Insights
Oct 6 - 2023
Reading time: 5'

Can social media do good? Insights and challenges

Jeremy Bogen, Senior Social Media Strategist at Blossom, on social media as a catalyst of social change. Let’s dive in!

READING TIME 9′

Is social media still a relevant tool for social change and positive impact? The short answer: absolutely, even if times are shifting. It’s certainly been a wild ride so far, but there’s no denying the profound impact social media has had, and continues to have, on driving social change around the world.

For the humanitarian world, the difficult truth is that reaching and engaging audiences on social media has become a hell of a lot harder, and for some, prohibitively expensive. Today, showing up in an audience’s feed and making people care requires a well-oiled social media team able to craft workable strategies, captivating storytelling, eye-catching content and targeted outreach.

Social Media is dead. Long live Social media!

Even though some say differently, we are not in a post-social media era. That’s a far-fetched idea and nowhere close to the reality of the world we live in. Social media plays a huge part in our everyday lives.

It’s where we get our news, how we communicate with friends and family, and what allows us to comfortably isolate ourselves while feeling connected at the same time.The discord surrounding a post-social media era is just another topic “experts” use to predict what’s coming next, what the latest trend will be. But claiming to know the next big thing is tricky, even for the people who sit in executive meetings in the C-suites of X, Meta, TikTok, Google or Linkedin.

Sure, there’s always something new in the pipeline, like the recently launched Threads. Maybe it will take off or maybe it will be the next Google+. It’s always so interesting to see which new platforms have the impossible to predict power to make people change their digital habits.

The most exciting part about the “next big thing” is that we don’t see it coming. We rarely ever do.

New challenges

Social media communications for international ORGs and NGOs used to be a much simpler job when it was truly social; let’s call this the “pre-monetization era.” Organic growth and engagement were earned, not paid for. Social media strategies were driven, first and foremost, by actually being social and creating engaging storytelling via micro-narratives.
Today, the landscape for international ORGs and NGOs is tougher and requires expertise in strategy, creativity, production, media buying, channel management and project management. We’ve also become slaves to algorithms, which ultimately determine the content of every user’s feed.

GREATER OPPORTUNITIES

The good news, however, is that social media remains a powerful medium where people connect, share information, and tell stories that can mobilize activism, inspiring small individual actions that make real differences.

The gold standard for covering social issues via social media is New York Times columnist, Nicholas Kristof. If you’re looking for inspiration on how to write social media posts, Kristof is one of the best because of his authenticity and direct engagement with his followers.

He once wrote about a woman whose life was torn apart after photos of her appeared on PornHub without her permission. The situation escalated until she lost everything. Kristof didn’t write the story to solicit donations, but his post spurred enough people to contribute that she was able to restart her life. Plus, the outrage caused by the article created significant backlash towards PornHub, which changed its policies as a result.

What’s the lesson to be learned here for an NGO? No story is too small, because you never know who’s listening. And, even if it’s just a few people, they can still make a real difference. Be a storyteller for the people you support, even if it’s just a text post. Do it with compassion and respect for the subject. When your audience comments, tell them how they can help. Always respond, even in cases where there’s no specific action they can take.

Impact for good on social media doesn’t need to be defined by millions of views or thousands of engagements. Yes, algorithms on Facebook and Instagram make it more difficult to reach large swaths of existing audiences, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it.

Let’s get to work

A common topic that comes up when we talk about strategy with clients is: “What’s trendy on social media right now? What should we be doing?” No matter the trends or what the new tools are, the focus needs to be on content and narrative to raise awareness and engage.

Nine-step Social Media campaign

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  1. 1) Set realistic and meaningful objectives and determine if social media is the right platform to achieve those goals.
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  3. 2) Map your audience, meaning:
    • – Define your key target audiences
    • – Set a campaign objective for each audience group
    • – Identify the best channel to reach each audience
    • – Decide what type of content will best reach and engage each audience group
    • – Establish the KPIs for each target audience (i.e. number of video shares by partners, etc.)

     

  4. 3) Based on the results of Steps 1 and 2, craft a creative campaign that will resonate with your audience, develop the topline key messages, and, of course, a hashtag.
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  6. 4) Design your content strategy based on a narrative that will boost and maintain audience engagement.
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  8. 5) Plan an editorial calendar and determine the assets you will need to execute it.
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  10. 6) Decide if a paid promotion strategy will be necessary to achieve your campaign objectives. If so, define the budget, channels and content that will be prioritized for paid promotion.
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  12. 7) Build out a strong list of supporters, partners and influencers who can amplify your campaign reach.
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  14. 8) When the production of assets is complete, create a toolkit for partners on your amplification list.
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  16. 9) Launch, measure, adjust and… enjoy the ride!

