Social media is a hub for civic engagement. Whether you’re seeing celebrities take to Twitter to express their opinions on current events, brands talking about how their values relate to the issues that matter, or everyday people joining the conversation, social is a powerful platform for activism.
In this article, we’ll walk you through how social media activism works, how it can impact your relationships with your customers and some best practices for weighing in on social media movements.
What is social media activism?
Social media activism is a way for people to talk about—and organize around—the issues that matter to them. Social media activism creates opportunities for grassroots movements to take shape and go further. The Ice Bucket Challenge, #MeToo and Black Lives Matter have all been successful social media movements.
How has social become the launch pad for activism? First and foremost, social media is about conversations. Facebook facilitates catch-ups for old friends. Twitter creates global exchanges on of-the-moment topics. Reddit connects groups of people with common interests. TikTok’s stitches and duets bring video content into the chat. With all of the different ways you can have a conversation on social, it’s no surprise that platforms have become a catalyst for social media movements.
Social media activism gives users a chance to amplify their voices, platform and talents for something bigger than themselves. But brands must tread carefully. According to the The Sprout Social Index™, 46% of consumers say the originality of a brand's content is a factor in what makes a brand their favorite brand on social.
While brands should be aware of online culture, they shouldn't just jump on every trend, especially as it relates to activism. Social users believe being authentic in posts as one of the most important traits of content from brands.
As a marketer, how do you make sure your message is effective and authentic?
Some consumers want to make sure brands are following through with their publicized social impact goals—like increasing DEI or incorporating sustainable practices. Publishing both successes and failures can help consumers feel more at ease about the integrity of a brand’s commitment.
When to weigh in
Consumers want to see internal company values align with external corporate activism. Causes that are directly related to a brand’s product, values or image will always be perceived as more authentic than intermittent posts about a variety of issues.
For instance, brands catering to women might be especially vocal about gender in the workplace, while brands that relate to the outdoors might focus on sustainability. The more natural the connection is, the more authentic consumers perceive the campaign. When it’s time to take a stand, make sure it’s easy to connect the dots between your overall brand and your official position.
Virtual actions with real-world impact
Grassroots social media movements don’t have a central leader. They’re sustained by millions of people posting, commenting, liking and sharing peer-generated content. Social media democratizes activism by giving brands, political figures, influencers and everyday individuals the same platform to get their message across. There are four main types of content social media marketers should consider when they’re joining—or starting—a social media movement.
Educational
You can’t fix a problem you don’t know about. A major hurdle for social media activists is making sure their audience understands the issues and the solutions. Educational content is a great way to get the word out about a cause and get the ball rolling on a social media movement.
This content might answer user-generated questions, deep-dive into a subtopic of the larger issue, or give a historical overview of the problem. The goal of educational social activism content is to get audiences up to speed so they can start getting involved.
Transit gaps aren’t just a barrier to opportunity. They can also separate communities from their culture.
For #AAPIHeritageMonth, we’re sharing how the Chinatown Transportation Research & Improvement Project (TRIP) fought for transportation equity in San Francisco’s Chinatown.🧵 pic.twitter.com/TnH2E4sVQo
— Zipcar (@Zipcar) May 3, 2022
Using social media as a catalyst for activism allows individuals to amplify their voices and initiate movements with global reach, sparking meaningful change in society.
