Create a Location page <\/li>
  9. Open your Instagram shop <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Setting up your Instagram account <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    To start using Instagram\u2019s fundraising tools, you first need an Instagram account. When you first create your account, make sure to enroll in Facebook\u2019s Charitable Giving Tools. Without enrolling and obtaining approval, you won\u2019t be able to start fundraising on Instagram. Also, ensure that your account is a business account. With a business account, you\u2019ll have access to a host of features that will help you keep track of important metrics and post advertisements on the platform. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Writing a bio <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Your Instagram bio is one of the most important parts of your profile. Write a compelling bio that gives your profile visitors a clear idea of what your nonprofit stands for and why people should follow you. Use emojis and clever copy or get straight to the point with a single descriptive sentence. You only have 150 characters to accomplish this mission, so don\u2019t be afraid to get creative! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Branding your account <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    It\u2019s essential that your Instagram profile reflects your brand accurately<\/a>. For your profile picture, it\u2019s best to use your organization\u2019s logo. There are millions of Instagram users, so when your followers search for you on social media, it\u2019ll be easier to identify which account is yours when your logo is the first thing they see. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The overall look of your profile on Instagram should be cohesive. It can be useful to create a branding guide for social media to ensure that everyone who\u2019s involved in your content creation is on the same page. Use your brand colors and fonts for infographics you post and if you save Instagram stories to your profile, create custom story highlight covers with those same guidelines to make your whole profile match. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Requesting verification <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Once you\u2019ve gotten the basic parts of your account set up, request verification from Instagram so they\u2019ll acknowledge your account as the official account of your nonprofit. The blue checkmark you\u2019ll get next to your username helps people find your organization on Instagram and acts as a trust indicator for your donors and supporters online.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you\u2019re new to the platform, you may not receive verification right away and you\u2019ll need to continue applying in the future. If you can\u2019t get verification, provide clear and concise information about your nonprofit in your bio, add an address, and encourage people to tag your organization in their posts to build up a presence on the platform. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Enabling profile buttons <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    In your profile, make sure you enable the \u201cSupport\u201d button. With this button, people can head to your profile and click to donate directly via Facebook Pay. Facebook will take care of all processing fees and you\u2019ll be able to see the names of your donors and the amount that they\u2019ve donated. This button also allows your donors and supporters to start fundraisers for your organization and fundraise on your behalf to all their followers.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The \u201cContact\u201d button is also essential for any nonprofit Instagram profile. With this button, you can provide your followers with an email address, phone number, and address so they can get in contact with your organization to ask questions or provide feedback. If you have a single preferred method of communication, simply add that information when you edit your profile and your button will change to reflect that contact method. For example, if you only add an email address to your profile, your contact button will read \u201cEmail.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Adding a website <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Unfortunately, Instagram doesn\u2019t allow clickable links in their captions, so when you want to direct people to a certain web address, your Instagram bio is the only way to do so. You can link to your website\u2019s homepage, your donation form<\/a>, or even your latest blog post in your profile. When you post a photo or video to Instagram and want to direct people to take a specific action, request that people head to the \u201clink in bio\u201d and update your profile website to whatever page you need. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you have more than one page you\u2019d like to link to, with tools like Linktree<\/a> and Milkshake<\/a>, you can point your followers toward a mobile-optimized landing page that links out to multiple web pages. With these link tools, you can link to your website, donation form, blog posts, news stories, and anything else, all from the link in your profile. You can easily customize your link landing page and even direct people to connect with your organization on other social media platforms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Create a \u201cLocation\u201d page and add a shop <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The location page is a feature that allows your donors and supporters to check in at an address associated with your organization, like your headquarters. By adding a location page, your supporters can share that they visited your nonprofit with their followers, expanding your reach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you want to sell your organization\u2019s merchandise on Instagram, setting up an Instagram shop page will allow you to list items you have for sale. Your followers can buy t-shirts, hats, and anything else you offer directly from your Instagram profile. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Instagram Fundraising Best Practices <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    1. Create a content calendar <\/li>
    2. Launch Instagram fundraisers <\/li>
    3. Focus on visual storytelling <\/li>
    4. Write engaging captions <\/li>
    5. Post in a variety of formats <\/li>
    6. Use strong hashtags <\/li>
    7. Team up with partners <\/li>
    8. Experiment with Instagram ads <\/li>
    9. Continue learning <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Create a content calendar <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      The lifeblood of any social media strategy is the content calendar. With a content calendar, you can ensure that everyone who\u2019s involved with posting on your social media accounts are all on the same page.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Plan to post regularly, anywhere from three to seven times a week, and always plan a variety of content. Posting donation ask over donation ask will fatigue your followers and lead to less engagement with your content. There are endless sources of content<\/a> for you to draw from, so get creative! From volunteer spotlights to educational infographics, there are plenty of ways to engage your followers<\/a> on Instagram. <\/p>\n\n\n

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