Social Media for Advocacy

Using Next Generation Tools to Spread Awareness and Influence Policy

Hafez AdelDirector of Marketing

ReTargeter

I. Social Media Grows Up

The Numbers

70 billion minutes/month

=

4,439 years/day

Source: comScore

Source: comScore

How did this…

…transform into this?

II. History

1440: The Birth of Mass Communication

October 31 1517: The Birth of Social Media

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

“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

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

1979: The Iranian Revolution

• Khomeini exiled in 1964• Influential from abroad• Works smuggled into Iran

by supporters• Distributed through the

bazaars and the mosques

“Tape cassettes are stronger than fighter planes”-Abolhassan Sadegh

Ministry of National Guidance

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

III. Modern Day Examples

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

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

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

Tahrir Square, Cairo

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

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

November 15, 2011: Zuccotti is Cleared

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

1. Citizen journalism/decentralized news

2. Community Building/Discussion Forum

3. Organization/Mobilization

4. Collective Actions

5. Fundraising

Uses of Social Media for 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

The Future of Social Media Advocacy