And while some people may shrug it off,  it’s clear that TikTok has established itself as a major platform.  

Does this mean everyone needs to drop what they’re doing and start an account right this second? Not necessarily. But TikTok offers so many useful features that it seems crazy to dismiss it altogether.

With that said, let’s explore some of the ways you can use the platform to grow your digital audience.

Use video content to educate and entertain

One of the coolest things about TikTok is that there aren’t really any rules for how to use it. 

Spend 10 minutes scrolling through your ‘For You’ page, and you’ll find musicians making songs with funny animal sounds, artists painting blindfolded or even a licensed therapist explaining commonly misunderstood psychological disorders.

This makes the platform perfect for people and organisations who are looking for new, inventive ways to communicate key messages to their audiences. Unlike channels such as X, where you have an extremely limited space to tell your story, you can use TikTok to show your story in a way that resonates with people and helps your organisation stand out from the rest.

After all, when was the last time you were simultaneously educated and entertained by content on Instagram or X?

Below is a great example from UNICEF’s TikTok account, where they’ve been creating tons of helpful content for how to approach COVID-19 vaccine discussions with hesitant loved ones:

Make the most of TikTok’s features

TikTok’s features are just as valuable as the platform itself. From its comprehensive music library to its incredible visual effects and video transitions, the editing power TikTok gives its creators is nothing short of brilliant.

Are you a nonprofit organisation raising funds for your cause? There’s even a donation button you can add to your content that allows your audience to donate directly to your organisation!

As an organisation, your TikTok videos can riff on current events, add your voice to viral trends or even just act as memes that are relevant to the work you do. After all, do we really need another boring conference group photo tweet in our Twitter feed?

Here’s a quick example from the British Red Cross – you can see they’ve used a couple of simple editing features as well as an audio clip from a personal favourite song of mine, Bo Burnham’s ‘Welcome to the Internet’ (by the way, if you haven’t seen Inside on Netflix yet, I can’t recommend it enough):

Hashtag challenges and memes

Hashtag challenges and trendy memes are a great way to not only come up with fresh content, but also serve as a way to be a part of the larger conversation.

Remember the viral Ice Bucket Challenge from all the way back in 2014? Imagine something even more viral popping up every single week, if not every single day – that’s pretty much how TikTok works.

By having virtually unlimited ways of expressing yourself, there are always new, fun trends that are gaining traction on the platform. 

An example of this is the ‘romanticise your life’ trend that has been used in the past few weeks by hundreds of millions of users – if you don’t know what I’m talking about, check out an example below from zoologists and nature show hosts The Kratt Brothers:

Can you think of some interesting ways your organisation could create something similar?

How-to videos perform really well – if done right

Your organisation likely has expert-level knowledge on a variety of topics, so why not create valuable content that showcases this?

A human rights nonprofit could create a series of videos on how to stay safe at protests, or a youth organisation could offer practical tips for students’ first job interviews. Find those things that add value to people’s lives and showcase that knowledge in a catchy, creative way.

A great example of this is Poppy O’Toole’s channel, Poppy Cooks, where she offers tutorials on basic cooking skills, takes audience requests on which recipes to make and even demonstrates easy budget meals:

Share across other platforms

Use your current social media presence to let people know you’re on TikTok!

Not only is this a great way to build your audience on a new channel, but this also offers a unique opportunity to share your TikTok content with an audience that might not necessarily have the app on their phone.

TikTok videos are very versatile, and can be shared on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram or even Facebook – so your content doesn’t need to only exist in one place.

Switch to a TikTok Pro account

Just like every other social channel, TikTok offers a business-related profile option that gives you access to analytics and advertising features. After all, social media business models are built on a solid foundation of data monetisation! 

With this free tool, you can see your view counts, identify your trending videos and even compare your follower growth over time. Plus, if you feel inclined, you can set up your own advertising campaigns directly on the platform.

While it takes a few days for the tool to populate your analytics, it’s a great way to better understand your audience and see what’s working and what isn’t. There aren’t any downsides to switching, so this is a no-brainer for organisations looking to make data-informed content decisions.

Article updated on 21 April 2026.

If you’re someone who tends to shy away from numbers, social media analytics can seem daunting at first.

There are so many things that can be measured, especially when looking across different platforms – so how can you tell what’s worth your time and what isn’t?

