Your words have the power to significantly impact the world. Bloggers can rely on viral media, sharing platforms, social networks, and publication mentions to get pressing news out to immense audiences. Bloggers have the ability to inspire social change from their keyboards at home or at the office. You can rally individuals and organizations in your local neighborhoods to address community issues or even tackle larger, international concerns. Here are a few ways to leverage your influence as a blogger for positive social change.
Timing is Everything
It often seems that bloggers are held to different time standards than traditional print news media. You have the freedom to break news in the moment, as it is currently happening. This is why microblogging platforms like Twitter were so instrumental in community organization during events like the 2011 protests in Egypt. In fact, Twitter has proved to be such a powerful tool that the Turkish government attempted to block the social media network in the spring of 2014, leading to an public backlash against governmental control over current online communications. It’s no surprise, since we rely on Twitter for instant news coverage and live reports. If you’ve got an important story to tell, it’s vital to get it online in a timely fashion, before it becomes old news.
Know Your Allies
Create a list of organizations and high-profile influencers who might be interested in what you’re blogging about. Email them with links to your articles and politely ask for their feedback. If these groups and individuals are inspired by your work, they might share your blog with their own social networks. This can open your blog up to significant audience exposure. When you blog about social change, don’t hesitate to share your work with parties that are fighting for the same causes. You’ll find that these allies can amplify your work to audiences you wouldn’t be able to reach alone.
Ride Hashtag Waves
Search Twitter and take note of popular hashtags that are related to the causes you’re writing about. Be sure to incorporate currently relevant hashtags in your posts, so that they’ll appear in trending feeds. This can help you reach a wide audience of people interested in these topics.
Of course, your blogging efforts can also be paired with your offline volunteer and charity efforts. For example, you can document your teaching abroad experiences to inspire new generations of educators. Don’t hesitate to share your stories of meaningful civic change with your digital audience.