Date post: | 25-Jan-2015 |
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Social Media for Advocacy
Using Next Generation Tools to Spread Awareness and Influence Policy
Hafez AdelDirector of Marketing
ReTargeter
I. Social Media Grows Up
The Numbers
70 billion minutes/month
=
4,439 years/day
Source: comScore
Source: comScore
How did this…
…transform into this?
II. History
1440: The Birth of Mass Communication
October 31 1517: The Birth of Social Media
Luther Goes Viral
• December 1517: Copies of the 95 Theses
appear in Leipzig, Nuremberg, and Basel
• Spread throughout Europe by 1518
• 14 printings @ 1000 each in 1518
• 6-7m pamphlets printed in first decade of
Reformation; one-fourth were Luther’s
“They are printed and circulated far beyond my expectation….I should have spoken far
differently and more distinctly had I known what was going to happen.”
-Martin Luther, March 1518
Social Media Lessons
• Relevant – tapped into popular discontent
• Portable – distributed via pamphlets and
broadsheets
• Accessible – translated into vernacular
• Compelling – printers were eager to
reproduce the pamphlets for their own profit
1979: The Iranian Revolution
• Khomeini exiled in 1964• Influential from abroad• Works smuggled into Iran
by supporters• Distributed through the
bazaars and the mosques
“Tape cassettes are stronger than fighter planes”-Abolhassan Sadegh
Ministry of National Guidance
Social Media Lessons
• Duplicable Content – anybody could duplicate tapes in their homes
• Appropriate Medium – Khomeini’s oratories were made to be heard, not read
• Good Distribution Network – clergy and merchants were instrumental in spreading his words
III. Modern Day Examples
June 2009: Green Revolution (#IranElection)
• Protests erupt following
disputed election• Protestors adopt unified
imagery and slogans• Twitter and Facebook
serve as mobilization and
communication platforms
Social Media Lessons
• Symbols & Slogans – allow for ad hoc
solidarity and identification
• Decentralized News-Gathering – social media
exposed the conflict for the world to see
• Rapid Information Sharing – Twitter and
mobile phones made protestors agile
December 17, 2010: Arab Spring Begins
• Self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi in Tunisia outrage spreads across multiple platforms• President Ben Ali ousted on 01/14/11
• January 25: “Day of Revolt” in Egypt• 20,000 leaflets distributed• Video blogging instrumental (Asmaa Mahfouz)• Facebook Event = 80,000 attendees
Tahrir Square, Cairo
Social Media Lessons
• The Power of Story – People resonated with Mohamed and Asmaa; they were one of them
• Calls to Action – Facebook and videos used specifically to incite people to organize
• Social Media as Public Sphere – Twitter and Facebook provided much-needed discussion forums that connected strangers
September 17, 2011: Occupy Wall Street (#OWS)
• July 13, 2011: AdBusters
proposes occupation• Anonymous takes up the mantle• August 2011: “We Are the 99%”
(Tumblr)• October 2011: 95 cities, 82
countries, 600 communities
around the world• 2,818 groups in total
November 15, 2011: Zuccotti is Cleared
Social Media Lessons
• Symbols & Slogans – “We are the 99%” provided a powerful rallying cry
• The Impact of Intimacy – Hearing people’s stories put a human face on the movement
• Citizen Journalism – People used camera phones and web streaming to cover events
• Ad-Hoc Communities – Participants continue to discuss and plan across Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and Reddit
1. Citizen journalism/decentralized news
2. Community Building/Discussion Forum
3. Organization/Mobilization
4. Collective Actions
5. Fundraising
Uses of Social Media for Advocacy
1. Mobile tools become essential
2. Shared concerns can coalesce into movements overnight
3. Governments will attempt to monitor and disrupt social
media movements
The Future of Social Media Advocacy