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Ignite - Twitter for #social_activism and... #Revolution - final
- 4. Egypt & Twitter User size represents “influence” Blue = English Red = Arabic
- 5. #jan25
- 10. Over 98% of donors were people who had never before donated to Epic Change.
- 12. #BeatCancer “Most Widespread Social Network Message” - 2009
- 16. #slacktivism?
- 18. Changing the world… 300,000 followers
- 19. “1BOG relies on social media as a way to reach out to our customer base and keep our local communities engaged.”
Editor's Notes
- I’m going to talk to you about Twitter’s role in social activism, community engagement, and political revolution.
- Is Twitter a revolutionary tool, or a tool for revolution? Some are arguing, well, both.In 2009, the people of Iran took to the streets to protest the reelection of President MahmoudAhmadinejad.
- The government barred foreign journalists from covering the protests, so one of the only ways to get the word out was via Twitter. Twitter was such an important tool for communication that the State Department asked Twitter to delay scheduled maintenance to avoid disrupting communication among the protesting Iranians.
- Recently in Egypt, this approach has been magnified. This is a visual representation of the “influence” of various users tweeting about Egypt. You can see that the Google exec credited with mobilizing the revolution has the largest circle in the network.
- This hash tag was used to share information surrounding the Egyptian protests. This is a visualization of tweets using this hash tag the day of Mubarek’s announced resignation. Top Left = 1 hr before, and the far right is one hour after Mubarek’s resignation.
- Traditional media now follows trending topics on Twitter to help understand the most current news developments and stories.But is Twitter really responsible for these social revolutions?
- MalcolmGladwell, the famous social science author and thought leader, has been critical, insisting social media & Twitter foster weak ties, whereas social activism is borne from strong ties and motivation, not participation.
- However, social activism impacts the hearts and minds of people, which is the real catalyst behind every type of revolution. Any media that allows for discussion of issues can affect change and Twitter is a powerful tool in spreading knowledge very quickly.Let’s take a look at some other forms of activism using Twitter.
- In 2008 a small non-profit had acreative campaign called "TweetsGiving." where people shared something they're thankful for with their followers on Twitter, and then include a link to a page where people can make a donation to build a school in Africa.
- They became the #1 trending topic on Twitter and in 48 hours raised well over the $10,000 goal needed to build a classroom.Over 98% of donors were people who had never before donated to them.This is the power of Twitter.(Mama Lucy)
- Another example is TwitChange, which raised over $500,000 to build a school for children in Haiti following the devastating earthquake last year.How do they do this? By auctioning off the chance to be followed, mentioned, or retweeted by their favorite celebrities.
- In 2009 #BeatCancer set the Guinness World Record for the “Most Widespread Social Network Message”. The goal was to raise money for different cancer-fighting organizations (LIVESTRONG Foundation, Bright Pink and Stand Up To Cancer) using five cent donations for every tweet that featured this hash tag, raising $70,000.
- In 2010 – PayPal tried to repeat with a meager goal of only $20K, but couldn’t muster even that amount. This example really emphasizes the need for strategic , thoughtful, and original messaging.
- Case in point: Microsoft Bing’s campaign last week to raise money for Japan earthquake victims. They offered to donate a dollar per tweet up to $100K but only if users retweeted their tweet.
- The backlash on the Twitterverse spread quickly with critics accusing them of using tragedy as a marketing opportunity, and Microsoft withdrew the offer and simply donated the $100K directly.
- Critics of these campaigns state we don't need more money, we need people’s passion & enthusiasmto help make the world a better place. “Adding a hashtag or retweeting a message is not engagement. It's not making people stop and ask about the mission of the organization behind the fundraising.”
- Instead of tweeting #BeatCancer, they could have had people post stories about surviving cancer using blogs, then tweet the links to their stories, and have Paypal donate money per entry. Imagine reading about how your friends and colleagues have a mother or a child who survived cancer. Imagine how that would open up our hearts to get involved in identifying more effectivecures.
- One Block Off The Grid is a for-profit business that IS trying to change the world, using Twitter to great success. Their business model utilizes regional “campaigns”, where communities of homeowners participate in order to secure negotiated discounts on solar installation.
- Their CEO proudly states that they rely on social media to reach out to their customer base and keep local communities engaged. He insists that their 300K+ Twitter followers are essential for disseminating information in this business model.
- Twitter should be viewed for what it is: a powerful new tool for rapidly spreading knowledge. Using strategic, thoughtful, and original messaging, it enables social activists, non-profits, and businesses to quickly and effectively engage stakeholders – which is the first step to affecting change. Or perhaps, starting a revolution.