An Action-Focused Agenda for Social Change Using Social Media Dr. Raul Pacheco-Vega http://www.raulpacheco.org @raulpacheco http://hummingbird604.com @hummingbird604

Social, social, social... Social media... social marketing... social change What does it all mean?

At the intersection ... Public Policy Issues Social Media Social Marketing Social Change

The human nature and the need to relate At the intersection of social media, social change, social marketing and public policy issues, you will find 3 elements: Relationships Information Behaviour These elements are intrinsic to humans and our need to relate to each other... through NETWORKS

At the intersection of social media, social change, social marketing and public policy issues, you will find 3 elements:

Relationships

Information

Behaviour

These elements are intrinsic to humans and our need to relate to each other... through NETWORKS

Social network of the New Testament  http://www.esv.org/blog/2007/01/mapping-nt-social-networks/

So how is everything connected? Social change Public policy goals Social media Social mktg

Social marketing Using marketing tools and techniques to advance SOCIAL goals as the PRIMARY objective. “ The design, implementation and control of programs calculated to influence the acceptability of social ideas and involving considerations of product planning, pricing, communication, distribution and marketing research ” Kotler (1971) “Social Marketing: An Approach to Planned Social Change” The Journal of Marketing, Vol. 35, pp. 3-12

Using marketing tools and techniques to advance SOCIAL goals as the PRIMARY objective.

“ The design, implementation and control of programs calculated to influence the acceptability of social ideas and involving considerations of product planning, pricing, communication, distribution and marketing research ”

Kotler (1971) “Social Marketing: An Approach to Planned Social Change” The Journal of Marketing, Vol. 35, pp. 3-12

So, what is this thing you call... Social media? It is social Allows you/enables you to create multi-directional relationships. It is media Content generated is distributed via online (electronic) methods Image at http://www.47project.com/2009/03/11/social-media-experts-you-have-lots-to-learn-grasshopper/

It is social

Allows you/enables you to create multi-directional relationships.

It is media

Content generated is distributed via online (electronic) methods

Credit and source: http://www.fredcavazza.net/2008/06/09/social-media-landscape/

Social media is an enabling agent Finding information Learning from other’s stories Building trust and strengthening relationships Sharing your story ( storytelling )

Finding information

Learning from other’s stories

Building trust and strengthening relationships

Sharing your story ( storytelling )

Towards an action-focused agenda I tweet something – 2,400 people believe in what I am saying. Why? Because I have built bi-directional relationships primarily based on trust and reciprocity . So how can we take this insight and move towards an action-focused agenda?

I tweet something – 2,400 people believe in what I am saying. Why?

Because I have built bi-directional relationships primarily based on trust and reciprocity .

So how can we take this insight and move towards an action-focused agenda?

Step 1: Create the relationships Building trust-worthy relationships through Sharing information with others Sharing information about myself Discerning the value of what information I am sharing Making my decision-making processes transparent

Building trust-worthy relationships through

Sharing information with others

Sharing information about myself

Discerning the value of what information I am sharing

Making my decision-making processes transparent

Step 2: Be strategic and long-term about goals, tactics and strategy Mental Health Camp Long-term goal Contribute to the de-stigmatization of mental illnesses Help build healthy communities where mental illness is seen as one of many public health issues. Short-term goal Explore the concept of MHC Strategy Build a strong, nurturing community around MHC Tactics Exploring the intersection of social media and mental health

Mental Health Camp

Long-term goal

Contribute to the de-stigmatization of mental illnesses

Help build healthy communities where mental illness is seen as one of many public health issues.

Short-term goal

Explore the concept of MHC

Strategy

Build a strong, nurturing community around MHC

Tactics

Exploring the intersection of social media and mental health

Step 3: Align your social media toolkit to the strategic objective A broad array of tools Twitter and blogging as a primary tool Wiki-building as a secondary tool Facebook as tertiary tool We did not think exploring YouTube and Flickr would take us anywhere

A broad array of tools

Twitter and blogging as a primary tool

Wiki-building as a secondary tool

Facebook as tertiary tool

We did not think exploring YouTube and Flickr would take us anywhere

Step 4: Monitor behavioural change This is the most challenging step of them all. Determine the metrics of change Several participants signed up for Twitter AT the MHC. Personalized guidance. Trust-building, nurturing, camaraderie. One participant spoke spontaneously at the Camp.

This is the most challenging step of them all.

Determine the metrics of change

Several participants signed up for Twitter AT the MHC.

Personalized guidance. Trust-building, nurturing, camaraderie.

One participant spoke spontaneously at the Camp.

The most important element of all (TAKE ACTION) Air took action (the organizer of Coping Digitally) The participants of the panel took action and told their story at Northern Voice '09. We (Isabella and I) took action. We took it upon ourselves to create a Mental Health Camp within 2 months of Coping Digitally. We succeeded .

Air took action (the organizer of Coping Digitally)

The participants of the panel took action and told their story at Northern Voice '09.

We (Isabella and I) took action. We took it upon ourselves to create a Mental Health Camp within 2 months of Coping Digitally. We succeeded .

The 4xN Grid Method to analyze, design and implement social media campaigns

Source: Pacheco-Vega (2009) Target audience & demographics Issue selection & galvanization mechanism Platform selection & deployment Life-cycle & stabilization DeSmogBlog Mainstream media & PR folks Global warming Blogs Short-medium term Earth Hour Canada General public Energy conservation Twitter and Facebook Short-term Vote for Environment.ca Average Canadian voters (>18 yrs old) Environment as an outcome of political decisions Twitter/blog & Facebook Very short term Save the Great Bear Forest Average Canadian folk Biodiversity conservation Flickr/Facebook/Twitter Medium term Mental Health Camp General public, mental health practitioners Mental illness, stigma Twitter/blog –Facebook Long term

In closing An action-based agenda for social change through social media requires: A strong understanding of the issue ( Information ) Deep and strong interconnectedness ( Relationships ) A clear vision of what change needs to be effected ( Behaviour ) Aligning social marketing and social media toolkits to public policy objectives.

An action-based agenda for social change through social media requires:

A strong understanding of the issue ( Information )

Deep and strong interconnectedness ( Relationships )

A clear vision of what change needs to be effected

( Behaviour )

Aligning social marketing and social media toolkits to public policy objectives.

Thanks for listening! Raul Pacheco-Vega, PhD How to contact me: Via email [email_address] for social media matters [email_address] for my enviro research Via contact form on my blogs http://hummingbird604.com social medial/personal http://www.raulpacheco.org research Via Twitter http://www.twitter.com/hummingbird604 social media http://www.twitter.com/raulpacheco research

Raul Pacheco-Vega, PhD

How to contact me:

Via email

[email_address] for social media matters

[email_address] for my enviro research

Via contact form on my blogs

http://hummingbird604.com social medial/personal

http://www.raulpacheco.org research

Via Twitter

http://www.twitter.com/hummingbird604 social media

http://www.twitter.com/raulpacheco research