Many of the metrics below have something in common: context.

We always want to try to track our actionable metrics rather than our vanity metrics.

While vanity metrics such as the number of followers or total number of retweets can look good on paper or in a quarterly status presentation, they don’t actually help you move towards your social media goals.

That’s why actionable metrics should be the focus of your efforts. They provide context and, as the name suggests, are actionable pieces of information that can help you make informed decisions about content and campaigns.

With that said, here are six things you should be measuring across all of your social media accounts:

1. Engagement rate

This is the social part of social media. How are people responding to, and engaging with, your content? Likes, shares, comments, retweets, etc. are all opportunities to engage with your audience and potentially boost your messages to people beyond your typical network.

The engagement rate is simply calculated as the total number of interactions on a post divided by your total number of followers. From there, multiply the number by 100% to get a final percentage.

Via Hopper HQ

By keeping track of how much and how often people interact with your content over time, you can start to get a strong idea of what content does and doesn’t work well on different social media platforms.

But be careful here: it’s nice to get lots of likes and retweets on a single post, but it’s much more important to get consistent engagement over time. That’s why the engagement rate is crucial to measure rather than just tracking engagement. Engagement rates help you see how your social media content performs over time and is independent of your follower count.

2. Conversion rate

Conversion rates help you keep track of how good your posts are at getting audiences to do something – otherwise known as converting – whether that’s signing up for a webinar, purchasing a ticket to an annual conference or downloading an ebook.

The conversion rate is calculated by taking the total number of conversions and dividing it by the number of total interactions of a post or campaign.

If you’re running a campaign with clear goals in mind, tracking the conversion rate is one of the best ways to check the performance and impact of a campaign (both during and after the campaign’s run).

3. Follower growth rate

300 followers may not be that impressive, but if you started with only 25 followers the month prior, that’s a huge jump in audience size.

That’s why tracking your follower growth rate is far more important than simply keeping an eye on your total number of followers.

A Twitter account with 1,000 followers and a 1% follower growth rate is far less impressive than a Twitter account with 200 followers and a 20% follower growth rate. The follower growth rate is all about growing your audience size in the proportional context of your current audience size.

4. Impressions

Impressions are an easy metric to follow on just about any social media platform, as it answers one of the most basic questions we ask when posting online: how many eyeballs are seeing my content?

And while it’s certainly not a metric that is helpful in and of itself for driving content decisions, it can be a nice guide for better understanding how often your content is seen across different social media platforms.

Plus, if your goal is to increase awareness of your organisation on social media, aiming for a high impression count is a great place to start. 

5. Follower demographics

While this metric is technically a collection of data points about your followers – gender identity, age range, location, etc. – it can sometimes be a crucial piece of your social media metrics puzzle.

By understanding who your audience is and possibly where they’re from and what they’re interested in, we can tailor the type of content we post to fit what they’re looking for.

Perhaps you notice that the vast majority of your Twitter followers are in the 40-55 year age range. Because of this, it might be a good idea to not overdo it with emojis or to heavily rely on reposting TikTok content, as it doesn’t really fit with what this demographic would be interested in.

(Side note: This is a generalised example and if you are someone in this age range who loves using emojis and frequently scrolls through TikTok, more power to you!)

6. Traffic

OK, so this one is cheating a little bit, because it’s a metric that you need to track outside of your social media analytics tool, but is still just as important to track.

Let me explain.

By better understanding where your website traffic is coming from, you can make informed decisions on where to spend your time and resources on social media. After all, the ultimate goal of an organisation’s social media presence should be to drive audiences to your website.

Are you only getting 20 visitors from Facebook but 10,000 from LinkedIn? Then maybe the time and resources you’re spending on Facebook aren’t worth it in the end and you should instead focus on your dedicated LinkedIn audience.

This simple guide from Campaign Monitor shows how you can track social media traffic on Google Analytics, so be sure to check it out if you’re interested in seeing just where exactly your website visitors are coming from.

And if you’re interested in learning more about social media analytics, or are looking to refresh your social media skills, get in touch for a customised training.

But if you’re looking to create your own newsletter, or simply continue to grow your audience base, how do you get started?

