Volunteer · National NFP · 2022–Present · Led team of 6
Jesus Youth Australia
Grew a national NFP's Instagram from 300 to 2,800+ over three years. Led a self-sufficient media team of six from scratch, inside a volunteer organisation, without formal authority.
2,800+Followers from ~300
~9×Follower growth
30–50%Reach lift, reels pivot
800+Yes Lord attendees
Case study — Cirkall / Volunteer
Jesus Youth Australia — 3-year communications strategy
National NFP · Instagram · Squarespace · Events · 2022–Present
Services delivered
Social media strategyPhotography & videographyGraphic designEvent promotionWebsite managementTeam leadershipStakeholder commsContent training
The organisation
Jesus Youth Australia is a registered national NFP with 500 to 1,000 members across Australia, part of an international movement with brand guidelines set at the global level. They run youth camps, retreats, conferences, and community programs, coordinated across local, regional, national, and international levels.
I joined as a volunteer. Over three years, I took on progressively more responsibility across the organisation's entire communications function: from executing briefs handed to me, to leading a team of six and setting the direction myself.
The situation
When I first got involved with the Instagram account, it had around 300 followers and was essentially functioning as an internal noticeboard. A place for people already in the organisation to check in, not a channel that could grow a public audience. Content was inconsistent, there was no visual identity beyond the international brand guidelines, and there was no real thinking behind what was being posted or when.
The broader communications function was in a similar state: reactive rather than strategic, dependent on individuals rather than systems, and with a media team that didn't fully understand why any of it mattered.
What I was responsible for vs what the team did
In the early stages, I was largely executing briefs alongside other volunteers. Over time I took on strategy, creative direction, analytics, and team leadership. The media team of six handled execution: photography, videography, design, under my direction. By the time I stepped back, the team was self-sufficient and continued operating at the same size without me.
The approach
1
Transform the account from internal to public-facing
The first shift was reframing what the Instagram account was actually for. Instead of posting for people already in the organisation, I started creating content for people who had never heard of Jesus Youth: showing the life, the people, and the energy of the community in a way that would land with an outsider. Higher production quality, more intentional storytelling, and a consistent visual standard aligned to the international brand kit.
2
Respond to platform changes with a reels-led strategy
About a year in, I noticed static posts were declining in reach — analytics showed engagement dropping 20–30% over three to four weeks while video content was outperforming significantly. Instagram had also publicly announced a shift toward prioritising video in the algorithm. I cross-referenced what similar youth organisations were doing, reviewed our own data, and made the case internally to pivot toward reels as the primary content format. This was not a straightforward sell — there was resistance from the team and leadership who weren't convinced social media strategy needed to change. Through research, dialogue, and presenting the data, the pivot was approved and executed.
3
Time content around the audience, not the calendar
Once the content quality improved, I turned attention to timing. Using Instagram's native analytics I identified when our audience was most active and restructured the posting schedule around those windows. Early engagement (likes, comments, and shares in the first few hours) is a key signal to the algorithm, so hitting the right time significantly amplified organic reach.
4
Build a self-sufficient media team from scratch
One of the more significant challenges was working with a media team that didn't fully understand what they were doing or why it mattered. Rather than working around them, I invested in bringing them along: explaining the reasoning behind decisions, training people up, and gradually building a team of six that could execute independently. I also worked across multiple levels of the organisation: local, regional, national, and international, coordinating approvals, aligning with international brand standards, and communicating across departments. Getting that buy-in, without the authority to simply impose the change, required building a case through research, presenting platform data, and having persistent, respectful conversations with people who were older and more experienced than me.
5
Promote major events and national campaigns
Across the three years I led or contributed to communications for a range of events — including the Yes Lord national conference (800 attendees), GDC conference promotions, regional retreats, and ongoing youth program campaigns. My role varied: sometimes I was the sole photographer and designer, sometimes I was leading a team, sometimes I was a contributor within a larger team. What remained consistent was the need to coordinate across departments and levels of the organisation to deliver on time and within brand guidelines.
Events & campaigns
Yes Lord — National Conference
800 attendees · Full comms, photography, design, and social media promotion
GDC Conference
National conference promotion across social media and digital channels
Regional Retreats & Camps
Recurring events: promotional materials, photography, social coverage
Community Storytelling Campaign
Sourced and shaped personal stories from across the JY community into social content
Before & after
Before
Followers~300
AudienceInternal only
Content formatStatic posts only
Posting strategyReactive, irregular
Media teamUnstructured
After (3 years)
Followers2,800+
AudiencePublic-facing + growing
Content formatReels-led strategy
Posting strategyData-driven scheduling
Media teamTrained + self-sufficient
Results at a glance
~9×
follower growth (300 → 2,800+)
+30–50%
reach increase after reels pivot
+15–25%
early engagement after schedule optimisation
800+
attendees at Yes Lord national conference promoted
The account and media team I built kept growing after I stepped back from the day-to-day role. The person I trained up took over the account. I remain involved in an advisory capacity. The systems and culture outlasted my direct involvement.
Why this matters
Nine times follower growth is the headline, but the result I would point to first is the team. Building a self-sufficient media operation of six people from scratch, inside a volunteer organisation, without formal authority, while managing upward to leadership and across to an international brand structure, is the kind of communications challenge that doesn't come up often. The fact that it kept running at full capacity after I left is the proof that it was built properly.
Working within an internationally structured organisation also taught me how to operate across multiple levels of authority: from local volunteers to national leadership to international brand custodians. Every piece of content had to serve the community, align with the brand, and get approved by the right people. That discipline made me a more careful and deliberate communicator.
Strategy without team buy-in goes nowhere. The best content idea means nothing if the people executing it don't believe in it. Bringing people along, especially people older and more experienced than me, is a skill I developed here more than anywhere else.