Good VS. Evil

Today, a lot of attention is given to the harmful impacts of social media: divisive and hateful political discord, bullying, fraud, fake news, etc… The list is long. But if an NGO is credible and its messages are concise, factual, and backed by solid data and information from reliable sources, it can handle the risks.

For instance, let’s say a climate-focused NGO is running an awareness campaign about the need to stop the use of coal. Algorithms tend to behave as follows: people who agree with the NGO’s messages will see the content, and if it’s compelling, they’ll engage and the algorithms will reward the account/posts with more visibility.

If a pro-coal group sees the campaign’s organic visibility success, chances are they’ll create a counter campaign rife with false messaging about how harmless coal is. They might even invest in a media content boost…

And voilà, the social media Good vs. Evil battle is on.

What can an organization do? The NGO just wanted to increase awareness about a key contributor to climate change, and now they find themselves in a fight to defend the truth. Rather than attacking the other side or responding negatively or emotionally to comments, the best strategy is to reply politely and professionally. Craft a boilerplate, fact-based response that includes relevant links to the source of the data-backed evidence. An unemotional tone is crucial: don’t attack the messenger, just address the false message. And don’t forget to report any posts that violate the platform’s policies regarding fake news and false information.

In it for the long haul

Social media has to be thought of as a long game where we need to stay active, present and responsive. Most importantly, be disciplined: an effective content strategy must provide consistently compelling and relevant content. If a post is designed only to inform a few stakeholders, then email is probably the best channel. Long-term commitment to this approach will pay off in many ways, especially for the positioning of the NGO’s brand identity.

Emerging trends

One trend we are currently seeing is the result of user dissatisfaction with algorithms curating their feeds. Many people have decided to take matters into their own hands by going “old school” and spending more time in groups and smaller communities. Even Mark Zuckerberg has talked about how people are changing their social media habits. According to Facebook, more than 1.4 billion people are active in groups every month.

Telegram and Discord channels have become hugely popular with groups and are gaining ground with people following news in real-time much like they do on Twitter (X).

For humanitarian organizations, this is good news because they can connect directly with their audiences by building groups that will grow organically through their most engaged followers.

Thanks for reading and… see you online, maybe in the next Facebook Group!

Jeremy Bogen

Innovation / Insights
Aug 21 - 2024
Reading time: 1'

Tool AI: here are the favorites of each team

At the service of creativity, strategy, and innovation: here are the tools that continuously evolve our work.

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At Blossom, we love to experiment, acquire new knowledge, and engage in constant learning. That’s why we test different AI tools every day, always on the lookout for those that can enhance our communication methods. These tools become an integral part of our creative, strategic, and consulting work.

But which tools are the favorites of each team?

Strategy Team

Perplexity. Why? With its ability to quickly gather and analyze large amounts of data, it provides us with a clear and detailed view of the market, in combination with other research tools. This tool makes strategic planning more fluid and effective, enabling us to make more informed and targeted decisions in less time.

Copywriting Team

An ideal tool for organizing ideas, developing content, drafting, and revising texts. Which one? ChatGPT. From brainstorming to translations, from editing to structuring complex documents. It’s always open on our desk, making the writing process more agile, creative, and precise.

Media House Team

In video production, Runway (Gen-3) is the most valuable support. Its advanced features and constant updates allow us to elevate the quality and diversify our productions, achieving increasingly stunning realism.

Design Team

When it comes to transforming concepts into images, we mainly rely on Midjourney. With its wide range of artistic styles, it enriches the final result, making each creation unique and distinctive.

AI Impact

The AI tools we adopt not only refine our creative and strategic approach but also enable us to quickly translate ideas and data into practical and concrete solutions. Thanks to this integration of technological innovation, expertise, and critical analysis, we can swiftly respond to market challenges, turning every opportunity into a tangible and valuable outcome.

Utilities
Jul 17 - 2024
Reading time: 1'

Oltre: our project with Matteo Berrettini for Illumia

An intimate journey into “The Hammer’s” energy, on and off the court, during Wimbledon.

Illumia chose to tell a different story. And to do so, they once again turned to the strategic and creative consultancy of Blossom. With the Instagram series “Oltre – Stories of True Energy,” we highlighted the most authentic side of Matteo Berrettini, the star of a unique and engaging journey.

Over two million views in one week: each episode of the series, filmed during Wimbledon, reveals not only Matteo’s grit and determination on the court but also his preparation rituals and moments of recharging with friends.

