Social Media & NGO Campaigns

NGO Campaignson Social Media

Amsterdam, January 2010

Prepared by ©Yufen Cadence Chen

online.yfc@gmail.com

Social Media is a communication platform for individuals and their

social networks to createAmbient Intimacy

“Ambient intimacy is about being able to keep in touch with people with a level of regularity and intimacy that you wouldn’t usually have access to, because time and space conspire to make it impossible.

Who cares? Who wants this level of detail? Isn’t this all just annoying noise?…There are a lot of us, though, who find great value in this ongoing noise. It helps us get to know people who would otherwise be just acquaintances.

It makes us feel closer to people we care for but in whose lives we’re not able to participate as closely as we’d like. Knowing these details creates intimacy.”

- Leisa Reichelt ( website designer)

Facebook Research

a social networking site

The objective of this research is to understand the use of Facebook among other organizations and to provide key angles for xxx’s evaluation.

• In this research, I adopted both quantitative and qualitative approaches to analyze the use of Facebook. – Quantitative: frequency of postings (Time of

Observation: 3 – 26 OCT 2009)– Qualitative: content & interaction

• I chose 7 international NGOs and 4 companies in order to compare the use of Facebook. – NGOs: FOE, Greenpeace, WWF, WFP, Oxfam, Amnesty,

NSPCC– Companies: Innocent Drinks, Dorset Cereal, Apple

Computer, MTV

• Here is the outline of this research:1. About Facebook

2. Facebook User Analysis

3. Facebook Features

4. Facebook Wall

5. Facebook Stat

6. Evaluation: frequency of posting, open Wall, user comment, campaigning in Facebook

7. More about Facebook

About Facebook

• Facebook is all about open connection and interaction among friends/groups. It is a platform where people around the world can meet each other.

• For NGOs, using Facebook properly and strategically can help enhance the relationship with supporters.

• Facebook allows users to spread news easily and more effectively. Its idea of social economy is based on the wisdom of friends.

Facebook User Analysis

• Green: over-represented• Red: under-represented

(Source: Alexa.com)

Facebook Features

• News Feed is a summary view of the activities of your friends/pages arranged by Facebook algorithm.

• Live Feed (launched on 23 Oct 2009) is the same real-time feed from your friends/pages.

• Facebook Page (different from Facebook Group)

– Users can become a fan of a Page by adding the Page to their profiles.

– A Facebook Page can be found by searching inside Facebook. Nevertheless, the searching itself might be a problem because of the confusion of naming. The suggestion is to put a Facebook link in the official website or newsletters. It also encourages supporters to become a fan on Facebook.

Facebook Wall- news links

To WFP site

To sponsored events

To BBC News

To WWF Blog

Facebook Wall- campaign links

e.g. campaign site: NSPCC Christmas eCard

e.g. You Tube video: Greenpeace occupying UK parliament

Facebook Wall- talk to fans

e.g. NSPCC shares feelings to their fans

e.g. WWF shares a new Facebook application with its fans

Facebook Stat • Interactive and easy to use

Step 2: The result will show up immediately after checking an answer

Step 1: Fans can choose their responses from each question

Evaluation 1: Frequency of postings Consider how much interaction you plan to create:

Facebook Page can serve as a news center but it will not be efficient without strategic planning. For example, Greenpeace posts an average of 4~6 postings a day and almost every fan can receive certain degree of Greenpeace news in their feeds whenever he/she logs in.

The following can help evaluate the level of frequency:How much content you have? Plan ahead the sources (official websites, blogs, campaign sites, or news sites) which you can share with your fans. What are those content? The degree of interaction varies in different content. For example, animation and live actions usually draw more feedback. You can repeat the same content with different communication messages especially for campaigns. This method is frequently used by Greenpeace.

