Make an impact this holiday season with the donation sticker on Instagram Stories. The influx of advertisements and sales during the holiday season can often distract from what the season is really about—giving back. With Thanksgiving on November 28 and Giving Tuesday on December 3rd this year, there are plenty of opportunities to give back to a cause close to your heart. I’ll be sharing a few different ways you can use the humble donation sticker to ring in the spirit of giving. 

Let’s learn more about the donation sticker.

The donation sticker graced Instagram in spring 2019 with the ability to add the sticker to any story to fundraise for a nonprofit organization of your choice. This makes raising funds to your favorite cause or encouraging donations for your nonprofit easy on Instagram stories. Not only can you directly donate through the Instagram app with ease, but the chosen nonprofit also receives 100% of the profits. Woo-hoo for zero transaction fees!

To use the donation sticker on your stories, select the sticker button and Donation. You’ll then be able to search for your favorite nonprofit. It’ll provide suggested organizations based on  who you’re following along with the ability to choose from popular nonprofits. Change the text to reflect your goal with encouraging donations and change the color of your sticker as needed. It’s as simple as that! Your story is now ready for any GIFs, doodles, and graphics you’d like to add before posting directly to your story.

How to use the donation sticker for your brand

If you’re a brand or business that’s looking to give back, this sticker makes giving  back accessible for your audience. There are three ways you can go about gathering donations with the donation sticker. 

Give back to a cause you love. 

Is there a nonprofit that’s close to your heart? Search for their organization to select for your donation sticker. Give a backstory on why you care about this nonprofit and what their cause is. Not only are you bringing awareness to an amazing cause, but you’re also letting people into the more personal aspects  of your brand online. 

Give back to a nonprofit you partner with. 

Do you already have a nonprofit that you love? Perhaps you donate a portion of your profits or volunteer with a team each year with a particular organization. The donation sticker can be a perfect opportunity to give back to this organization. 

Give back to a cause related to your industry. 

Does  their cause directly relate to your specific niche? For a business serving woman-owned business, it may be nonprofit supporting young women. For a family photographer, the nonprofit may support child abuse victims or gathering school clothes for underprivileged  children. By choosing an organization related to your industry or local area, you’ll be able to have a more personal connection to the cause. 

Tips for creatively using the donation sticker for your nonprofit. 

After choosing a nonprofit you’d like to give back to using the donation sticker or you’re already a part of a nonprofit organization, it’s time to think of creative tactics for encouraging donations. 

When using the donation sticker on your stories, don’t just post it once and resume your regular content. Create a series of stories telling more about the nonprofit and their cause. When writing the text for the donation sticker, give specific examples of what  their donations support, whether it be research, clothing, meals, or treatment. Accompany each story with a visual that represents the donation call-to-actions including graphics and videos. 

The most impactful way to get people to take action (in any marketing situation) is by helping them visualize their impact. For example, saying that $10 can provide a meal to a family in need is far more impactful than  simply saying donations help provide meals. This can be conveyed in your Instagram stories using text, talking video clips, and templates. 

I love how accessible giving back has become on social media with the addition of features like the donation sticker on Instagram stories. Which organization do you plan to give back to with this philanthropic story sticker?