Here are my five tips for getting more eyeballs on your newsletter content:

1. Make it as easy as possible for people to sign up 

This may sound painfully obvious, but you would be amazed at how many organisations miss this crucial step. While many may think that a newsletter signup form is perfectly fine only in the footer or even on its own page on your website, this could lead to missed subscriber opportunities. 

Not everyone will make it to the footer of your website. Most won’t even make it past your homepage. Because of this, we need to make it as easy (and obvious) as possible for people to sign up.

Adding a signup form prominently in the header of your website is a great place to start. This is typically where website visitors will expect to find it. 

You can also add a signup link on your social media channels to bring in additional subscribers who already follow you elsewhere, or even in the body of your blog posts. Think about those key places where people are already engaging with your content.

2. Incentivise wherever you can – even before signing up 

FOMO – fear of missing out – is a powerful thing. 

If you’re offering your newsletter audience exclusive content or deals, be sure to mention it wherever you can to entice new subscribers to join in on the fun, too.

And if you aren’t already doing this, it might be worth considering adding something exclusive for your subscribers so that you can further incentivise newcomers. 

People won’t subscribe to your newsletter just because you want them to. It’s important to add value to people’s lives – in other words, we need to clearly answer the age-old question, “what’s in it for me?”

via Mailchimp

3. Be transparent and set expectations right off the bat 

The last thing you want is to gain hundreds of new subscribers, only for them to unsubscribe just a few days later. One of the most common reasons for this? Mismatched expectations.

How often should your audience expect to hear from you? Daily, weekly, monthly? Be sure to communicate this from the beginning to avoid a mass exodus of subscribers. 

A short line next to your signup form is all you need, such as Join our monthly newsletter to receive exclusive content delivered right to your inbox.

On a similar note, be sure that all of your subscribers are aware of what they’re committing to. Thanks to GDPR, passive email consent is a thing of the past. It’s important for subscribers to know who you are, why they’re hearing from you and that they actively opted in to receive your content.

4. Sharing is caring 

A great way to get more subscribers is to encourage your current audience to share or forward your newsletter with friends and colleagues.

This is the virtual equivalent to word-of-mouth marketing and can help you extend your potential reach well beyond the people who already follow your content.

Just be careful here: If a subscriber forwards your email to a friend, and the friend decides to click ‘unsubscribe’ in the forwarded email, this will unsubscribe the original subscriber without their knowledge.

5. Create an automated welcome campaign 

Most newsletter tools offer basic automation features, so use this to your advantage. By setting up a simple workflow, or drip campaign, you can engage with new subscribers immediately without lifting a finger.

When someone subscribes to your newsletter, you can trigger a welcome email (or two or three) that is automatically sent out. This email can be used not only to welcome your new subscriber to the community, but you can also use this as an opportunity to highlight recent or popular content that may be of interest to them.

via Automizy

Automation allows you to interact with your audience in a thoughtful, timely way without the added hassle of constantly watching over your mailing list. 

Mailchimp offers hundreds of excellent use cases and examples of automation, so be sure to try it out for yourself if you’re looking for new ways to engage with your subscribers. After all, if subscribers are delighted by how you communicate with them, they’re much more likely to recommend your newsletter to others!

And if you’re interested in learning more about how to improve your writing or set up a successful newsletter, get in touch. 

Article updated on 21 April 2026.

And just like Facebook – and pretty much every other social media platform – Instagram is becoming increasingly pay-to-play. Businesses and organisations can have a hard time reaching the right audiences with organic traffic alone – which is why the use of paid ads is so appealing. 

And more and more companies are doing just that. By 2028, global digital ad spend is predicted to exceed 965 billion dollars (according to Oberlo, 2026). 

So if your company is looking to grow its audience on Instagram and potentially convert some fans into customers, it might be worth considering an investment in Instagram advertisements.

Now, let’s get into the ‘how’ behind the ‘why’ of advertising on Instagram.

Get an Instagram Business Account 

First things first: you need to create or switch over to an Instagram Business account. This will allow you to set up ads and create promoted posts.

But that’s not the only benefit to making the switch to a business account. You also get access to cool features and helpful tools that regular accounts don’t, such as:

• Access to Instagram’s built-in analytics tool. See how your posts are performing and get valuable insights about your audience.
• The ability to add a contact button, as well as your industry, phone number and address onto your profile. Give your audience the information they need to get in touch without sacrificing precious bio space.
• Access to Instagram Shopping. There are a few caveats when it comes to using this Instagram shopping feature. But if you qualify, it gives you the ability to let people purchase your products directly in the Instagram app.

