Social media has become one of our staple means of communications these days and many of our members are doing a great job leveraging these channels to help build a community around their organization. One of the great things about technology, and specifically about social media, is that it’s always changing and growing. While this changing landscape is exciting, it can also make it a bit hard to keep up with sometimes! Many of our members are doing an excellent job with the three major platforms, Facebook, Twitter and Youtube. If your shelter or rescue has accounts on all three platforms, way to go! But did you know that there are other platforms that can be effectively used by animal welfare organizations to reach and connect with even more people and different audiences?

Staying relevant in social media trends is incredibly important in communicating your group’s message to new audiences and supporters. Two platforms to keep an eye on in 2014 are Instagram and Snapchat.

Instagram – With an estimated 55 million photos uploaded everyday, one recent study found that Instagram was the best platform for brands and that the increases in fan/follower engagement was nearly three times that of other platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Google+. This is very helpful information to know, particularly in light of some of Facebook’s recent algorithm changes which have impacted engagement levels for many organizations.

Snapchat – While exact numbers and statistics for this platform aren’t yet clear, what is known about it is pretty interesting. Largely, that it’s a one-to-one experience with an extremely high level of user engagement. While the audience it reaches may be smaller, those who use it are much more engaged which can be particularly helpful for cause-based organizations or non-profits. Many non-profits have found really creative ways to use Snapchat to connect with their supporters, which you can read more about here.

Which social media platforms does your shelter or rescue group use? Have you tried any others outside of Facebook, Twitter and Youtube? If so, what is working best for you and why? We’d love to hear your thoughts!