This series was developed as an integrated project within Illumia’s awareness campaign, aiming to amplify existing messages and reach a new audience. Thanks to Matteo Berrettini’s presence as the campaign’s testimonial, we reinforced the brand’s values and seized the media opportunity presented by Wimbledon. “Oltre” is built on a well-planned strategy that combines message consistency, impactful content, and perfect timing.

Watch the series and discover the true energy of Matteo Berrettini.

Manufacturing
Jun 11 - 2024
Reading time: 1'

With Prometeon into a new era: the launch video of Serie 02

An impactful video to present the first range of fully branded Prometeon tires.

The launch of Serie 02 was a key moment. It is the first-ever Prometeon-branded industrial tire range; designed, produced, and tested to meet performance and durability needs in every usage context.

For this occasion, we created a launch video with the tagline Unlock a New Era, announcing the arrival of this significant innovation that projects every journey into the future of transportation. In a post-industrial space, a man enters and opens a container revealing the first Prometeon-branded tire. 3D animations highlight its components and technology.

The video was presented in Egypt during the event celebrating Prometeon’s thirtieth anniversary of the Alexandria factory, attended by representatives from global branches and major suppliers.

We are proud to enter this new era alongside Prometeon. Let’s keep rolling together.

Watch the video.

Education & Research
Jun 5 - 2024
Reading time: 4'

Mindset shift. Why change is powerful.

How do we face times of great transformation? At Blossom, we started with knowledge.

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It is said that to invent the light bulb, Thomas Alva Edison conducted thousands of experiments, using hundreds of plant fibers, and testing solutions for over 18 months. For this reason, Edison has been attributed with quotes like:

I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.

True or not, this quote holds great appeal in these times of technological transformation. Edison was able to innovate because he could adopt a new mental approach each time.

But, how easy is it to change our mindset when faced with new developments today?

If you don’t change your mind, you change nothing

A survey we recently conducted at Blossom revealed an extremely interesting fact: after a year of continuous training on the use of generative AI, 42% of participants reported changing their minds on this topic.

While it is true that the majority remained in their positions, a significant portion of the course participants admitted to shifting from a more skeptical approach to a more enthusiastic one.

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A Form Of Intelligence

The fact that the mindset change occurred in a positive or negative direction is not as relevant. What is interesting is that training, and therefore knowledge, has been the main factor of transformation.

It demonstrates that knowledge allows us to overcome prejudices; that “knowing” remains the first step to forming an opinion, even in these frenetic times; and that understanding helps us see the limits and potential of a change, even when it is still ongoing.

More Sharing, More Awareness

Along with knowledge, interaction has certainly played a fundamental role in the ability to view new developments with a fresh perspective.

The training within Blossom was conducted largely in the form of Communities of Practice, or “safe spaces” where people can learn together, putting into practice or deepening the theoretical notions acquired in exchange for constructive feedback, either among peers or with professionals.

In the survey, submitted to all participants of Blossom’s Communities of Practice, comments and considerations on the limits, risks, and opportunities of AI emerged, demonstrating an increasing awareness and an ability to keep up with the evolutions of AI itself.

“It’s always necessary to check the results, because mistakes are always possible.”

“AI has made routine operations faster and simpler.”

“I’ve sped up lengthy processes, even when it comes to creative processes (like brainstorming).”

“Sometimes I’m tempted to take the results at face value without applying critical thinking.”

It can WOOOORK!

Change, including a mindset shift within organizations, is a difficult but possible transformation. Of course, it needs to be accompanied and guided.

And if it’s true that the “light bulb” of AI is still quite imperfect, at Blossom we have learned that to get closer and closer to true innovation, we must never stop testing and trying. In other words… to be restless!

Automotive / News
Jun 3 - 2024
Reading time: 1'

Legends ride on: new launch video for Ducati

Our historic collaboration with Ducati continues, with the video launch of Monster Senna.

The legacy of a great champion and the timeless appeal of the Monster. For the launch of the new Ducati Monster Senna, we designed and produced a video full of energy and racing spirit, a tribute to the indomitable, legendary spirit of Ayrton Senna and the most iconic naked bike.

Not the usual nostalgic and solemn tribute, but an intense celebration, in an exhilarating and sensory atmosphere, aimed at restoring sensations of speed, intensity and triumph. In the video, a dynamic sequence of historical photographs and vivid sounds, with a script that enhances the character and extraordinary performance of the two icons, and a high-impact and meaningful color treatment. In fact, we chose an all-black set-up to impart a sense of elegance, ideal for a limited edition motorcycle, and to enhance its beauty details. In addition, we included yellow gradients, inspired by the color of the Brazilian racer’s iconic helmet.

A powerful and distinctive concept and visual identity, with a tagline – ‘Legends ride on‘ – inextricably linking the great rider and his passion for the Monster.

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