Post by danielleb on Oct 1, 2014 15:38:20 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. 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 feel that the Google+ hangout with Nick Owen was by far the most informational hangout we have had this semester. It was very apparent that Nick Owen has a lot of experience with both this organization and social 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. In previous Google+ hangouts we have had, most people said that they work completely alone and feel very overwhelmed trying to juggle all of the social media platforms efficiently. Doctors without Borders calls on government officials and powerful people to bring attention to epidemics such as the current Ebola outbreak in Africa using their social media platforms. Using Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest, this nonprofit shares very attention-grabbing photos to get the public involved with their cause. I really liked when Nick Owen said he realizes that constantly asking for donations on their social media platforms is actually unsuccessful and can sometimes lead to less involvement from their followers. I think it is very important to realize what the followers of your organization are intrigued by in order to keep them involved with your cause.
The two visual platforms that stood out the most to me were Instagram and Pinterest. Before this class I never really thought of Pinterest as a social media platform, but after learning more about it and seeing how this nonprofit utilizes it, I absolutely see why it is used. The Instagram page for Doctors without Borders is filled with extremely powerful photos. There is not a single photo on the page that doesn’t demand your attention. The captions underneath also do a very good job at informing the viewer of exactly what they are seeing. Many of the recent photos highlight their work with Ebola patients in Africa, telling stories of individual patients who have survived this terrible disease. On Pinterest, they again have very powerful photos with links to help inform the public of the terrible effects this epidemic is having on the African people. They use a lot of info graphics to share information on their Pinterest page as well. As I’ve stated previously, I feel that info graphics are extremely powerful tools because they are a simple and very effective way to share information with the public. Overall, it would be an understatement to say that I am very impressed with the visual social media this nonprofit generates. I believe the success of their social media strategy has a lot to do with their success as a nonprofit!
I feel that the Google+ hangout with Nick Owen was by far the most informational hangout we have had this semester. It was very apparent that Nick Owen has a lot of experience with both this organization and social 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. In previous Google+ hangouts we have had, most people said that they work completely alone and feel very overwhelmed trying to juggle all of the social media platforms efficiently. Doctors without Borders calls on government officials and powerful people to bring attention to epidemics such as the current Ebola outbreak in Africa using their social media platforms. Using Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest, this nonprofit shares very attention-grabbing photos to get the public involved with their cause. I really liked when Nick Owen said he realizes that constantly asking for donations on their social media platforms is actually unsuccessful and can sometimes lead to less involvement from their followers. I think it is very important to realize what the followers of your organization are intrigued by in order to keep them involved with your cause.
The two visual platforms that stood out the most to me were Instagram and Pinterest. Before this class I never really thought of Pinterest as a social media platform, but after learning more about it and seeing how this nonprofit utilizes it, I absolutely see why it is used. The Instagram page for Doctors without Borders is filled with extremely powerful photos. There is not a single photo on the page that doesn’t demand your attention. The captions underneath also do a very good job at informing the viewer of exactly what they are seeing. Many of the recent photos highlight their work with Ebola patients in Africa, telling stories of individual patients who have survived this terrible disease. On Pinterest, they again have very powerful photos with links to help inform the public of the terrible effects this epidemic is having on the African people. They use a lot of info graphics to share information on their Pinterest page as well. As I’ve stated previously, I feel that info graphics are extremely powerful tools because they are a simple and very effective way to share information with the public. Overall, it would be an understatement to say that I am very impressed with the visual social media this nonprofit generates. I believe the success of their social media strategy has a lot to do with their success as a nonprofit!