On Facebook, posts with photos attract many more likes and comments than posts with only a link.

In most nonprofits I’ve worked at, pictures are stored in many locations, some which are only accessible by a single staff member or department.  Often the same photo is stored in multiple places because staff aren’t aware of the other storage areas.  Or, only the Communications department is encouraged to photograph.

A simple tip - designate a central online location for organization photos, and encourage everyone (not just the communications department) to store pictures there.  This will make it easier to quickly pull photos for Facebook or Twitter updates,  website pages and blog posts.  Encourge staff to take pictures wherever your organization is serving your audience – not just at formal events.

Today I received two email messages at work with photos, one with them attached to the email, the other with photos incorporated into the message.  While it’s great to share visual images with your co-workers, it’s even better to show supporters the impact of your work.  If photos work so well on Facebook, they will also work well on your other communication channels.

For more Facebook specific tips, see John Haydon’s Six Creative Ways to  Use Photos to Increase Engagement On Your Facebook Page. And for a great example of how to use photos (and videos) effectively, see Charity:Water‘s website and social media sites.