Note: Dorset Cereal and MTV are inactive in Facebook Page

Number of Wall postings (Period: 3 OCT - 26 OCT 2009)

NGO Company

Name FoE Int'l Greenpeace WWF WFP Fight Hunger Oxfam Amnesty Int'l

USA NSPCC Innocent Drinks

Apple Student

3-Oct 5 2

4-Oct 3 3

5-Oct 6 2 1 1 1 1 1

6-Oct 1 3 3 1 2

7-Oct 5 2 1 1 1 1

8-Oct 3 4 1 1 1 1

9-Oct 5 3 3 1 1 1

10-Oct

11-Oct 1 1

12-Oct 1 8 2 2 1 1 1

13-Oct 4 1 1 2 1

14-Oct 3 3 1 1 1

15-Oct 8 4 1 1 1

16-Oct 1 3 1 3 1

17-Oct

18-Oct 1

19-Oct 4 4 2 1 2

20-Oct 3 2 2 2

21-Oct 4 2 1 1 1

22-Oct 4 3 2 1 1

23-Oct 4 4 1 1 3 1

24-Oct

25-Oct 1

26-Oct 2

Total 3 68 42 31 9 8 19 9 3# of Fans 2,293 299,164 223,618 30,024 17,452 91,863 28,295 15,000 1,400,060

Suggestion of frequency: (at least) one post per day helps build the foundation for deeper involvement and interaction.

The number of fans is usually proportional to the degree of interaction (i.e. leaving comments or ‘like’). There are tactics available to increase the number of fans.

Evaluation 2: An open WallWWF, Oxfam and Innocent Drinks make their Wall public and encourage their fans to join posting. Positive: increase the interaction with your fans Negative: content control

Evaluation 3: User commentsMost comments made by fans are positive Some comments can bring up a deeper discussion on the posting’s topic among fans Note that a fan can act emotionally by spamming his message on the Wall or questioning about the organization. Most of the time NGOs don’t directly reply to comments; companies such as Dorset Cereal and Apple usually reply to every comment. During the observation time, NSPCC is the only NGO that reply to messages at a conversational level.

Evaluation 4: Campaigning in Facebook• OCT 2009- Greenpeace launched a Photo Contest on Facebook. To join this contest, you needed to submit your photo to your own Facebook profile and paste the link under this Facebook note.

• Hundreds of Greenpeace fans submitted their photos to their Facebook album.

• The winner was the one who received the most “like” clicks

More about Facebook

• A DigiActive Introduction to FacebookActivism is free to download online.

• The Issue of privacy: be aware that everything on Facebook is open. Make sure all communication (including commenting on other pages) is not sensitive.

Twitter Research

a micro-blogging site

The aim of this section is to understand how Twitter is used among NGOs and what influences Twitter has brought for NGO campaigns .

• A tweet is a text-based message limited in 140 words. It is what the site Twitter based upon.

• Twitter’s content is less diversified than Facebook and it emphasizes very much on a real-time, open communication.

• In this research, I adopted both quantitative and qualitative approaches to analyze the use of Twitter. – Quantitative: frequency of daily postings (during Nov 2009)– Qualitative: techniques & interaction

• I chose 7 international NGOs and 3 companies in order to compare their use of Twitter. – NGOs: FOE, Greenpeace, WWF, WFP, Oxfam, Amnesty, NSPCC– Companies: Innocent Drinks, Dorset Cereal, Apple Computer

Twitter User Analysis

• Green: over-represented• Red: under-represented

(Source: Alexa.com)

Following Us on Twitter# of Followers

Following Listed # of Tweet # of Follower*

FoE 93 5 8 10 211

Greenpeace 24,783 3,019 1,225 2,319 31,299

WWF 19,523 2,825 927 687 31,472

Oxfam 11,071 350 563 707 19,923

WFP 7,006 6,902 345 653 14,064

Amnesty 9,248 3,451 353 875 22,228

Apple 21,249 13,400 490 20,239 22,228

Dorset 418 0 26 96 552

Innocent 19,833 9,255 271 1,413 22,229

(Observation Time: 18 Nov- 4 Dec 2009) *as of 8 Feb 2010

Tweets: Posting Frequency

• FoE: usually once every week• Greenpeace: everyday (22 *from 1~5 Feb)• WWF: everyday (10*)• Oxfam: everyday (41*)• WFP: almost everyday (16*)• Amnesty: everyday (13*)• Apple: everyday (too many!)• Dorset: almost everyday (8*)• Innocent: every other day (21*)

