Being active on social media is no longer optional, especially for big brands. Consumers, employees, and social media followers expect your brand to take a stand on issues that really matter.
What is social media activity?
Social media activity is an online form of protest or defense of a cause. Because hashtags play a central role in mobilizing social media movements, the term is often used as a synonym for hashtag activity.
Social media activism includes raising awareness of social justice issues and showing solidarity through the use of hashtags, posts and campaigns.
Genuine social media activity is supported by concrete actions, donations and measurable commitments to change.
Without genuine offline action, using a hashtag or posting a black square or rainbow flag looks adventurous and lazy. Critics often refer to these minimal efforts as “slacktivism”or performative alliances.
Brands must tread carefully: more than three-quarters of Americans (76%) say “social media makes people think they’re making a difference when they’re not.”
In the same vein, when a company engages in social media activity that is inconsistent with its past or current activities, it can cause backlash and virtue-signaling calls, greenwashing, or rainbow capitalism.
We’re going to dive into 10 ways to engage in meaningful social media activity. And, of course, we will provide many examples of social media activity where brands have been successful.
But it really comes down to this:
Words are just words and hashtags are just hashtags. Yes, they can both be extremely powerful. But for brands, especially those with significant market share and resources, action speaks much louder. Activity in social networks should be accompanied by actions in the real world.
Listen to trustworthy voices working on a case. Learn from those who perform well in the movement. And commit to working for real change.
How to Use Social Media to Genuinely Support a Cause: 10 Tips
The first thing to do before getting active on social media—whether you’re responding to an immediate crisis or launching a long-term campaign of activism and alliance—is to press pause.
View your social calendar. If you use the social media planner, you can cancel scheduled posts and save them for later. Review your content calendar to see how everything fits into the position you’re about to take. If you are responding to a crisis, you will probably want to focus on the immediate issue.
Consumers want brands to respond in times of crisis. More than 60% say that “brands should recognize crisis moments in their advertising and communications when they occur.”
Following the Uvald shooting, the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays suspended social media coverage of the games and instead used their social channels to share information about gun violence.
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 26, 2022
They went for broke, holding nothing.
Firearms were the leading cause of death in American children and teens in 2020.
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 26, 2022
While your regular content is on pause, take the time to learn about what’s going on outside of the headlines so you can take a sensible stance followed by action.
This action component is critical in terms of getting support for your activity, not a backlash.
Before returning to regular programming, consider how your campaigns and content will resonate in a larger context.
NOT:
- Try to capitalize on your support. Social movements are not marketing opportunities and customers will name your brand actions that seem to be motivated by something other than good faith.
2. Listen to what your customers and employees need and feel.
It’s normal for emotions to run high during social justice and human rights movements. But these short-term spikes can lead to long-term changes in how people feel and behave, as well as in how they expect companies to behave.
70% of Generation Z say they are involved in a public or political cause. And they expect brands to join them. More than half (57%) of Generation Zers say brands can do more to solve social problems than governments, and 62% say they want to work with brands to solve these problems.
But the 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer showed that consumers don’t think brands are doing enough to address social change.
Source: Edelman Confidence Barometer 2022
Use social listening to better understand how your audience is feeling. Understanding the broader perspective allows you to express empathy and solidarity with negative sentiments, and then rally your audience around the positive sentiments with strong calls to action.
This may include rallying followers to exchange messages, sign petitions, or solicit donations. Sometimes it’s as simple as acknowledging how people feel in the context of social upheaval, such as Airey’s ongoing mental health advocacy — in this case, literally providing followers with the tools to combat anxiety and improve mental health.
NOT:
- Drop the emotion or police tone. People usually have legitimate reasons to feel the way they feel.
3. Be honest and transparent
Before posting anything to support a cause, think about your company’s history and culture. This can mean considering the diversity of your teams, re-evaluating non-green practices, evaluating the accessibility of your marketing, and more.
While it’s difficult, it’s important to have honest internal conversations about the company’s values and the changes you may need to make. If you are not honest, you will have problems with social media activity.
Admitting past mistakes is the first way to show that your company means what it says. Be open about everything that goes against your current position. Without it, your social activity will seem empty or, worse, hypocritical. It may also encourage people to call you.
Disney initially remained silent in response to Florida’s “Don’t Say You’re Gay”bill, sending out an internal email of support to LGBTQ employees rather than issuing a public statement. This quickly became a problem for the company as the #DisneyDoBetter hashtag went viral, with employees, creatives and fans sharing their concerns about the weak position as well as the company’s previous donations to supporters of the bill.
In short: “We will continue to encourage the LGBTQ+ community to spend their money on our sometimes inclusive content, while we support politicians who work tirelessly to limit LGBTQ+ rights.”