Switching to a Business profile is simple: just head over to your account settings and select ‘Switch to Business Profile.’ Once you fill in a few key details about your business, you’ll be on your way to creating enticing Instagram ads.

Understanding different types of Instagram ads 

When creating your first Instagram ad, it can be a bit overwhelming to decide which kind of ad is best for your business goals.

There are several types of Instagram ads, and each requires different sizes, files types and more. 

Image from “Carousel Ads: Best Uses and Formats Explained (Taboola, 2025)”

Carousel ads are a great way to tell a story with multiple images

The last thing you need is an advertisement that’s in the wrong format or stretched out because it’s the wrong size!

A few things to ask yourself when choosing which ad type to use:

• What is my goal for this advertisement? What am I trying to get the audience to do?
• Who is my target audience? Will the content resonate with them?
• Where do I want the ad to show up – in their feed or in their Stories? Do I want to use multiple images or just one?

Answering these questions can help quickly narrow down the type of advertisement that makes the most sense for you and your business.

Time to create 

Once you create your Business account and determine the type of ad you want to run, it’s time to actually create the ad.

When it comes to ads, it’s always better to keep it simple and catchy than detailed and complicated. Wouldn’t you rather be remembered for one simple message than forgotten because you were determined to cram five messages into a single ad?

Since Instagram is a visual-first platform, remember that the creative you use is the most important element. You may write a great caption, but if the visual isn’t clear, interesting or bold, it won’t get noticed.

And be sure to have a clear call-to-action – Learn More, Click Here, Follow Us, etc. – and to be authentic in your messaging. Authenticity goes a long way on Instagram, considering how filtered everything can be. And don’t be afraid to use hashtags or even create your own.

In the end, it’s all about getting the right message to the right people at the right time. If you can get these factors to align, you’re going to see a very clear return on your investment.

Another thing that can greatly help the success of your ads is to be active on Instagram. If you’re only posting ads but don’t really have any additional content for your audience to check out, it’s going to come off as a fake account. Or it could give off the impression that your organisation is just trying to sell rather than add value to people’s lives.

Advertising on Instagram can be a rewarding process, but if you feel like you aren’t getting the most out of it, check out the treasure trove of resources, tips and success stories that Instagram Business has to offer.

Article updated on 21 April 2026.

With European elections around the corner, Brexit still up in the air and populism spreading like wildfire in mainstream politics, the EU has hit an inflection point.

Unfortunately, voter turnout rates don’t reflect the severity of the situation.

And while young people statistically have the most confidence in the EU, they have the lowest voter turnout of any age group – why is this?

For starters, their main reason for not voting in the last election cycle was a general lack of trust in politics, which resulted in a 28% turnout rate for young voters – versus a 51% turnout rate for those aged 55 and over in the 2014 election.

So how can we close this gap and reach young people in an authentic way? After all, young people will be the voices of Europe for many years to come.

As a young person resolutely within the 18-30 age bracket, I enlisted the help of Jacques Foul of FleishmanHillard’s Digital, Social and Creative team in Brussels to find ways the EU can better connect with young people ahead of the upcoming elections – and beyond.

Here are our tips for reaching out to young people:

1. Authenticity is crucial

Old, bureaucratic institutions aren’t sexy. Shocking, I know.

But it’s possible to reach young people and connect with them without pandering to them or coming off as condescending. If an organisation or politician is self-aware, then there’s a higher chance of the message coming across positively.

Think of the EU as an old dad. Dads make corny jokes and are the definition of uncool on the internet, but they at least are aware of their “uncoolness” – in a weird way, that makes them cooler.

“Dad jokes” are kind of silly, but that’s what makes them endearing and likeable in the first place.

So use this to your benefit! Admit to young people that you’re kind of lame and lean into all of the irony and playfulness that goes along with it. Don’t be afraid to make fun of your image to get your point across.

If anything, young people will respect you more for being honest and authentic. Self-deprecating humour goes a long way for millennials and generation Z-ers.

And what happens if you aren’t authentic? Well, it can come back to bite you.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker learned this the hard way when he was interviewed by an influencer as part of a campaign with YouTube to reach young people.

