Social Networking

The potential uses of social networking for community organisations are only slowly being realised. Social networks such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter organise and create digital meeting places without the need for intensive planning and at a fraction of the cost of traditional institutional methods. For example, the American Red Cross has a Facebook page which has over 52,000 members who write comments, display their photographs, and generally demonstrate their support. The Red Cross in turn writes about its activities, invites people to events and posts updates and photos. There is also an application on Facebook called ‘causes’ which allows people to donate to a charity or not for profit organisation.

Clay Shirkey in The London Telegraph online states that ‘technology, specifically the web, is helping individuals, groups and communities come together in aid of social change ... [and] ... thanks to the internet people are now connecting en masse and coordinating a civic tsunami in defence of their beliefs and passions’. He believes digital access allows large groups of like-minded people to come together and collaborate without the need for management and infrastructure. He cites the success of President Obama’s internet campaign where everything from volunteers, donations and getting people out to vote on the day was through the net.

Social networks provide a ready audience for spreading the word and effecting social and political change. Shirkey’s recent book, Here Comes Everybody: How Change Happens When People Come Together discusses changes that are occurring in the way social groups function and the possible impact this may have on society. A review of the book appeared in The Australian on the 4th April 2009.

Community sector organisations need to keep an open mind and look at the tremendous marketing and advocacy opportunities of social networks. Organisations need to think about ways to use social networks as well as blogs and interactive websites as fundraising, activist and political tools. These applications provide a very inexpensive way to raise the profile of your organisation by encouraging digital meeting places where you can spread your mission and vision. Do not close your mind to the possibilities of social networking.

There will be an article on how to manage the increasing use of social networks in your workplace in the next edition of Australian Community Management magazine.

Do you have ideas you would like to share on how a community organisations can effectively use social networks and websites to, for example, raise their profile, increase awareness, attract volunteers and raise funds?