How Social Media Affects a Social Change Organization’s Presence
Social media is a huge aspect of today’s society. Millenials are looking at their phones over 157 times per day according to multiple studies. With the digitalized world becoming more and more prevalent by the second, social organizations must take notice. Like many others, social change organizations must simply learn how to do one thing — adapt. After all, the business of attracting humans to join a cause is in part a bit of a sales pitch. If a group can expand their brand to attract more followers, they are going to do so.
When I checked up on the Campaign to End the Death Penalty — the organization I’ve followed for the past several months — I noticed something about their social media presence. It’s nonexistent. The thing about organizations and social media is that they have the ability to control their message to the public. If they utilize the digital aspects of the world the correct way, they can control the message that the media uses when describing them. For CEDP, this is not the case. In fact, there is hardly any news about them at all in the media. When I ask several classmates or colleagues about this organization, few know that it even exists.
If the CEDP ever wants to gain a significant following, they must begin to utilize the new era of digital media. If they don’t, they will simply be left behind by better adapting organizations, such as the ALCU. The social media world is waiting for more groups such as CEDP to join its ranks, but they cannot make groups do it. The CEDP is the perfect type of organization that could gain a good following on a social platform, but they must take that leap of faith themselves.
