“It’s a jungle out there, so you best beware.” - Everett R. Lake
Navigating the various social media platforms can feel like a jungle – a massive, murky, and sometimes not-very-pretty jungle – that is ever-changing and needs constant attention. So think of this list as your personal, experienced guide helping you cut through the noise and feel confident as you wade in.
For pregnancy centers, we focused primarily on Instagram and Facebook because they are the top-performing profiles for your client demographics.
Whether you occasionally post alongside a social media company or manage your own profiles, here are our a few dos and don’ts to get you started.
Do – Stick to a Theme or Layout
It’s no secret that Instagram is social media’s most visual platform. We suggest posting with the same preset or filter and using a puzzle or pattern. If you are already using one, stick to it. Abrupt interruptions can throw off the grid and cause it to look disorganized. You have 7 seconds to grab your viewers’ attention and an eye-appealing page is one of the best ways to add followers and keep people coming back.
Before posting ask:
Should it be permanent? If you need to make brief announcements like center closing times or holiday hours, Instagram Stories is best.
Does it match the content? The look of your grid is one of the main reasons people choose to follow you. It should be upbeat, relevant and designed primarily for young women.
Is it geared towards your demographics? Donor or giving content may be best suited for Facebook or occasionally Instagram Stories
Do - Utilize Stories
Tell your story. Believe it or not, your community wants to hear from you, and women (and men) in your area want to feel like they know you before they ever come through your door. Instagram stories are a great way to connect with viewers and give your followers an inside look. If it’s a story you want potential clients and new followers to see later, organize your stories by categories, and save to your Highlights. Highlights are the perfect place for visitors to learn about who you are and what you do too.
Instagram Story Ideas:
Services – talk about each one individually
Holidays, closings, non-pertinent information
Staff introductions – share photos and fun facts about your staff
Center tour (without clients present)
FAQs
Client quotes – reviews and comments from inside the center
Client stories
Events and community fairs – share when you’re out and about and tag organizations you’re with
Blog posts
Office shenanigans, volunteers, staff events, daily life
**Items in purple make great Featured categories saved to the top of your page**
Don’t – Forget the Goal
Instagram is the largest platform for young people under the age of 20 and 68% of users are women. Which means it’s the perfect place to reach your client demographics and women (and men) who need your services. Your content should be written and designed with “her” in mind. Does that mean never posting about your new baby boutique or sharing a client coming to visit? Of course not! Followers love seeing authentic posts about what’s going on inside your center. However, if your feed is mostly baby or parenting-focused, you may lose the very audience who needs you. The purpose of your Instagram account should be to build trust, share helpful information, send traffic to your site, and increase the number of clients who come through your doors.
FACEBOOK + INSTAGRAM
Do - Hashtag the Right Way
For Instagram, if you have more than 3-4 hashtags, declutter your post and add them to comments instead. You can use 20+ if you’d like and it won’t change the look of your post.
If you have a center hashtag or marketing campaign tag, use it on relevant posts to your center or campaign. Client quotes, for example, are a great post to place your center’s unique tag.
For Facebook, hashtags are not followed or used the same way in Instagram. If you do add them, use wide-known or top trending ones, and no more than three in a post. (Do not place extra in your comments.)
Do – Update Your Profiles
Updating your bio on Instagram can help increase your page views and followers. Keep people on their toes by refreshing it from time to time. Instead of only listing your services, maybe add an inspirational quote, share what your center stands for, or talk about a trending topic or event. Also, be sure to add your address and tag your location.
Utilize Facebook’s “Our Story” section and share more about how your organization got started, a bit about your staff, and why you love what you do. 😊
Don’t – Forget to Post
For Instagram, it's recommended a minimum of 3/week with peak times on Tuesday and Wednesdays. Influencers, magazines, news, and channels can post with greater frequency, but for small businesses, it's not recommended you post more than 2x per day.
The suggested number of Facebook posts for small businesses is once a day, 5/week, Monday-Friday. (2-3x a daily is still acceptable as longer as your audience finds it relevant.)
Note: If you are running ads, they may check out your profiles first. For clients considering abortion, it’s important that your profiles reflect that you are a caring, judgment-free place that can help. Your posts can also be more community-related than Facebook, just be sure to keep potential clients in mind.
Do – Promote Posts
We highly recommend boosting posts that push traffic back to your site. Promotions can be used to increase awareness of new services, share your blogs, or promote an event. You can choose to show your sponsored post to your current followers, their network, or create your own demographics and reach people who have not yet liked your page. For targeting pregnancy options clients, we recommend utilizing Facebook’s Ads Manager.
Do – Share Events
If your center has one Facebook page for both clients, it’s a safe place to share fundraising efforts and community events. After all, it should be no secret that you are a non-profit and non-profits fundraise! Facebook is also a great platform to connect with like-minded organizations, update when you are out and about, and share the amazing things you are doing in your city.
Don’t – Over Do It
Over-posting can cause people to unfollow or hide your page. However, this rule does not apply during events, special occasions or fundraisers. We do recommend giving your followers a head’s up when and why you are going to be sharing more frequently and let them know what to expect. This way you won’t unintentionally lose followers before you get back to your regularly scheduled posting.
Have more questions about managing your own profiles? Send us a message and we’ll be happy to answer your questions!