{"id":31179,"date":"2014-09-24T14:44:13","date_gmt":"2014-09-24T18:44:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/joangarry.com\/?p=31179"},"modified":"2023-03-17T18:02:39","modified_gmt":"2023-03-17T22:02:39","slug":"facebook-like-matter-slacktivism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/joangarry.com\/facebook-like-matter-slacktivism\/","title":{"rendered":"Does a Facebook “Like” Matter?"},"content":{"rendered":"

You work to change the world.<\/p>\n

You need to get the word out about what you\u2019re doing. You need to inspire and grow and activate people. There are lots of ways to approach it. Special events<\/a>, direct mail, phone banks, advertising.<\/p>\n

And then there\u2019s social media.<\/p>\n

You probably already have a Facebook page. Perhaps it\u2019s doing well. Perhaps not.<\/p>\n

But even if you have thousands of \u201clikes,\u201d does that actually move the needle? Is it worth your time? Or is it a whole bunch of hand waving? Many nonprofits aren\u2019t sure.<\/p>\n

Is, for the most part, the Internet just a big den of \u201cslacktivism\u201d?<\/p>\n

SLACKTIVISM DEFINED<\/h3>\n

\u201cFeel-good online activism that has zero political or social impact. It gives those who participate in \u2018slacktivist\u2019 campaigns an illusion of having a meaningful impact on the world without demanding anything more than joining a Facebook group.<\/i>\u201d<\/p>\n

So says author and pundit Evgeny Morozov<\/a>. He warns that if you recently signed an online petition and shared it with your entire contact list, you\u2019re probably guilty of slacktivism.<\/p>\n

Sounds bad, right?<\/p>\n

And to some extent, it\u2019s even true. Look at the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, an online campaign that clearly worked incredibly well. Over $100 million was raised for the ALS Association and fresh millions were made aware of a disease.<\/p>\n

But still, the majority of people who \u201cparticipated\u201d merely dumped water on their heads for all to see in a communal display of narcissism, but donated nothing. (Note: I\u2019ve argued elsewhere that <\/i>narcissism is a key reason it worked so well<\/i>.) <\/i>Additionally, many weren\u2019t even aware of why<\/i> they were doing it, other than because it looked like fun. Slacktivism, indeed.<\/p>\n

The Ice Bucket Challenge may show us that a clear benefit of social media is the possibility<\/i> of raising a ton of money. But wasn\u2019t this campaign a big fluke? A winning lottery ticket? The ALS Association didn\u2019t even start that campaign but merely rode (and helped push along) the tidal wave.<\/p>\n

Truthfully, it\u2019s not all that likely your<\/i> nonprofit is going to raise $100 million dollars this year through social media. Too bad.<\/p>\n

But aside from the obvious or unlikely, are there any real and tangible benefits <\/i>to social media marketing for nonprofits? Can a Facebook like move the needle?<\/p>\n

FOUR HIDDEN BENEFITS OF “SLACKTIVISM”<\/h3>\n

When an online campaign directly results in change, its impact is obvious. But there are some non-obvious benefits too.<\/p>\n

1) Spreads the word<\/b>. Ok, that\u2019s super-obvious. But less obvious is that once a social media campaign picks up enough steam, it can break out beyond the echo chamber<\/i>. Recent research revealed that online we mostly live in little bubbles of like-minded friends and colleagues<\/a>. Makes sense. Life\u2019s too short to constantly fight with those who radically disagree with you.<\/p>\n

But with enough momentum, the mainstream media picks up on it. Even if your topic isn\u2019t \u201csexy.\u201d The current debate on \u201cNet Neutrality\u201d provides a great example. What could be more technical and boring? And yet, as a result of the recent \u201cInternet Slowdown\u201d social media campaign, BT Broadband Deals<\/a> might be the solution to the internet slowdown. Net neutrality got discussed at length on mainstream TV entertainment shows like @Medium<\/i> and Last Week Tonight With John Oliver<\/i><\/a>. What a huge amplifier! But when you figure out the ROI of your social media efforts, it can be hard to make the connection.<\/p>\n

2) Normalizes charitable behavior.\u00a0<\/b>Marketing pundit\u00a0Seth Godin writes<\/a>, \u201cThe more often our peers talk about a different kind of heroism, one that\u2019s based on caring about people we don\u2019t know, the more likely we are to see this as the sort of thing that people like us do as a matter of course.<\/i>\u201d<\/p>\n

Seth is right. Simply by telling stories of activism, charity, and participation we can help change the culture away from the silly<\/a> and toward the meaningful.<\/p>\n

3) Gets a foot in the door.<\/b> It\u2019s long been known in sales that just by priming a person with a small request<\/a> s\/he is much more likely to comply with a larger request later.<\/p>\n

A 2011 Georgetown study<\/a> showed the foot-in-the-door technique to work very well when it comes to the success of online campaigns. The study\u2019s key findings showed that those who participate with nonprofits via social media are:<\/p>\n