In past columns, I have written about how important social media is to nonprofit organizations and some of the strategies they employ to build followers and raise money. Every nonprofit organization should employ a multitude of social media strategies and most midsize to large ones do.
Recently, I became involved with the issue of smoking-cessation programs and decided to study how social media could both improve their ability to reach more people and improve their success rate. There are two broad categories of programs: those employing strategies to prevent people from starting to smoke and the ones that help existing smokers to quit. Both can benefit from social media.
One of the key characteristics of social media is its ability to provide constant communications on different platforms to a wide range of people. These platforms ”” most notably, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube ”” allow smokers to share videos, information, insights and stories with other smokers. It allows people to be social and provide support while sharing a common goal: to stop smoking. It also allows people in remote locations to be able to reach out and talk with other people who are also attempting to stop smoking.
Since more than 80 percent of the people under 18 who smoke will become regular smokers, it can also provide an additional supportive structure for the large percentage of adolescents who smoke and have unsuccessfully tried to quit. Coupling this support with mobile apps designed to help people stop smoking, creates a powerful pairing that can provide an adolescent (or adult) with a 24/7 structure.
Developing groups and communities is very important since it provides a platform that allows smokers to develop trusting relationships. Since group therapy is a proven method of helping people overcome or cope with some of their problems, online group therapy can likewise offer smokers the support and communications they require. Experts and ex-smokers can also be invited to join these groups as members or guests. (Ex-smokers frequently serve as role models, particularly for adolescents.)
Federal, state and many city governments offer online support to prevent and help people stop smoking. One such example is the fan page NYC Quits Smoking ”” I Quit Because, which has more than 23,000 “likes.” It was constructed and is maintained by the New York City Department of Health. There are many platforms and sites like this, all focused on fighting tobacco and nicotine addiction. These websites, like smokefree.gov, are free. There are also several for-profit websites that provide a host of services and resources.
When I mentioned I was writing this article to a friend, he pointed out that these social strategies can be expanded to include other problems besides tobacco, including how to deal with obesity and overeating. And, he was right. One such successful example is Weight Watchers. Since social media is so flexible and far-reaching, it can certainly address a range of problems and provide potential solutions.
One final thought. Supporting a good cause on your company”™s website can also pay several dividends. Most importantly, you will be helping a good cause by providing it with another location where it can receive attention from your viewers. Second, studies have shown that promoting good causes online can also help your business, including higher open rates on newsletters. In short, it”™s a win-win for everyone.
Bruce Newman is vice president at The Productivity Institute LLC and a regular contributor to the Business Journal. He specializes in content creation and digital marketing. He can be reached at bnewman@prodinst.com.
