Social media is a profound development in our culture. It keeps families and friends in touch, but, as we all know, there’s a dark side which entails bullying, fraud and a vehicle for extremist groups.
Fortunately, there’s a whole lot more good that is generated from this technology.
Locally, nothing embodies this more than an organization called 808 Cleanups, a volunteer-powered nonprofit that focuses on cleaning up other people’s messes. Members of all ages and backgrounds tidy up beaches and hiking trails and remove graffiti from public places. They even have volunteer divers who remove marine debris dumped into our waters.
I admire not only the founders’ intentions to make Hawaii a better place to live, but also their exemplary job on the technology side, of leveraging social media and public relations. 808 Cleanups has almost 3,000 members, which is a lot of cats to herd. They harness social media to powerfully engage the community and reflect their principles. This includes documenting problem areas, planning cleanups, fostering dialogue and expanding their education and outreach to target audiences.
I think other nonprofits (and for-profits, for that matter) would do well to emulate this organization’s marketing savvy.
The founders, Michael Loftin and (Chaminade student) Fawn Liebengood, say that because they rely on unpaid helpers, they need to make the most of “volunteer enthusiasm.” “We use various platforms,” says Loftin, “in order to thank our volunteers as well as inspire others by their positive action.”
Facebook and Instagram are their major outlets. Michael and Fawn offer some tips we can learn from:
Facebook
For more interaction between volunteers, Loftin and Liebengood recommend using Facebook groups instead of pages. Groups allow for volunteers to upload their own experiences instead of administrators controlling the content. 808 Cleanups created a group to put volunteers in the pilot seat and control the dialogue. That design builds the energy of the mission and keeps people engaged in a community forum.
Instagram
Instagram is a fantastic tool, say the 808 Cleanups founders, to visually document the cleanups and showcase their daily impact in Hawaii from mauka to makai. “A picture is worth thousands and often conveys your message much better than you can,” says Liebengood. Usually, volunteers will take shots of a location and what they collected at the end of the day. She recommends incorporating action shots, a group photo or a nice photo germane to the community. In the case of their organization, a sleeping honu or a monk seal helps focus the goals of the group. She suggests framing those shots in a manner that reminds people that the organization is in it for the long haul to “restore the beautiful places we all like to go to.”
Loftin says, “We have seen the tremendous power that social media has to organize passionate people over a common cause and effect real change. Instead of making people come to you, engage volunteers, donors and sponsors by reaching them where they already are — social media.”
In short, he suggests creating Facebook group events that can be easily shared with the click of a button, and Instagram to share powerful moments that will engage your supporters daily and to help members determine how you can best serve them.
“When used properly,” says Loftin, “social media is an indispensable tool in a nonprofit’s arsenal to accomplish its mission, engage new volunteers and generate positive change across our islands.”
Mike Meyer, formerly internet general manager at Oceanic Time Warner Cable, is now chief information officer at Honolulu Community College. Reach him at mmeyer@hawaii.edu.