• Daily amount of tweets: Each daily active NGO has 1~40 tweets per day depending on different campaigns

Tweets: Content

• Most tweets are campaign activities provided with a (shorten) link

• Other content may also include:– Breaking News

– News & Reports

– Greetings

– Pictures: Links to 3rd party platforms such a TwitPic

Example: Greetings!

Tweets: Techniques • Retweet (RT) :

– Official RT: The RT made by you but your followers will see the original tweet user instead of you.

– Unofficial (RT@username): Your follower will see the tweets coming from you.

• Issues: use Hashtags(#) for grouping tweet and identifying specific topics among Twitter users. i.e. #COP15, #Copenhagen

• Reply: @+username+message to designate your tweet as a reply to another person

• Mention: using the @username format and people will also see the update in their replies tab

• Lists: – To organize the people you are following – To follow the tweet stream on the entire list without following each of

them

Tweets: Communication

• Twitter is more than a one-way communication to the general public. A proper use of Twitter is to make two-way , real-time communication in order to enlarge the effect of topic or issues

• Collaboration between NGO and individuals– The spirit of getting Involved: “Let’s spread the news

together!” – Many NGOs reply their appreciation in Thank you

@username• Collaboration among NGOs

– WWF retweeted FoE being suspended from COP15– 350.org and tcktcktck were frequently RTed by many NGOs

• Outside the Twittersphere: Twitter Feeds can be plugged in official websites or blogs enhance interaction with website visitors

Campaigning on Twitter

• Twitter is not just news sharing! • For example, Greenpeace used

@barackobama and @ShellOilSands to create an open talk between different parties. (

• An open, mutual communication between parties of conflicting interests creates the ‘drama’ for followers. It also suggests the positions of parties involved and further enhance the image of campaigns.

Something about social media & campaigning

The Vision

• Change is at hand: the real-time Web and its social media gasoline fundamentally changes the relationship between organizations and people. Organizations are able to reach people in a more impactful and more efficient fashion.

• Campaigns are eroding. In this real-time epoch, every interaction is a separate, fluid, and potentially critical initiative.

• 2010 will be the year that the real-time Web forces to act more like call center managers.

• Valeria Maltoni talks more about marketing-centric enterprise, staffing and budget clarity, and rules of engagement in her new ebook: 5 Sure-Fire Ways to Operationlize Social Media (Free download).

The Action

• Online activism is not only meaningful; it’s essential, and it extends far beyond simple digital philanthropy or a virtual commitment to join a cause with the click of a “thumbs up.”

• If we are to change these online spaces, as those before us have tried to change physical world, then we have to work with the system we are striving so desperately to change.

• Ideally, Internet-led social movement would from a symbiotic relationship with their “on-the-ground” counterparts.

• Creating an awareness and consciousness around an issue is the first step in building and articulating a movement’s demands and priorities.

(Reference: Kristina Loring on Good.is)

A Brief Conclusion

Use social media to lead the trend rather than following the steam

1. Social media is more than a communication tool. It has become the venue of many people’s daily activities as our society is gradually turning into a global digital network.

2. Consider social capital in social media. A media that is good at communication might not be good at groups. For example, sending messages from a broadcasting tower is different from talking to Facebook/Twitter worldwide users. Therefore, the target/goal of using social media should be clearly identified first.

3. The message of communication can be fun, interactive, and informative ! More than providing official website news, relevant news or activities from external sources should be considered too.

4. Increase the number of fans both on Facebook and Twitter is a foundation for an effective use of social media whose networking is based on the wisdom of crowds.