Social Media Platforms 101: Snapchat, YouTube, & Pinterest

June 2019 – Lauriane Lebrun, Marketing & Communications Coordinator

If you, a) didn’t grow up with a smartphone, and, b) are currently in a nonprofit leadership role, you might be wondering if your organization is using the right social media platforms. Should you be on Facebook or Twitter? What’s the difference between Instagram and Pinterest? Is Snapchat the new YouTube?

Read on to get to know some of the most popular social media sites and learn which of them could be a good fit for your nonprofit. This month, I’m covering Snapchat, YouTube, & Pinterest. If these aren’t the platforms you have questions about, don’t worry – you can find my other Social Media Platforms 101 article here.

Snapchat
- The Basics: Snapchat is an instant messaging mobile app through which users can send photos, short videos, and text messages. Content (“snaps”) can be sent directly to friends, or shared more generally to your “story.” One of the app’s key features is its “disappearing content” concept – that is, snaps are only available to recipients for a short time, and stories vanish after 24 hours. Snapchat also offers plenty of photo and video editing tools including filters, voice-changers, text overlays, stickers, and more.
- The Stats: Your Teen Magazine reports that a striking 75% of 13-to-17-year-olds use Snapchat. Hello, teenagers.
- How Nonprofits Can Use It: Geofilters are location-specific designs you can overlay onto your Snapchat photos. Designing your own geofilters for your organization’s events is a great way to get your supporters engaged and spreading the word about your nonprofit.

YouTube
- The Basics: YouTube has been around for a while (since 2005) and is used by over one billion people. That’s about one-third of the Internet, so you probably already know what YouTube is if you’re reading this. On the off chance you don’t, it is a video sharing service that can be used to stream everything from movie trailers for soon-to-be-Oscar-winners, to audio of your favorite songs, to your choice of more than 2,000,000 cat videos.
- The Stats: According to Hootsuite, 96% of American internet users aged 18-24 use YouTube. That said, half of American internet users over the age of 74 also use YouTube, so it’s a pretty good place to reach audiences from any generation. Check out 14 Facts About YouTube You Probably Didn’t Know by BroadbandSearch for more interesting facts and figures.
- How Nonprofits Can Use It: As is the case with Instagram, visual storytelling has the power to invoke rapid and emotional connections—the kind of connections that compel people to action and turn them into supporters. By seeing the people, animals, or places your organization helps portrayed in a YouTube video, your audience will begin to understand the impact their donations could have in a more personal, tangible, and immediate way.

Pinterest
- The Basics: Pinterest is essentially a digital bulletin board. Users can set up various boards based on their interests, then “pin” content (photos, text, videos, or links) to their boards for future reference. Common examples include boards dedicated to recipe ideas, wedding planning, and home décor.
- The Stats: According to Omnicore, 81% of Pinterest users are female, and the majority of Pinterest users are under 40 years old.
- How Nonprofits Can Use It: Pinterest is all about inspiration. Pins represent ideas and plans – new hobbies to try, hairstyles to wear, places to visit… and ways to pay it forward. For example, charity: water has a “Creative Fundraising” board that serves both as a “thank you” to supporters who have raised money for the organization, and as inspiration for others looking to get involved and do some fundraising of their own.