Long story short: while the interview went well, details emerged that ended up making the Commission look like a control freak.

You can see the fallout in the video below.

It’s always important to be honest and authentic with people. Otherwise, things like this happen and you can lose credibility.

2. Social media isn’t everything

While I don’t condone feeding bread to ducks, Jacques offered an excellent metaphor for social media during our discussion.

Think of social media as a duck and your messages as breadcrumbs that you’re throwing to it, little by little. It’s crucial to not overdo it.

Social media certainly makes sense as a way to start conversations with young people – after all, that’s where they spend quite a bit of time. But it shouldn’t be the only way you’re connecting with them.

It’s becoming easier to click with potential voters through social media. And, naturally, as a political party or organisation, you’re trying to reach as many people as you can.

However, there is a misconception that social media reaches everyone and organisations quickly become too reliant on it.

Therefore, it’s important to remember that you can connect with young people outside of the social media space. Face-to-face communication is a great alternative. When you are doing something memorable and adding value at the same time, it’s much easier to remember.

As a communicator, it’s not just about the number of clicks – it’s about getting your message across in a clear, meaningful way. And that doesn’t always have to stem from social media campaigns.

On top of that, keep in mind that you can also start from a negative point of view. This is a great way to get conversations started, as it can spark intense passion and reactions out of your audience.

Asking a question such as, “Should European countries raise the voting age to 21?” on Facebook may spark a lot of outrage and angry comments, but it would certainly get people talking.

3. Communicate what’s at stake through storytelling

This one is pretty simple, but many political organisations seem to forget the fact that they are talking to actual people with actual problems that need to be addressed.

So focus on issues that young people care about. Listen to what they’re saying online and at events – really listen to them – and focus your efforts on addressing those issues.

As any communicator knows, a good story is one you actually want to listen to. If your story is weak or not hitting the mark, people will disregard it.

In other words, a story needs to be interesting or meaningful to young people or else you lose their attention.

And don’t forget: you can’t win them all. Don’t try to be all things to all people. Pick a target group and hone in on them.

4. Just connect

Go where young people are! Whether that’s social media or a music festival or even a food truck festival, define your end goal and create simple messages and stories that resonate.

From there, offer something that they would need based on the environment you’re in. Earplugs, water, a space to charge your phone – something that can connect your campaign or tie your message in an organic way.

If you fulfil a need or elicit an emotional response, then people will remember you – and that’s really as good as it gets when it comes to communication.

Connecting with young people needs to go beyond using emoji in tweets or sharing memes on Instagram. It needs to be authentic and memorable.

If you’re connecting with young people as human beings rather than as a large demographic to pander to, then you’re well on your way to carrying out a successful campaign.

A huge thanks to Jacques Foul for discussing this topic with me and for offering his insights from one young communicator to another. You can check out FleishmanHillard EU’s brilliant work here.

With increased competition and the never ending scandals plaguing virtually every channel, it’s no surprise that many social media managers are seeing a decrease in overall return on investment. Yet they still continue to invest more and more revenue into these channels.

So, where do we go from here? Do we continue to hand over our ad budgets to the likes of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter? Or do we need to reconsider our approach?

Luckily there’s an alternative route worth exploring: social media influencers.

Let’s explore some of the reasons why you should consider working with influencers to increase awareness and, where relevant, generate leads and sales.

Reason 1 – Gain awareness from a ready-built following

Rather than spending countless hours and investing a small fortune to get more followers on any given channel, working with an influencer means your message can be heard by a following that is actually listening.

Many brands focus on being overly self-promotional on social media, which is exactly why people tune out.

No one likes an obvious sales pitch, especially if it’s coming from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.

But hearing the message from someone people have been following for a while? That can be priceless – especially when it’s the right audience.

Besides, according to Linqia’s State of Influencer Marketing report, of the 86% of marketers who used influencer marketing in 2017, 92% of them found it to be effective.

Quite the promising success rate.

51% of marketers report that using influencer content outperforms brand-created content.

Reason 2 – Influencers have authority, trust and, well, influence

Building off of reason one, influencers have their audiences’ trust. That means that what they say has credibility and gravitas to the people who listen to them.

They’re called influencers for a reason!

