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Post by hosnashoja on Oct 2, 2014 22:33:49 GMT -5
After watching both Google+ hangouts and doing research of my own about Doctors without Borders UK and Charity Water, I believe the visual social media strategy of Doctors without Borders is a true standout. Doctors without Borders' social media presence gives a great, expansive sense of the organization's mission and their professionalism in carrying out that mission. With the recent Ebola outbreak, this organization has been called to the forefront to help the millions of people affected both directly and indirectly by this terrible disease. Nick Owen discussed in our Google+ hangout that Doctors without Borders has been in Africa administering aid to those in need since early spring 2014, before the crisis even hit the media. I believe the social media for this organization is so strong because Nick Owen does not work alone. He works with a team of experts like himself to make their social media compelling to the public.
The organization uses social media to cross promote and intercross issues that they hope to solve. The Facebook page itself has between 700,000 to 800,000 likes. For a non-profit to have that much of a following is mind-boggling. Nick Own did express that social media is a task for them since it is a spur of the moment format. It does require a lot of attention because people do like responses fast. With Facebook being one of the largest formats of social media, I believe that it can benefit them in the long run. The Instagram and Pinterest accounts allowed me to visually see what the Doctor's Without Borders represent. The pictures feel intimate and automatic. They offer you the ability to feel as if you are with them in the moment. This is especially true for the Instagram page as they are more focused on movement pieces and photographs. Where as Pinterest is more geared toward a varied collage of photographs.
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Post by evanflynn on Oct 4, 2014 17:02:29 GMT -5
700,000 plus likes on Facebook is quite impressive, and their content is equally solid. I believe you are right when saying that their pictures are immediate and effective as far as illustrating their efforts. The moving images are also a cool way to build interest and stand out.
In addition to the photos, I liked how you mentioned inter crossing their content on all of their social media platforms. I think it is essential for organizations to overlap because not all users are engaged on each platform.
I imagine that the recent Ebola situation is keeping them very busy but I also think it is a great opportunity for them to get their work out to the public. This is not to say that an Ebola breakout out is a good thing, but for this nonprofit it will create a chance to show the world the great work they do. I think photos and videos of their efforts in Africa will display just what they are capable. This virus is a major story right now, and plenty of people are following the progress. Visual news regarding this crisis will greatly tell their story and hopefully reassure the world that the problem is being handled.
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Post by jefflint on Oct 4, 2014 20:12:52 GMT -5
Great post!
I also believe that a big reason why Doctors without Borders' social media strategy is done so well is because Mr. Owens is not the only one working on the campaigns. It is a lot harder for a nonprofit, even one the size of Doctors without Borders' to have the expertise and manpower to be able to complete big social media campaigns.
It is crazy that they have 700,000+ likes on Facebook, I'm not surprised because of how much the organization does for the global population. Facebook is a great way for them to reach out and connect with their supporters and even donors.
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Post by reinsbergrb on Oct 5, 2014 8:56:39 GMT -5
I also think it is astonishing that Doctors Without Borders are able to generate such a meaningful experience via social media and gather the volume of followers that they have been able to get. It is also critical that they continue to spread the word of their mission as they have been because like you said, they were making a difference working with Ebola patients before the topic was even really covered by the media so that is an instance in which their coverage of the topic can be one of the primary factors that raises awareness to the issue.
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Post by owhitham on Oct 5, 2014 15:12:30 GMT -5
I cannot agree more that Doctors Without Borders has a visually outstanding social media appeal. The choice of colors and picture images of doctors interacting with or providing medical attention to those in need really is a draw. It also helps that they have a mission that virtually anybody can relate to---addressing natural disasters, malnutrition, armed conflict, and epidemics donate.doctorswithoutborders.org/truenorth/alt/landing_page_monthly.cfm?source=AZD140001D51&utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&gclid=CIb7kOyLlsECFbNj7Aod11sAug is something just about anybody can relate to. Furthermore, being on the frontline of an outbreak such as Ebola keeps Doctors Without Borders in maintstream media outlets, which ties in well with the information, requests for donations, and requests for assistance which are made by Doctors Without Borders in the many social media outlets which they employ. |
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Post by zirpolorva on Oct 5, 2014 21:08:35 GMT -5
I think it definitely speaks volumes that many of us have heard of Doctors without Borders before entering this class. Their outreach and social media is so effective that many people are already engaging with them, which seems to be half of the battle when it comes to promoting nonprofits. For me personally if I already know of a group and have a vague idea of what they do I am much more receptive to engaging with their content, even within sponsored posts, than if I have never heard of a group. That being said its definitely all about what you do with that awareness and Doctors without Borders provides vivid, human content on a regular basis that deeply engages with every platform in a way that few other groups, for or non profit, rival. Though many other nonprofits cannot afford the exact arrangement of Doctors without Borders, they can certainly learn from their many strengths.
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Post by millerma on Oct 5, 2014 22:03:17 GMT -5
I agree with you completely that the visuals from Doctors Without Borders feel very intimate and connected to the work that they’re doing. In my mind, that was the overarching theme of what Nick had to say in the Hangout and what really stood out to me in their work. To me, I think that the sense of intimacy with the content they posted was honestly their greatest strength. In my other reply, I talked about how you have to use hashtags to drive visibility but what I think really gets people to donate- and ultimately, for MSF, that is the end goal- is by maximizing the sense of intimacy and immediacy of the content, which I think MSF does a stellar job of.
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