A new year is always an exciting time to set new goals. Education companies and nonprofits should use this time to reflect on their existing social media strategy and define clear objectives to improve their digital footprints. Social media provides an opportunity for organizations in the education space to market themselves and stand apart from the crowd and create a robust strategy to achieve this.
Social platforms are constantly evolving to fit the needs of users and enhance the user experience. Keeping abreast of these changes is critical if you seek to leverage social media for stakeholder comms., fundraising, content marketing, SEO, (internal and external) corporate communications, conference/tradeshow marketing, and/or sales.
It can be difficult to keep track of all the latest platform changes and trends, so Rosica regularly provides updates on social media tools and the latest social trends that can impact your marketing and communications goals and objectives.
In 2022, video reels dominated Instagram as the app competed with the growing popularity of TikTok. As a result, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, brands, and content creators elevated efforts to create and share video content. The pivot to video is a reminder of the ever-changing digital landscape and reinforces the importance of always being prepared to make fundamental tweaks and changes to your organization’s social media program.
Instagram’s algorithm and content preferences are constantly in flux. In a video posted in December, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri provided insights into what Instagram views as priorities in 2023: inspiring people to be creative, helping people discover what they love, and sparking connections between people.
This article will explore key areas of focus that Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri recently provided.
1. Inspire people to be creative
According to Mosseri, sparking creativity is the foundation on which the app was built. Instagram offers features like photo filters, the option to add music to posts, and collaborative post options that help spark creativity.
Since Instagram’s algorithm favors creative content, education organizations should lean into this – investing the time and resources into developing their creativity and using the app to tell stories about their cause’s mission. Use photos, videos, and firsthand testimonies to illustrate what your organization represents and why it is important. These posts can showcase your impact in action. Don’t shy away from using faces to promote your organization and humanize its work and mission. Remember, authenticity is powerful and presenting content that speaks strongly to your values will consistently reinforce the brand and its value proposition.
Ways you can get started now:
- Utilize free apps like Canva to create visually appealing (and shareable) infographics related to your organization.
- Spark conversations by posting about current events that are relevant to your organization, post photos with insightful captions about various members of your team.
- Shoot videos featuring members of the community you serve. (Using a late model smart phone will suffice.)
- Use CapCut to start experimenting with video content.
The possibilities are endless!
We’ve previously detailed best practices for telling your story online.
2. Help people discover the things they love
Instagram has changed its algorithm to try and direct people toward new experiences – not only serve up content of those you (already) follow. This means that your organization has a new opportunity to reach people who do not already follow you or are aware of what you do. It is key to capitalize on this potential new audience by consistently producing content that helps motivate people to stay involved and engaged.
Your organization is unique and has a special purpose – use Instagram to help spread your organization’s key messages and purpose to others. Be intentional about increasing your reach and expanding your demographic of followers.
Ways you can get started now:
Ensure your account is listed as a business account, specifically a nonprofit if you are one, so that page visitors can immediately see that and be aware of your social mission. Also:
- Leave comments on pages with larger followings to increase visibility.
- Research the highest-traffic hashtags associated with your industry.
- Make sure you have visible links to your Instagram page on your organization’s website.
3. Spark connections between people
This final element is the result of a recent shift of engagement on Insta. Traditionally, sharing posts to the Instagram feed was the main form of content sharing on the platform. Now, users are more wary of what they share to their main feed, which has led to Instagram stories and direct messages used more commonly to share content. Instagram wants people to keep sharing, and recently integrated a “Notes” feature that allows users to write short, public messages that can spark more conversation in direct messages.
![instagram direct messages and profile](https://www.rosica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/nonprofit-public-relations-instagram.jpeg)
Photo credit: Meta
This feature shows that Instagram wants to keep users interacting with one another and facilitate conversations. Your education (or other) organization can take advantage of this by creating shareable content with your community of supporters, advocates, brand ambassadors, and volunteers who you can count on to interact with your content, and as a bonus, circulate your posts within their networks. A key to accomplishing this is producing content that inspires your supporters to engage and act. Utilize your Instagram story to share links for supporters to: view new articles on your website; encourage your stories to share your donation sticker or hashtag on their stories; and regularly provide ways for your followers to stay involved.
Ways you can get started:
- Make your first Instagram note.
- Strive to post on your story at least 3 times a week.
- Practice incorporating calls-to-actions into your captions.
- Update the links in your bio.
- Incorporate links to your Instagram content in your emails to supporters and continue to use the app to spread awareness about your organization.
Nonprofit Instagram Recommendations
Social media tools are constantly changing, so look out for more articles from Rosica to stay informed and up to date. This will help your nonprofit (or company) maintain a modern presence, strategically connect with new audiences, and keep followers and supporters engaged with relevant updates and actionable items. This can grow your sphere of influence and thought leadership while aiding fundraising (or sales).