I’m a huge Disney fan, which is well documented on this site. Even I say that this statement is weak. https://t.co/vcbAdapjr1
— (((Drew Z. Greenberg))) (@DrewZachary) March 7, 2022
Within days, Disney had to admit its mistake and issue a lengthy public statement.
Today our CEO Bob Chapek sent an important message to Disney employees about our support for the LGBTQ+ community: https://t.co/l6jwsIgGHj pic.twitter.com/twxXNBhv2u
— The Walt Disney Company (@WaltDisneyCo) March 11, 2022
Brands can either hold themselves accountable or be held accountable. But don’t think that you have to be perfect before you can stand your ground. For example, more than half of employees say CEOs should be public about racism once the company has its own racial justice and diversity goals and specific plans to achieve them.
NOT:
- Hide internal problems and hope no one finds out about them – or hide behind internal communications. Internal emails can quickly become public if employee concerns are not taken into account.
- Be afraid to be honest. Clients value honesty. But Edelman found that only 18% of employees trust their company’s DEI chief if he’s honest about racism within the organization. If your employees can’t trust you, how can customers?
4. Be human
Humanize your communication efforts. People can and do see through inauthentic behavior.
Redundant phrases and carefully crafted language make the company’s statements look formulaic. (Thoughts and prayers, anyone?) Be tactful in what you want to say, but toss out corporate jargon and canned content. Be real.
Edelman found that 81% of respondents to the 2022 Trust Barometer expect executives to be personally visible when talking about the work their company has done for the benefit of society.
When then-Merck CEO Kenneth Fraser spoke out about voting rights, the company posted his comments on their social media.
Our Chairman and CEO Kenneth S. Fraser appeared on @CNBC this morning expressing his position on Georgia’s new restrictive voting law. pic.twitter.com/P92KbhN1aL
— Merck (@Merck) March 31, 2021
Yes, this statement has probably passed through lawyers and other corporate messaging professionals. But it’s understandable and doesn’t hold back. And Frazier has repeatedly proven his ability to bring business leaders together in social action. He talked about his values and how the issues on which he takes a position are consistent with corporate values.
He told the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation that when he resigned from President Trump’s Business Council following the president’s remarks about the events in Charlottesville, he spoke with Merck’s board of directors about whether he should present it as a purely personal decision or include mention of the company..
“I’m very proud that my board unanimously said, ‘No, we really want you to talk about company values, not just your personal values,'”he said.
NOT:
- Just say what everyone else is saying. It must come from your company.
- Worry about keywords, irrelevant hashtags, or algorithms. Say the right things, not the most high-ranking ones.
5. Make your position clear and consistent
When you share a message in support of a cause, make sure the message leaves no room for ambiguity. Don’t let people ask questions or fill in the blanks for you.
The gold standard for clear brand positioning belongs to Ben and Jerry’s ice cream brand. They are consistent and articulate in their support for racial and social justice.
Consumers want your position on important issues to be clear before they make a purchase. This means that you must position yourself in your social content and ads, as well as your website, so that the message is consistent when someone clicks to learn more or buy.
NOT:
- Try to have it all or do it all. Talk about the causes that matter most to your brand and your employees so you can be consistent and sincere.
People want to hear how brands solve problems outside of social media.
It is one thing to publish a message in support of Ukraine. But it’s the action that really matters. More than 40% of consumers boycotted businesses that continued to operate in Russia after the invasion. On social media, both #BoycottMcDonalds and #BoycottCocaCola were trending in early March until the companies finally ceased operations in Russia.
@CocaCola refusing to leave Russia is an outrageous and disgusting decision. I will NOT increase their profits (and I am especially partial to Costa Coffee), and I encourage others to boycott too. #BoycottCocaCola #Ukraine️ pic.twitter.com/tcEc6J6sR1
— Alison (@senttocoventry) March 4, 2022
Show that your company really works. Which organizations do you donate and how much? Will you make regular contributions? How good is your brand in communities? What steps are you taking towards a more ethical manufacturing process and supply chain? Be specific. Share receipts.
For example, when Dove launched the #KeepTheGrey campaign to draw attention to ageism and sexism in the workplace, the brand donated $100,000 to Catalyst, an organization that helps create more inclusive workplaces.
Age is great. Women should be able to do it on their own terms, without repercussions. Go gray with us, grayscale your profile picture and #KeepTheGrey pic.twitter.com/SW5X93r4Qj
— Dove Canada (@DoveCanada) August 21, 2022
And when beauty brand Fluide celebrated Trans Day of Visibility, they highlighted various trans models by committing to donate 20% of sales during the Black Trans Femmes in the Arts campaign.