If your organisation works within a certain niche and you find an ideal influencer in it, you’re going to get much more meaningful traction than investing in an Instagram ad.

In Linqia’s report, 81% of marketers use influencer content on other channels, with 51% reporting that it outperforms brand-created content.

via Linqia’s State of Influencer Marketing report

Why is this? One of the main reasons could be that by coming from a trusted source, this content is better received by an audience as it doesn’t feel like a direct sales pitch from an organisation. It feels more authentic and trustworthy.

Reason 3 – It’s an excellent opportunity to work with a creative person outside your organisation

Collaborating with an influencer can work wonders when it comes to finding new ideas and avenues for getting your message across.

Whether it’s an informative photo caption or clever video on their Instagram story, influencers know what their audiences like and how to reach them in an engaging way.

Wherever possible, take advantage of this opportunity and hear them out when it comes to any ideas they may have to make your message stand out.

And something to keep in mind: while you can place certain constraints around the message and your branding, you’re going to need to give up some (if not all) control when it comes to how an influencer relays your message.

Some organisations aren’t comfortable with that, so be sure to weigh the pros and cons before you dive in.

Rock the Vote is an excellent example of bringing creative people together to further a good cause. This non-profit’s mission is “to engage and build the political power of young people.” And what better way to do that than by enlisting the help of influencers?

Rather than pouring its entire marketing budget into social media ads telling people to vote, Rock the Vote encouraged influencers to share with their followers why they’re voting in upcoming elections and why others should as well.

This led to authentic messages via storytelling, rather than just another ad with a dry call-to-action.

Reason 4 – It makes financial sense (vs. paid ad campaigns on social)

As touched on earlier, organisations can spend an obscene amount of money to get an audience to listen to them. And it still might not be effective.

That’s why working with an influencer can make a lot of sense for many organisations.

While you may be spending a bit more per message, the return on investment can be far greater in the long run.

Of course, it’s important to keep an eye on your well-thought-out KPIs throughout this process – and to avoid just looking at vanity metrics – to see if working with influencers is an effective strategy for your organisation.

But in the end, in most cases, it just makes sense to work with influencers when it comes to using your budget effectively.

Reason 5 – They drive traffic and bring leads

By having your message broadcast to a new and attentive audience, you can drive even more traffic to your website and increase your organisation’s overall awareness – whether you’re launching a new product or just need a fresh way of reaching new audiences.

And if you’re trying to generate new leads and potential sales, influencers can also help with this.

Special offers or discounts for first-time customers are great ways to get people started with your product or service – and if you use an influencer-specific code for customers to enter at checkout, it’s even easier to track the effectiveness of influencer campaigns.

Before you get started

So you’ve decided that your organisation should start working with social media influencers. Great! But here are some things to consider first:

Does an influencer campaign make sense for your organisation? Like any marketing or promotional tactic, working with influencers is not for everyone. Be sure to consider the benefits and drawbacks – and any strict policies or rules of your organisation – before you commit to this.

Have a budget, audience persona, message and SMART goals established. Similar to any other marketing campaign you would carry out, you’ll want to be sure you have all of your metrics and goals in place before approaching influencers. Reaching out to influencers before you even know what you can pay them, the pricing model you want to use or what you want to accomplish just wastes everyone’s time. Determine your scope in advance!

Manage expectations. It’s crucial to understand you will need to give up control when it comes to the final content. Establish the ‘must-haves’ when it comes to your message and what can or can’t be done. Otherwise you need to let the influencer have creative license around how to best convey your message.

Working with social media influencers takes time and resources, but the beauty of it is there are influencers across a wide spectrum of niches and budgets.

Do your research to find the influencers that would work best for you and start reaping the benefits of newfound audiences without the stress and cost of yet another failed Facebook ad.

And with that said, happy influencing!

We recently co-organised an edition of News & Booze on this very topic featuring Jacques Foul and Louise Day from FleishmanHillard’s Digital, Social and Creative team! Alongside Julia Ravenscroft from Eurodad and Jo Sullivan from Conscience Consulting, News & Booze is a regular event for NGO and non-profit communicators in Brussels that takes place each month at the offices of the European Environmental Bureau. News & Booze provides a safe space for NGO networking, learning and sharing ideas. You can check out Julia’s write-up of the event here.