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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

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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!
 
 
 
 
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Russell Benson

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Community and Events Fundraising Manager at 6 years ago

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Interesting reads, thanks for compiling the post David. 

Especially about the videos on FB - just as we're about to schedule our marketing plan for the year full of video content so timely.  Although i wondered if this was written by a copywriter, is it completely neutral?  Especially as the blog about the 77m FB posts suggests video does perform best!  Not that i trust Facebook these days!

Also, I wonder if there are differences between the posts of different countries and sectors.  Would UK charity posts behave any differently to individual or corporate posts?

 

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David Morgan

David Morgan Staff PANEL

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 6 years ago

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Russell Benson   
Hi Russell
The post about FB video appears on what is probably the first (and biggest) blogging support site - called CopyBlogger. It was free but went to a pay to access (most training) a couple of years ago. Yes there probably is a vested interest but the Author has made some very strong statements and I've not see any rebuttals (yet).
Vs the 777M post, it is so detailed and a long read and I would recommend people take their time and revisit it. It does make reference to where and how (successful) posts are curated, and by what size of channel user is trying to get best value. If I attend webinars etc on this sort of subject, I always ask for more specific NFP content - but don't get much commitment coming back. It is possible though to look at how the corporates make mistakes and get ideas about attribution that do work for any channel user.
All of us have been 'along for the ride' over the past 6-7 years and now video is proving to be the most produced content, each channel now wants to add the ability to make video (even say IG stories) the most prominent feature. FB spent the last 12-18 months trying to (hyper) market its video services and just like all the channels, it was pretty selective in what it 'helped' video producers see - in the  way of data - just like they all have done with other user interaction info.
I try to help clients look at video as something that is just like any other content. If you have a 5 min video, it can and should be reusable in say 3 or 6 months after its release (and probably in shorter formats). One 5 min video could and should be able to be broken down into 'other use chunks' as it (the original video) is being produced.
The clients that have used video best are those who have always tried to make their own (or created video from UGC). They learn so fast about what works and what doesn't - and how to make their production quality increase rapidly - then are not 'embarrassed' by their first efforts .
Video is now the most produced content and will continue to 'take over' - its just getting to know how to make the video that works which is the key
Hope this helps
 
David 

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David Morgan

David Morgan Staff PANEL

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 6 years ago

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Russell Benson   
Hi Russell
If (vs video) you haven't seen some of the features and posts from the Content Marketing Institute - then this search page includes a number which may help you with this year's strategy (and usually backed up by some very well researched evidence) -
https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/?s=video

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Shilpa Sen

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Educator at Self employed 6 years ago

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Hello David!! It is really helpful and thank You for sharing !! Training should be given to youngsters to regulate the data

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David Morgan

David Morgan Staff PANEL

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 6 years ago

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Shilpa Sen   
Hi Shilpa
I think this year will be the year that everyone gets to really understand and then react to what all the data use means
It will also be a time when people start to use social media for the best reasons for them - and not just follow the development stages that some of the hype has produced
I found these links because IG is 'THE' channel at the moment, and there are some fairly static ways of using it but doing so so that it actually 'works' to do something that you (a charity) wants whether it is short or long term - and not just be fully social
If you want some free quality training (for say young people) then do take a look at the Hubspot University
 
Hope this helps
 
David

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Shilpa Sen

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David Morgan   Thank You for your prompt response!! Looking forward to hearing back from you more!!

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Ab Brightman

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Communications Trainer & Consultant at various charities 6 years ago

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Hi David - I would say that getting into the habit of using stories right from setting up your account, or only having a small amount of followers, is a smart move as

a) when new potential followers see that you have insta and land on your account they will immediately have something to engage with beyond clicking through your static posts

and b) using stories is then rewarded by the instagram algorithm which helps to make you more discoverable to new followers, and ensure your posts are more likely to be seen on the newsfeeds of any existing followers!

So definitely it can be a call of capacity not to do stories for the time being, but there are many benefits to getting active on it as soon as possible :)

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