NOT:
- Making empty promises. The 2022 Edelman Special Report on Business and Racial Justice found that more than half of Americans believe that companies are not delivering well on their anti-racism promises. If you can’t keep your promises, it’s best not to make them at all.
7. Make sure your actions reflect your company culture
As in point #3, practice what you preach. If your brand promotes diversity on social media, your workplace needs to be diverse. If you are promoting environmental protection, you must use sustainable practices. Otherwise it is not a social activity. This is a performative alliance or greenwashing. And people are noticing: there has been a 158% increase in the number of mentions of “green laundering” on Twitter this year.
One way to make sure your activity is relevant to your culture is to choose reasons that are related to your brand’s purpose. In fact, 55% of consumers say it’s important for a brand to take action on issues related to its core values, and 46% think brands should talk about social issues directly related to their industry.
For example, sexual health brand Maude runs an ongoing campaign promoting the inclusive #SexEdForAll.
Offering real calls to action and donating a percentage of the proceeds from their Sex Ed For All capsule collection, they partner with the United States Council on Sexuality Information and Education (SIECUS) to advance inclusive sex education.
However, your brand goal may not have an obvious connection to social causes. This does not mean that you can opt out of the conversation.
Source: Twitter Marketing
A responsible corporate culture should focus on doing the right thing first. But know that over time it will really improve your bottom line. Diverse companies are more profitable and make better decisions.
In addition, nearly two-thirds of consumers — and nearly three-quarters of Generation Z — buy or defend brands based on their values. They are willing to pay more for brands that benefit the world.
NOT:
- Too long to fulfill the obligations assumed. Your customers are watching and waiting.
8. Plan for good and bad answers
Before your brand takes a position on social media, prepare for feedback.
The goal of social activism is often to destroy the status quo. Not everyone will agree with your position. Customers may applaud your brand while others criticize it. Many will be emotional. And, unfortunately, some commenters can be offensive or hateful.
Brands facing the cancellation of Roe v. Wade have faced offensive comments in their social media posts.
Benefit did it right in this post by stating the actions they took, showing how the case relates to their core values, and connecting with partners who are experts at the job.
However, they still encountered comments that could be very provocative to their social team, especially those affected by their own experiences of abortion or fertility.
Anticipate an influx of messages and equip your social media managers with the tools they need to process them. This includes mental health support, especially for those who are directly affected by the movement you support.
Think about the do’s and don’ts:
DO:
- Review your social media rules and update them as needed.
- Be clear about what constitutes offensive language and how to deal with it.
- Develop a plan for answering frequently asked questions or common statements.
- Be human. You can personalize your responses by sticking to the script.
- Provide appropriate training.
- Apologize for past actions when necessary.
- Tailor your strategy for different audiences across different social media platforms.
NOT:
- Disappear. Stay connected with your audience even if they are upset with you.
- Delete comments unless they are offensive or harmful. Don’t tolerate hate.
- Be afraid to admit that you don’t have all the answers.
- Make your followers responsible for protecting their basic human rights.
- I answer too long. Use tools like Mentionlytics to track posts.
9. Diversify and present
Diversity doesn’t have to be just a box your brand checks out during Pride Month, Black History Month, or International Women’s Day. If you support LGBTQ rights, gender equality, disability rights and the fight against racism, show your commitment throughout the year.
Make your marketing inclusive. Incorporate presentation into your social media style guide and overall content strategy. Sourced from inclusive stock images from sites such as TONL, Vice’s Gender Spectrum Collection, and Elevate. Hire different models and creatives. Remember that almost every movement is intersectional.
Most importantly, listen to people’s voices, and don’t just use their faces. Shyla Owlette Stonechild is not only Lululemon’s first Global Indigenous Yoga Ambassador, but also a member of the company’s Vancouver Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.
Open your acquisition platform. Amplification of unique voices. Build constructive relationships with a wider group of influencers and creators. As a result, you will likely expand your audience and customer base.
NOT:
- Stereotype. Don’t assign people to roles that reinforce negative or preconceived stereotypes.
- Let offensive comments go unheeded after drawing attention to someone. Be prepared to offer support.
10. Keep working
The work doesn’t stop when a hashtag stops trending.
An important point that should not be forgotten. Now is not the time to give up on purpose and inclusivity in marketing, in fact it is time to dive deeper into these commitments and truly great marketers should be able to show both ROI and central purpose https://t.co/8w43F57lXO.
— God is Rivera (@GodisRivera) August 3, 2022
Dedicate yourself to constant social activity and learning. Continue to educate your brand and your employees and share useful information with social media users who follow your brand.
Protect your case offline too. Perform a non-optical union. Look for ways to support long-term change. Become a mentor. Volunteer. Donate your time. Keep fighting for justice.
NOT: