Why Associations Should Be Using Instagram

By Nicole Millman-Falk

If the results of a poll conducted during a webinar on Picturing Success With Instagram are any indication, associations are missing out on a great social networking tool. A whopping 72% of those participating reported that their organizations were not using this visual communications mechanism to reach members, potential members, and the public-at-large.

Presented by Naylor Association Solutions and led by Kelly Clark, Manager for Online Marketing for Naylor, and Michele Late, Executive Editor, The Nation's Health, American Public Health Association (APHA), the hour-long session was a crash course on the ins and outs of this social media tool. Created in 2010 and acquired by Facebook in 2012, Instagram is a mobile app that lets users take a photo, video, or graphic and share it with their followers, who are also on the Instagram network, much like you share posts on Twitter or Facebook.

"The beauty of Instagram is simply the fun simplicity of sharing these images. You can write a well written article or book, but a picture is worth a thousand words," said Clark.

A Look at the Numbers
As of December 2014, reported Late, Instagram had more than 300 million users, including 60.3 million people in the United States, covering about 21% of the American adult population. "That constitutes about 33% of all American social media users," she said. Forty-nine percent of Instagram users say they check in daily, while 24% say they use Instagram weekly. While considerably fewer people use Instagram than Facebook or LinkedIn, there are more active users on Instagram than there are on Twitter.

"APHA is active on Instagram because we know that's where people are. It makes sense to go where the audience is already rather than inventing a new tool," said Late.

Trying to reach more millennials? Instagram users skew young. "According to Business Insider, 90% of Instagram users are under age 35," said Late, who also noticed that these statistics parallel APHA’s followers. In fact, when APHA is choosing its Instagram content, it considers what this age group might find interesting.

Features of Instagram
Among the attributes of the app are:

Captions can be added to any visual, whether photo, video, or graphic. Unlike Twitter, there is no character limit, "though most users do keep the text short because Instagram is meant to be a visual platform," Clark said.

Like Twitter, you can use hashtags to categorize your postings. If you tap on a hashtag below a photo, it will take you to other visuals with that same hashtag.

You can also use hashtags in the search function to find other visuals sharing similar content.

Like Facebook and Twitter, you can tag other Instagram accounts in your images and in your comments to either highlight who is in the photo or to call someone's attention to a particular image.

Instagram also allows people to either like or comment on a photo, similar to the way you can do this on Facebook or Twitter. While Instagram photos can be seen on a desktop, most people tend to view them on a mobile device. "It is important to note that while you can like and photos on photos through the desktop version of Onstagram, in order to post photos or delete them, you must be logged in through the app," Clark explained.

Associations on Instagram
The American Public Health Association is on all the major social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, as well as some minor ones like Storify. "We have about 700,000 followers overall across all our platforms," said Late. Instagram is one of APHA's newer and smaller accounts with about 2,500 followers. APHA posts at least once a week. Instagram accounts for about four to five hours of staff time a week. APHA also uses its logo on every image that it posts. That is purposely done so that if anyone reposts, there is automatic attribution back to the association, said Late.

Clark and Late demonstrated 10 ways that APHA and other associations and nonprofits are using Instagram:

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Featuring pictures of staff and board members in action, along with caption, showing name, responsibilities and fun fact, can make your association feel smaller and more intimate. The leadership feels less intimidating and accessible to the membership.

Showing outstanding members or suppliers encourages stronger relationships among members and reinforces your membership’s value and well as the advantage to a sponsor.

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Publicizing a contest on Instagram can increase member engagement outside of your events or meetings and helps you reach members who prefer online interaction.

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Posting event-related photos extends the associations reach to members who were unable to attend and shows off your event to potential members.

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Relive events from the past extends good times and also reminds members why they should attend again next year. This enables you to start marketing your next event right away and encourage greater attendance, said Clark, and, "greater attendance for most associations translates into more non-dues revenue."

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Instagram can be used to remind members about deadlines, such as meeting registration, dues, or other activities that might be coming up.

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Associations also use Instagram to educate their publics, reinforcing the value of your profession/industry, and/or increasing the awareness of your cause.

Extend your fundraising or volunteer involvement goals by asking for support.

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Instagram allows you to cut through media noise to remind members what needs immediate attention, spurring them to action for a cause.

A number of organizations have used Instagram to advertise merchandise, thereby reaching their financial goals faster.

Instagram should not be used in a vacuum. Start with a strategy to decide how it will integrate with your association’s overall communications and marketing. Decide on what your goals will be; add your objectives; and consider the particulars (Who will supply the content and carry out the posts? Will the posts need approval? How often will you post?).

As with other social media, if used consistently and with a goal in mind, Instagram has the ability to extend the mission and purpose of your association to members and beyond.

Nicole Millman-Falk is President of Millman-Falk Communications, LLC, providing content development and strategic communication services for trade associations, professional societies, and donor-based organizations. In addition to her own company, she serves as Editor for Apogee Publications, which provides turnkey association newsletters, magazines, and membership directories. She is Editor of NYSAE's InView and is Chair of the Awards Committee. She can be reached at 201-652-1687; nicolemillmanfalk@gmail.com; or through her website at www.millmanfalkcommunications.com