The melding of nonprofits and technology has always been important in maintaining control of fundraising and awareness campaigns, but as technology innovates, nonprofits need to make sure to do the same.

The following are notable digital trends that nonprofit leaders and practitioners should heed as technology continues to dominate the consumer space this year.

Video is King

The aim of many nonprofits is to share information about a cause and appeal to the public for support. The simplest tool to convey the main purpose of nonprofit or community work is video. People want transparency from companies, they crave the human behind the screen. Video is a wonderful way to capture the essence of your organization. There are several ways to share on social platforms including Facebook Live and Instagram Stories. Supporters or people who are new to your cause can access video that show them the work, inspire trust in the work’s impact, and eventually seek to involve them within that work.

Instagram is Growing

The visual based social media marketing platform has grown exponentially in the past few years, and with that growth came innovation. Instagram now offers live streaming and stories that are tools that can offer another point of view toward a companies Instagram page. As a visual platform, Instagram has the ability to be image focused rather than on text. This offers a unique ability to simplify and streamline a tone and imagery that is very specific to a company. The images should articulate the poster’s position within seconds of user viewing, and keep that attention with vibrant colors and simple design.

Artificial Intelligence

The term Artificial Intelligence can leave some leaders feeling wary, but it is a growing technology that can offer many advantages for nonprofit management and community engagement. Chatbots, used correctly, can be a good way to manage interaction and engagement among followers on sites such as Twitter. Once implemented, this can free up members of a marketing team to focus on campaigns and events rather than just focusing on social media responses. The key to evolving with technology is understanding and learning about the innovations within the digital tech world. Successful nonprofits should be keeping tabs on emerging technology in order to stay relevant and involved in the conversation.

These trends were originally examined on JC Social Marketing as digital fundraising trends for modern nonprofits.