Our work as communicators is enhanced by the partnership of incredibly talented folks. Whether it’s collaborating with digital marketers, graphic designers, or video producers, our clients benefit from the expertise of our partners on a daily basis.
One such organization is Cause Fokus: a social media firm specializing in brand and social media strategy for social impact organizations. Minerva began working with founder Brynne Krispin and strategist Bailey Danielson in 2023 as we launched our client Shinnyo-en‘s first-ever Instagram page.
We sat down with Brynne and Bailey to learn about Cause Fokus, their approach to social media, and lessons learned in an ever-shifting digital environment.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
Let’s start at the beginning! Brynne, how did Cause Fokus come about?
Brynne Krispin (BK): I spent nearly a decade working in D.C. leading social media for nonprofits, policymakers, and advocacy organizations. I saw this recurring pattern that organizations had incredible missions, but their social media wasn’t moving the needle. I noticed that so many well-meaning organizations were either stuck in survival mode or outsourcing social to someone who didn’t fully understand the nuance of advocacy, storytelling, and fundraising.
I launched Cause Fokus in 2022 to bridge that gap: to create social media that doesn’t just post content for the sake of posting content, but really helps organizations turn their audiences into loyal advocates who stick around and support the mission long term.
So many organizations struggle with reaching the audiences they want with an effective message. What is Cause Fokus’s philosophy when it comes to social media for social impact organizations?
BK: One thing we say a lot with our clients is “Your mission deserves more than mediocre content.” We believe social media is such a powerful tool in storytelling and partnership building. It’s not just a box to check to get content out for the sake of getting it out.
Our approach is rooted in empathy and strategy. We don’t just chase the trends. We’re not really trying to get our clients to go viral. Instead, we’re aiming for deeper outcomes than just the vanity metrics of likes and shares—we’re really looking at engagement that shows just how deep that content is resonating.
Bailey Danielson (BD): My approach to social media is community based, so it’s less about visibility for visibility’s sake, and more about genuine connection. Visibility is great, but if people are just seeing you and scrolling away, then what’s the point? What I focus on is highlighting the community that already exists and recognizing the potential community we might reach.
I like to draw people in through emotional connection. Storytelling is foundational to that. We use stories as a connective tool to create moments of recognition and trust. I have a literature, poetry, and language background—so to me, everything has a story tied to it, and social media is one of the most accessible places to bring those stories to life.
BK: We’re always thinking about these connections.Are people sending posts to friends? Are they commenting and asking questions? Are they sticking around and continuing to follow along with the stories long term? Are people visiting the website, signing up for emails, or making donations? That’s what we watch for.
Thanks for framing up Cause Fokus’s philosophy. The power of depth over vanity is so strong. Even still, some organizations see social media as non-essential. What misconceptions might nonprofits or social impact organizations have about building a social media strategy?
BD: A lot of nonprofits are cautious about social media because they don’t want to exploit the people they serve. Which, of course, is a good instinct. But there are ways to approach storytelling and uplift community voices in partnership. The best way to do that is to include them in the process. We share content with the person, we talk about how it’s going to be used before we even start working on it. It not only feels right, but it works.
BK: When I was two years into my first ever social media manager job, I wrote a tweet for the CEO of the organization I was working with. And it somehow got back to me that the CEO of the World Economic Forum was reaching out to our CEO because of this one tweet. That was an “aha!” moment where I was able to clearly articulate the value of social media to the leadership team. There’s a misconception that it’s exclusively Gen Z and millennials on these platforms, and that’s just not the case. How we show up on socials matters.
What’s most exciting and rewarding about your work? What’s challenging about navigating social media?
BK: For me, it’s empowering our clients to tell their stories and helping them build the confidence and clarity they need to talk about their mission in a way that opens the door to conversations with new audiences. There’s real-world impact from social strategy. We see new donors coming in, new dream partners connecting, and doors opening. That’s such an exciting thing to be a part of.
BD: I think the biggest challenge we’re seeing right now is with AI. So many people and organizations are churning out content quickly. There’s more content than there’s ever been. It’s like you’re screaming into a big crowd, trying to get your voice heard. But the best way to counteract that is to make your content human and focus on real storytelling and emotional resonance. People will feel the difference.
BK: It’s a complex industry. Your work is very visible—it’s one of the few industries where you have your entire portfolio of work out there in the world for everybody to see. So, that is challenging and will always be challenging. But we’re in an innovative space where we’re approaching social media intentionally. Maybe you won’t get a million views on a campaign video that you really want to get out, but we’re driving partnerships. And that’s having real impact.
We’ve been working together with the team at Shinnyo-en for several years now. They are a Buddhist tradition with members all over the world. With your expertise, we launched Shinnyo-en’s beautiful English-language Instagram. Can you talk a bit about what went into setting up their page?
BD: We made the decision to go with a nine-grid strategy, which is essentially putting nine posts on your main grid and then primarily focusing on reels and stories. Today, reels are how you reach people quickly.
The idea is to keep the nine-grid to a very specific set of information so that when people find our profile, they can find an accessible overview of the organization. For Shinnyo-en, we focused on who they are as a Buddhist tradition, who practices Shinnyo-en, and how people can learn more.
It’s been rewarding to see the overall growth of their profile and how that’s translated to engagement. That means that what we’re doing is working and that’s our goal: to reach and connect with people. Especially since the content is heartfelt and focused on adding goodness into our everyday lives.
BK: We’ve had the opportunity to move at a slower pace with Shinnyo-en. The thread has been showing stories and focusing on what it looks like to be a part of this community. That’s been really enjoyable for us.
We couldn’t agree more. It’s so lovely to work with a heartfelt team, and that includes you! One final question: What’s your main piece of advice for social impact organizations who are getting serious about social media strategy?
BK: Start with the specific goals for your organization, because social media is not a silo. How can fundraising and advocacy and partnership all work together to help make sure social is achieving those goals? Another thing we say often is “consistency beats complexity.” You don’t need to be everywhere all the time. You just need to show up with clarity and intentionality and that’s going to help you win the long game.
BD: It’s also important to be flexible. Month to month and week to week, it’s about learning from your audience as you go. You can review what types of posts your audience is engaging with and adjust. It’s important to make sure that you’re staying consistent and still assessing what people find valuable by staying curious. That will improve how you’re connecting with the people already in your audience and the ones you haven’t met yet.
To learn more about Cause Fokus’s philosophy of building trust and connection with audiences, check out the new book by Brynne and market research consultant Mikayla Colthirst-Reid, Read the Room: Why Empathy Is the Secret Sauce in Successful Branding. You can get the e-book here.
