Post by michelleg on Oct 2, 2014 20:19:55 GMT -5
This week I really enjoyed the Google Hangout with Nick Owen from Doctors Without Borders, UK. I found this organization in particular to be one of the strongest non-profits that we have heard from thus far. Their main goal is to provide medical aid whenever its needed and to speak out on what they see. For an organization that has been around since 1971, they do a good job keeping up to date with the media transformations over the years.
Doctors Without Borders is a response based organization. This means that they cannot really plan strategies for different social media platforms because they never know what may occur. As a result they operate their social media platforms day to day. The one social media platform that stood out to me the most was their Instagram platform. With Instagram their main goal is to get the awareness out about their organization. They do this by using amazing images that capture the essence of their work. Personally after watching the Google Hangout I started to follow them on Instagram because I was eager to see the types of pictures that they had. One thing that Owen pointed out about their strategy for Instagram is that they realized how much people like to see the faces behind the work. People like to see where the money they donated is going, and as a result Doctor’s Without Borders make sure they post at least once a day. I think that it is smart that they decide not to overload on posts because like Owen mentioned, it can get repetitive and annoying to outside viewers.
In addition I found it interesting that although their Facebook page has the most followers (700,000), other social media like their Instagram and twitter receives more views. A benefit that they have however that most non-profits do not is photographers/trained communication specialist in the field that sometimes uses social networks while their there. When their photographer captures photos it goes through a quick process of verification to the different departments within the organization. After the verification the images are stored in their media database, where at this point members such as Owen can retrieve them and post on Instagram. I think this is a great system to have if other non-profits could accomplish it. Establishing a database where pictures are readily approved and available to post at any moment is great. It gives you a good variety, and a sense of greater visibility through the use of images.
Doctors Without Borders is a response based organization. This means that they cannot really plan strategies for different social media platforms because they never know what may occur. As a result they operate their social media platforms day to day. The one social media platform that stood out to me the most was their Instagram platform. With Instagram their main goal is to get the awareness out about their organization. They do this by using amazing images that capture the essence of their work. Personally after watching the Google Hangout I started to follow them on Instagram because I was eager to see the types of pictures that they had. One thing that Owen pointed out about their strategy for Instagram is that they realized how much people like to see the faces behind the work. People like to see where the money they donated is going, and as a result Doctor’s Without Borders make sure they post at least once a day. I think that it is smart that they decide not to overload on posts because like Owen mentioned, it can get repetitive and annoying to outside viewers.
In addition I found it interesting that although their Facebook page has the most followers (700,000), other social media like their Instagram and twitter receives more views. A benefit that they have however that most non-profits do not is photographers/trained communication specialist in the field that sometimes uses social networks while their there. When their photographer captures photos it goes through a quick process of verification to the different departments within the organization. After the verification the images are stored in their media database, where at this point members such as Owen can retrieve them and post on Instagram. I think this is a great system to have if other non-profits could accomplish it. Establishing a database where pictures are readily approved and available to post at any moment is great. It gives you a good variety, and a sense of greater visibility through the use of images.
