Social Media for Advocacy
- 1. Social Media for Advocacy Using Next Generation Tools to Spread Awareness and Influence Policy Hafez Adel Director of Marketing ReTargeter
- 2. I. Social Media Grows Up
- 3. The Numbers
- 5. 70 billion minutes/month = 4,439 years/day
- 11. II. History
- 12. 1440: The Birth of Mass Communication
- 13. October 31 1517: The Birth of Social Media
- 14. 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
- 15. “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
- 16. 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
- 17. 1979: The Iranian Revolution • Khomeini exiled in 1964 • Influential from abroad • Works smuggled into Iran by supporters • Distributed through the bazaars and the mosques
- 18. “Tape cassettes are stronger than fighter planes” -Abolhassan Sadegh Ministry of National Guidance
- 19. 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
- 20. III. Modern Day Examples
- 21. 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
- 23. 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
- 24. 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
- 26. 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
- 27. 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
- 30. November 15, 2011: Zuccotti is Cleared
- 31. 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
- 32. Uses of Social Media for Advocacy 1. Citizen journalism/decentralized news 2. Community Building/Discussion Forum 3. Organization/Mobilization 4. Collective Actions 5. Fundraising
- 33. The Future of Social Media 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