Jeremy Pepper has requested that consultants prove that social media works – that it can be used for good. Calling out a dozen of some of the most well-known and influential in our flock, he points out what these folks (all men, as an aside) haven’t done and/or should be doing by way of affecting change for a particular cause.
Now, I’ve also called pros to task on using social media for good, too. But it’s unfair to assume that social media at large and the people Jeremy listed aren’t doing good things. Consultants don’t live and die by their social media activity. People DO do things that aren’t broadcast across Twitter and Technorati, from donating to volunteering.
“Charity” takes so many different forms. Sometimes it’s a monetary gift. Sometimes it’s taking 10 extra minutes to listen to a problem. Other times its NOT lambasting someone (in private or public) who really should get their ass handed to them.
We can’t assume that people who don’t talk about doing good through social media aren’t doing good at all.
And, for the record, a lot of people are doing a lot of good via that wild & woolly Web of ours. A lot of this action is driven by nonprofits/NGOs, which over the centuries have had to deal with more obstacles than merely those presented by social media just to get people to donate a buck.
Civic engagement and open sourced, social media are people-driven – a match made in heaven for advocacy. Social media presents countless opportunities, but an equal number of challenges to match. Progress is being made but it takes time. For years, nonprofit leaders, marketers and consultants have put out rallying cries to dig into this space, and every week this community is learning from each other and refining the process. “The ask” requires trust, and to get in the trust tree, you need relationships, relevance and tact.
Sure, we all have room to do more – and I put myself at the top of the list of people who should do more. But people should be allowed to choose their causes and not blamed if they don’t support yours (with all due respect to Jeremy’s friend Lisa).
Those of us who are so concerned that others take action should lead by example. It’s not just about one cause – it’s about getting society to adapt a cause-focused mindset. A tall order that cannot be fulfilled by “social media consultants” alone. Find your own way to help, tell others about it, and invite/encourage them to join you. They might already be a champion for something else, in their own way, and that’s okay.
[Image credits: "Time Out!" by threecees & "Urban Optimism" by hoveringdog]
Love the rally cry Qui! Social media isn’t everything. For us that live in it, sometimes it’s hard to crawl out of that space…but there is more to life than social media.
However, one’s influence and the visibility one can bring to a cause/issue is also more than social media. I would suggest we tap into our individual potential for change, and lead ourselves, before we try to lead others or complain.
Great post! ;)
While I agree with Jeremy’s sentiment 100%, he falls victim to a trait he often complains about.
Jeremy is fond of pointing out that he is NOT a Social Media Nerd, but rather a well-rounded public relations professional who happens to have Social Media as part of his toolkit. Yet in his rant, he calls out Social Media people to use Social Media as their means of doing good.
Reminds me of one of my favorite Red Cross colleagues, a guy who had done fairly well for himself and worked Red Cross as a calling, not a vocation. He goes down to a church-sponsored shelter every week and mops the floors. He parks his BMW out back where no one can see, walks in, and cleans the floors. The ladies who run the place only know his first name, and as far as they know he doesn’t have a car. He’s just there on Tuesdays to clean.
Jeremy doesn’t know enough about the people he called out to know who is mopping floors somewhere, literally or figuratively. (At least not until MopStream gets that VC funding and has an RSS feed…)
Qui – thanks so much for this post (and for the link!). Our old ways of communicating were process driven, so nice and tidy. You send out a card, count the number of people that call and donate, and you know what kind of effect you’ve had. Creating change is social media is, as you say, people driven. So it’s messy. We can’t know what one well placed link in Twitter will lead to in terms of volunteer hours, donations, or advocacy. But just because we can’t always see it, doesn’t mean it’s not there.
Great post. I think you’ve touched on one aspect of what I find interesting–social media can be used for good/charitable works, but that doesn’t always have to equal donations, does it? On a purely personal side, I have found social media to be an invaluable source of information regarding an issue that has recently become a significant part of my life. Sure, it’s a cause that I’ve contributed to monetarily, but the bigger benefit to me through social media has been the amount of information and knowledge I’ve gained through the first-hand accounts of members of the community.
Also, if anyone challenged me in this manner, I think my response would be this: I contribute money to causes that people I know are *directly* involved in. Whether it’s a friend’s participation in a run to raise funds for children’s cancer, or contributing to a charity that addresses a disease that someone I know is affected by, that’s my underlying criteria. I don’t think a public challenge is respectful…but that’s me.
Jen
@Alex – thanks for always serving as a great example. I’m humming a song for you: “I’m starting with the man in the mirror.”
@Ike – the story of your anonymous mopping friend is very touching. There’s something beautiful in the “unsung hero” nature of volunteerism. Let’s home MopStream.com doesn’t become a reality. If it does, altruism will be run-through by ego. Not what the spirit of giving is about!
@Holly & Jen – Thanks for your insights. You are both reminding me of Aaron Brazell’s recent post on gap marketing – touching people in the cracks. Even if you don’t know how the small touches will directly impact a campaign, that doesn’t mean the results won’t surprise you. As is the case with Aaron’s experience & subsequent post. http://technosailor.com/2008/08/11/the-psychology-of-gap-marketing/
FWIW – Jeremy is formulating a follow-up…
You can find my response at: http://interactivemedias.blogspot.com/2008/08/charity-and-social-media.html