How to fundraise with Instagram stories

Since Instagram’s launch in 2010, the app has become a daily staple for its users. More than one billion people use Instagram every month. Many businesses and charities have realised its potential and are increasingly using the platform for free and effective marketing.

Instagram stories became a feature for account users in 2016. Stories are slideshows comprised of photos and videos that followers can view. They are deleted automatically after 24 hours, unless the user saves their story into a ‘highlight’ – a section that is useful for pinning informative content from stories onto their profile.

Instagram stories are a great way of engaging followers and sharing useful information, without cluttering your profile. Around 500 million users interact with Instagram stories every day, making it a powerful feature of the app and a vital tool for charities to engage.

CARE France

Charities immediately noticed the potential of Instagram stories. As early as November 2017,  CARE France used the product for one of their most successful campaigns.

The campaign, ‘Stories from the other side of the world’, chose seven women living in poverty from different countries to post stories about their daily life on CARE France’s Instagram account.

The aim of the campaign was to show followers exactly the type of people and communities that their donations were impacting. Over 130 influencers got involved by giving up their story platform to spread the stories of these seven women.

Their achievement was revealed by the metrics. In just one week, CARE France’s Instagram gained 13 thousand followers, the stories had 4.6 million views, and the charity saw a 280% increase in donations.

Run for Heroes 5k challenge

Charities have continued to use Instagram stories as the catalyst for successful fundraising campaigns.

We all remember some of the ways we maintained morale and light-heartedness during the first lockdown. These included Zoom quizzes, Thursday evening claps for the NHS, and several ‘crafternoons’. With no more commuting, many also picked up running as a new hobby and an excuse to go outdoors. That new hobby helped to raise £7 million for NHS health workers.

Olivia Strong started the ‘Run for Heroes’ challenge in March 2020 to show support and solidarity towards NHS key workers. Instagram users were asked to run 5k, donate £5, and nominate five friends to do the same – all of which was shared on their stories.

With celebrities and high-profile figures getting involved, Strong’s initial goal of raising 5k for NHS workers was met in just four days.

The catchy campaign went even further, surpassing Strong’s second fundraising goal of £5 million, demonstrating Instagram stories as an impressive tool for fundraising.