Social media platforms are a great way for connecting and reconnecting people together. There are always good stories to be heard about connections made through social media. People also hear a lot of negative things about social media as well, as stories about Facebook bullying and threats made through Twitter permeate the news. But there is much to be said about the good causes that can be promoted through social media.
There are hundreds of Facebook pages dedicated to charitable causes and promoting issues that really matter. Take Above the Influence, for example. Their Facebook page was established as part of the White House's Office of National Drug Control Policy. Their aim is to have a place for teens to go online who are being pressured into drugs and alcohol. This page, with over a million likes, serves as a virtual community so that teens, who frequently feel isolated and alone, can connect with others just like them, so that a support network is available 24/7.
Smaller charitable organizations like Voices Against Brain Cancer can really find a place to be heard on Facebook. Small non-profit organizations who can't afford the publicity blitz that larger organizations can afford will take to the free Facebook page to spread their message. Hundreds of animal activists call Facebook home too, from small local shelters to the ASPCA. The key to financial survival for many of these charities is visibility, something that Facebook is a wonderful vehicle for.
Facebook provides a wonderful way to promote good causes. Whether the cause is widely known or not, there is ready access to 900 million users, 155 million of which live in the U.S. alone. But Facebook isn't the only medium by which charities can gain attention. Twitter also provides a sense of immediacy for the charitable causes.
The tragic Haitian earthquake in 2010 and the 2011 Japanese tsunami are sadly perfect examples of Twitter's power. While Facebook actions are spurred on primarily by family and friends' posts and updates, celebrities took Twitter en masse to reach out to their fans and ask for help. By tweeting to their fans for donations, funds poured in to the Red Cross and other organizations struggling to help the disaster victims.
While Facebook and Twitter can often be filled with good news about people's personal lives, from weddings and proposals to new babies and new jobs, it can also be used a powerful force for charities. If the charities can team with a properly equipped social media agency, the sky would be the limit for the possible exposure. Financial help would be but a click away and who knows how many lives could be saved through the amazing power and reach of social media.
Image courtesy of Danilo Rizzuti.