Three Tips for Reely Great Reels for Your Nonprofit
It’s time to start using Reels!
Why?
Video is one of the most engaging and effective mediums you can use to share information and interact with your followers. But don’t worry, you don’t need to be a professional videographer to create Reels. With time and experimentation you’ll be a Reels Master real quick.
Here are three tips for approaching your Reels content, including examples of successful nonprofits who effectively apply them.
Tip 1: Repurpose other video content to concisely share your message and mission.
If you already are creating video content of any kind, you’re way ahead of the game.
Start by repurposing your content into 15 or 30-second clips to share via Reels. You could clip someone talking about your mission or create a compelling story with captions and music. There are thousands (if not more) of music and sound effect choices you can throw in.
For example, Charity Water generates thousands of views by producing professional videos and condensing them into clips on Reels.
Repurposing existing content for more than just one or two projects can save you money in the long run, and it’s a great excuse to go back through any video your organization might have and see what you can do with it. Maximize those resources!
If you’re not able to get the original videographer to cut the content into clips, use video editing tools. Even if you don’t have any experience with video editing, you can use these handy tools to create incredible content.
Tip 2: Hop on the latest TikTok or Reels trends
If you don’t have professionally produced videos or they don’t vibe with your Instagram ~aesthetic~ you can focus on the latest trends instead.
Don’t limit yourself to Reels — consider what people are doing on TikTok too! After all, Reels is Instagram’s response to TikTok, so what works on TikTok has a good chance of transferring well to your Reels audience.
Trends are temporary though, so make sure you participate in them before they grow stale—typically within 1-2 weeks from when they start.
Once you identify an appealing trend, see how other accounts are joining in. From there, you can experiment with ideas and find the right angle for your nonprofit. And you can vet the trend to make sure it’s appropriate for your org.
Then it’s time to record and post!
One nonprofit that follows trends well is Pencils of Promise. Check out what they did for teacher appreciation day this year.
Tip 3: Create new, original content using User-Generated Content (UGC) to tell your story in a compelling way
There’s no need to start from scratch if your nonprofit doesn’t have a library of existing video content. If you have an engaged audience, try using the content your followers create and share with you.
You can also encourage your supporters to post videos on social media when you host an event, run a program, or when they participate in your mission work.
PETA, for example, incorporates UGC (that’s user-generated content, y’all) into their feeds, often reposting Reels from other users and changing the caption to reflect their mission.
For example, on National Shrimp Day (yep, that’s a real thing), they used this Reel of a vegan shrimp review to show how a plant-based diet doesn’t mean giving up your favorite foods.
Of course, you need permission from the original creators before reposting and make sure to tag them in your video and caption. This precaution not only ensures you don’t steal materials, but it may also encourage the original creators to share the video on their feed, creating an opportunity to expand your network and gain some new followers.
Creating Reels helps engage your Instagram following, and you don’t need to be a master videographer to do it.
For more ideas about what type of content to create, check out this helpful article.
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