Utilizing Social Media to Raise Social Awareness

Social media has forever changed the way we donate, petition, volunteer, and organize for causes. The level of connectivity we have can empower individuals and organizations to incite change at a very large scale, reaching audiences that would normally sit outside your reach. Activists can make an impact outside of their own local communities by reaching out to allies and promoters on an international level. Here are four social media tools that can empower you to make a difference.

Hashtags

Hashtags have the power to help you draw attention to a wide range of issues through compact keywords and phrases. The era of internet activism gives you the power to spread ideas quickly with an enormous audience. Just take a look at how viral #YesAllWomen became, as prominent journalists, activists, politicians, and celebrities raised awareness about violent crimes perpetrated against women. Hashtags have the power to unite a myriad of groups across location boundaries.

Smart Follows

Your social media posts can go a lot further if you have the right network backing you. Before you even start delivering content online, start building connections with influencers who have the same interests as you. Follow policymakers, celebrities, authors, and journalists who are passionate about the causes you want to post about. Ask them thoughtful questions and contribute to a compelling dialogue. These contacts will begin to follow your account as a source of information. Once you are ready to start posting your own content, these followers will be able to amplify your message to a much greater audience. A single influencer with thousands of connections can spread your posts far and wide.

Live Tweeting

Social activists often beat the press to cutting edge news stories because of social media and sharing. Your perspective is extremely valuable, especially if you have a view from the ground during a protest, community effort, or legislative event. Use multimedia to share the experience with a wide audience. Take pictures, audio recordings, and video clips so that users can get an idea of what it”s like to be there. Live tweets and blogging during time-sensitive volunteer and charity efforts can bring significant attention to your cause.

Image Source: Pixabay

The opportunities for social change are limitless. From your computer, you can raise awareness about orphanages in India or take action in your neighborhood. Social media and online activism allows us to connect and work together in increasingly meaningful and life-changing ways.