• Sign in Join CharityConnect
  • About us
  • Terms of Use
  • Community standards policy
  • Privacy Policy

Powered by

Back

The charity network that helps you shine.

Join 18,828 professionals and find your community in the UK charity sector.

Join CharityConnect

If you have to use Instagram (lots of help) - Two sides on Facebook - (Fake) Digital Marketing Data + Web Site design

David Morgan EIC (Editor-in-Chief) and Lead Consultant at I'm a business development consultant (working across sectors) who likes to help charities (P/T) when the opportunity arises Posted 6 years ago

Close popup

{{badgesCtrl.userFirstName}}'s badges

Helper’s Badge Level One
Level 1 of 5
This badge is awarded to members who have had a comment marked as Helpful
Helper’s Badge Level Two
Level 2 of 5
This badge is awarded to members who have had 5 comments marked as Helpful
Helper’s Badge Level Three
Level 3 of 5
This badge is awarded to members who have had 10 comments marked as Helpful
Helper’s Badge Level Four
Level 4 of 5
This badge is awarded to members who have had 20 comments marked as Helpful
Helper’s Badge Level Five
Level 5 of 5
Superstar! This badge is awarded to members who have had 30 comments marked as Helpful
There is a Charity Connect post from last October asking about using Instagram for Charities. Lots of you gave your thoughts and advice. Whilst Facebook stutters (and suffers) from a variety of problems, the growth of Instagram (with Influencers seeming to be its sole issue) means people are looking at it being a 'must have'.
 
By writing 'must have' it could be Trustees, Supporters, any level of your management, your Volunteers who have started (or now are a chorus of people) saying 'We should be on it (Instagram)'.
 
Your local charities, your actual competition may have started an account or be saying that they will do so in 2019. You have no option - well actually you do because it will be more work and all the social media channels are littered with half baked 'presences', that are embarrassing antiques within days (and then result in you being told that they don't do your organisation's reputation any good so 'can you do something about it ...?').
 
1 Billion monthly users is the statistic that has created all this fuss BUT Instagram is an image (pictures and video) portal and it doesn't like you directing people away from its platform. Add to the 1 Billion that something called 'Stories' are the best thing since sliced bread is fine - bar that if your Instagram account doesn't have an audience, then your stories don't get seen (they disappear after 24 hrs). (That is unless you use 'Highlights' - more in a later post).
 
You can create a pretty static Instagram page (once that you don't post to too often) that can have value. Before giving you some links to advice and help about creating or developing an account, I'll make my own offer that if you want some ideas of what images you could use, please reply to this post with a brief description of your charity or group and I'll try to give you some ideas - and PLEASE anyone reading this who is an Instagram guru, do chip in with your expert advice - do include links to examples of pages people can look at (copy!).
 
Firstly, for the basics on Instagram and what to do (and all the other social media channels) take a look at this 2019 guide from a company called Sysomos. Its well written and pretty thorough. It does have all up-to-date 'the numbers' and step by step guides to how to chose where to be ... more work .....
 
For specific Instagram advice. here are some useful links:
 
There are many many guides to actually starting an Instagram account but this video is one I like
 
Coming up are links about using Instagram Stories which are probably only for those of you who already have an audience but this post includes advice about the basics of story telling. Its well worth a read to give you inspiration about choosing a core 9-12 images or videos that will always be there -
 
If you direct people to your Instagram account from your web site, chances are they will be on a desktop or laptop computer (Instagram isn't just popular on mobiles). They will go to the full screen version of the channel. This means (even if they don't have an Instagram account themselves) they will see a three image wide layout (and then as deep as the numbers of images you post - times three (hence the figure 9-12 that I've mentioned above)) which can make a a really good impression. If you create a story which is three pictures (wide) you can use this layout to your best advantage. You can use rows to differentiate different aspects of what you do. You can even colour (background) co-ordinate.
 
For more in-depth advice on 'Stories' from this link you can access a benchmark report on what stories work and why.
 
This is another highly detailed report on which stories produced the best engagement in 2018.
 
To actually create a story, this is a really useful (and free) template you can use.
 
A finally (for Instagram), this post is all about 'Vertical Video'. The visual impact of Instagram comes from the square format of the core pictures and videos you post. Stories are in 'Vertical Video format (think holding a mobile phone upright rather than so that it gives you a landscape image.
Its a four part course (free), all about how to make 'vertical video'. Its really well researched and written BUT please ignore the hype that this format (vertical rather than landscape) is the future. I'd reference where you used to get shoes mended (Cobblers) rather than upsetting the Charity Connect language filters. If you go through even the best accounts and look at what the top rated vloggers (video based bloggers) do, the format is really restrictive and hard to watch. Please don't make your core videos in this format, or invest too much in the vertical style. It just won't last ... in my professional opinion.
 
Facebook - two very different takes
 
If you want to know what worked on Facebook in 2018, Buffer analysed 777 Million pages (yes all those noughts) and this is as definitive a look as you can probably find. Its a 15 minute read (minimum) and it needs to be used carefully BUT it can help.
 
Conversely (and this is about hype and 'duff' data - see below) this is another industry expert's take on why video may not be what you need for best Facebook engagement - and why words still really matter.
 
'Fake' Digital Marketing Metrics
 
Our sector now has to add to 'Impact' words like attribution and the acronym ROI. Digital promised to be far more measurable than any other media but the Digital World's Watchdogs have started getting very cross about whether and how many metrics are actually accurate ... 
 
Web Site Design
 
If you have a web site design (or redesign) project coming up, do take a look at this very in-depth look at using User Experience to make sure that it really will work -
 
But for those just trying to find a way to get rid of clutter, this is some advice about minimalism in web site design -- it really can work.
 
 
Hope these links are of use. I will try to reply to anyone asking for Instagram Ideas - and do so asap!
 
 
 
 
Report
{{postCtrl.totalLikes}} Likes
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Whatsapp

Optional. An image can be added at the top of the comment. Images must be in PNG, GIF or JPG format. Unsplash.com is a great source for royalty free and high quality photos.

No responses yet. Be the first to reply!

{{ctrlComment.postTotalComments}} responses

Load more responses
See previous comments
See new comments

Related posts

Does anyone use Microsoft Clarity?

rummena begum

Marketing & Comms

Video Session for team

Emily Woffindin

Marketing & Comms

How should we use a donation button on our website?

Catherine Fenwick

Marketing & Comms

New website accessibility

Liz Waters

Marketing & Comms

Which social media platforms are working well for your charity?

Lorraine Schulze

Marketing & Comms

  • About us
  • Privacy
  • Community standards policy
  • Terms
  • Advertise with us

Powered by

© 2025 JobLadder

Report an issue

Help us keep CharityConnect safe and friendly by reporting spam or abusive behaviour.

What's the issue with this content?

How is this content abusive or harmful?

Report an abusive behaviour

Likes

{{ item.UserName }}

{{ item.UserName }}

{{ item.UserJobTitle }} at {{ item.UserOrganisationName }}

Show More

Likes

{{ item.UserName }}

{{ item.UserName }}

{{ item.UserJobTitle }} at {{ item.UserOrganisationName }}

Show More
{{ msg }}

Sign in

Like this? You'll love what we've got inside. Sign in to like this post and see more

Forgot password

Don't have an account? Join CharityConnect today.

{{ rootCtrl.infoModal.getTitle() }}

{{ rootCtrl.infoModal.getBody() }}

Likes

{{ item.UserName }}

{{ item.UserName }}

{{ item.UserJobTitle }} at {{ item.UserOrganisationName }}

Show More