How Online Activism Drives Real Change

Clicktivism gets a bad rap by plenty of haters on the web, but lately there have been some fantastic examples of effective digital activism.

First, some definitions.

Slacktivism (“slack” + “activism”) is an informal way to describe the practice of supporting a political or social cause without expending much effort or getting truly involved in the cause.

The term “clicktivism” (“click” + “activism”) refers to slacktivism that happens entirely online—things like social media and online petitions.

What the naysayers miss is that rallying support through social media is only one aspect within a broader effort, not the entire campaign.

And it’s been shown to be a powerful tool for raising awareness and dollars. As such, it is something to consider if you’re doing digital marketing for nonprofits.

Clicktivism Examples That Got Results

Consider a few of the groups that have nailed it by promoting their causes through a wide range of activities—some of which even get human beings away from their computer screens for a little while:

• The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge crowdfunded its way to more than 200 million dollars worldwide.
• Online activists in Egypt brought thousands together via Facebook for an historic anti-government protest.
• The famous KONY2012 film racked up hundreds of millions of views, raised over $30 million in donations, and even moved President Obama to send more troops and military aircraft to Uganda as part of the effort to hunt down Joseph Kony, the fugitive rebel commander believed to have been hiding in the jungles of central Africa for years.
• An online petition against Bank of America caused the bank to stop charging customers $5 each month to use their debit card to make purchases.
• Waterislife.com brought a lot of visitors to their website when they produced First World Problems Anthem, a one minute Youtube clip that won millions of views by putting a clever twist on a clichéd phrase.

Indeed, clicktivism has had some outstanding results.

Why is Slacktivism Bad, Anyway?

But how can we convince the skeptics? Maybe we should remind them of the finer points.

Sure, clicking buttons is easy. Maybe a little too easy if you ask a detractor.

But why shouldn’t it be? Showing moral support doesn’t have to be back-breaking in the digital age. And a gesture as simple as a Facebook like or a Youtube share, at the very least, shows that we are not indifferent.

Even if a person cares only enough to click, it’s more than most people do.

(By the way, you may want to check out Beyond Clicktivism: How Inspiring Web Designs Are Generating Buzz for Purpose-Driven Foundations).

Plus, giving props with a click is reassuring to others. Like-minded folks out there see the number of views and likes and realize they’re not alone in their opinion.

And let’s not forget what’s most rewarding for the clicktivist: we become better informed.

Often the online petition we sign or the cause we like brings us new information; they broadcast issues we didn’t even know existed. It gets us thinking and talking about problems around the world and starts the kinds of discussions that lead many people to chip in and get involved for real.

In other words, online activism raises awareness in a big way. And that awareness is the first step to anything. There’s just no good reason to lump all these nice qualities in with slacktivism.

Interested in learning more? Get in touch and we’ll talk about the creative marketing, branding and support services we offer nonprofit organizations and social brands. 

Photo by Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona on Unsplash