Choosing the right social media platform for your nonprofit or business can be challenging or even downright exhausting. Managing the flux of algorithm changes, content planning, and creating social media graphics is often a full-time job, yet many are scrambling to get it done in the margins of wearing seven other hats.

For nonprofits, social media is almost a necessary evil. While it used to be enough to publish a nonprofit press release about your event, you now need an event page on social media, too. Launching a new giving campaign? You better make time to develop a set of social media graphics, too.

For small businesses, social media essentially consumes the bulk of marketing efforts and budgets. Unfortunately, paying to compete with national advertisers leaves many frustrated and without significant results.

Some good news – millennials and Gen Z are driving brands to practice socially responsible marketing, meaning cause-based advertisements fair better than sales-y content. However, both types of businesses should learn from one another to maximize ROI.

7 Tips and Tricks That Build Engagement on Instagram

If you want to grow your business on Instagram and try to maximize the results to match your efforts, you must encourage engagement on your profile and lead with content that compels your followers to engage authentically.

Here are seven ways companies and nonprofits can increase engagement on Instagram.

Own Your Perspective

When you remember the ultimate goal of social media engagement (to drive people to your website where they can take action), creating content that shares your unique perspective is likely to build the right kind of following - not just likes and shares from random users.

Create consistent content that provides value to your followers, educating and encouraging more than selling. Aim to have 80% of your content serve the audience directly and 20% promote your cause or services.

Share Information in Carousel Posts

Carousel posts are an engagement gold mine because they allow you to share up to 10 videos, pictures, or text graphics in one post. Since followers have to swipe to see the rest of the post, the engagement is built-in for you. These posts make users more likely to like or share the post.

Also, carousel posts will show up in users' feeds multiple times, doubling or tripling the opportunity for likes and comments. Finally, carousel posts are perfect for educating viewers, as their slide format can help you explain complex topics in length without shrinking the text.

Call-to-Action and Personal Replies

A call-to-action (CTA) invites people to do something with your content. It's usually at the bottom of your posts in question or in exclamatory format. Asking a person to like or comment can sometimes increase the engagement you receive; however, some platforms screen for this type of request and will show your post to fewer people as a result. Engagement is more likely to be sparked by creative questions.

However, nothing is more effective than replying to your follower's comments. Most followers want some acknowledgment that you saw their feedback. Simply saying, "Thank you for your support!" can make other followers feel more inclined to interact, as well.

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Use Relevant Giveaways or Contests

Everyone loves free stuff, right? Giveaways and contests had their heyday a few years ago, but social platforms quickly adjusted and lost their luster. As this strategy resurfaces, this type of promotional content must be intentional, authentic to your brand, and relevant to your audience, or the impact on engagement will be minimal. And remember that we're seeking engagement from the right people. So even if 1,000 people enter your giveaway and engage, that doesn't necessarily translate to building a relevant audience likely to buy from you.

Try Using Instagram Stories Stickers

Instagram Stories stickers are still a great way to welcome engagement on your profile. Plenty of great stickers, like quizzes, polls, and donations, make it easy for viewers to interact with your content. However, the question sticker is the king of all Instagram Stickers.

With this feature, you can ask questions directed at your followers and then share the question along with your response. This feature is a unique opportunity for nonprofits and businesses to hear your followers' thoughts and address their questions, concerns, and feedback directly. Using this feature to gather intel about their interests is an excellent alternative to conducting traditional surveys.

Collab on Instagram Reel Posts

If you want to boost engagement while attracting a new, similar audience in your niche, consider collaborating on Instagram Reel Posts. Instagram Reels allow you to express your brand story and educate your audience, and it's incredibly effective at capitalizing on cultural trends.

The collaboration or collab feature lets you invite someone to collaborate on your reel so both parties can share the content with their followers. To get the most out of Reels, try to create content that will appeal to both audiences.

Hashtags and Best Posting Times

In 2022, hashtags remain an effective reach tactic, primarily when brands use trending or campaign-specific tags. Posts with 30 hashtags receive the most engagement on Instagram, so it's wise to research popular keywords in your niche and use them regularly.

As for when to post (the burning question for many), the research varies. Many Instagram experts say that the best time to post on Instagram is between 9:00 AM-11:00 PM, but your best time will change based on your audience. So experiment with different times of day and keep track of your results to see when your engagement peaks.

Final Thoughts

Social media is just one component of a multi-channel marketing strategy.

Like every social media platform, Instagram is guaranteed to evolve and change (often without notice), so stay current on the newest social media trends and balance your efforts with other channels.

While having a solid social media presence and engaging with your followers, it's equally important to spend time creating content for email newsletters, your blog, and your website.

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