7 Examples of Social Media Advocacy Success

Social media may have started as a way to connect with your friends and family and share your interests, but it has transformed communication around the world. Before the internet and social media, people commonly used newsletters, op-ed articles, and other types of print media to distribute their messages. While these methods could successfully rally people in a small location, social media can connect us with people across the globe.

In advocacy, social media is a cost-effective way to rally people behind your cause and stay in touch with those who can actually make a difference.¹ This post explores seven examples of successful social media advocacy.

In 2017, after Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein faced sexual misconduct allegations, actress Alyssa Milano encouraged others who had been victimized in the workplace to respond with the hashtag “#MeToo” to shine a light on the problem.² This hashtag quickly went viral, moving beyond the entertainment industry to people in every facet of life who had similar experiences.

The organization Me Too was started in 2006 by Tarana Burke, an activist and sexual assault survivor who wanted better advocacy for victims.³ Although the hashtag wasn't initially connected, the organization was able to garner attention for its cause when "#MeToo" exploded online.

The movement caused organizations across industries to examine their policies around sexual harassment in the workplace and make it easier for workers to speak up without facing retaliation. Many high-powered people in the entertainment industry also lost their jobs and faced criminal charges.

In 2013, community organizers Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi started Black Lives Matter after George Zimmerman was acquitted of Trayvon Martin’s murder.⁴ It gained widespread publicity in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the hands of arresting officers.

The movement started as a social media hashtag to gain national attention. It's aimed at shedding light on how Black people in America are affected by racism, discrimination and inequality. It primarily focuses on police brutality and racially motivated crimes. In 2020, following Floyd's death, the hashtag was used 3.7 million times per day.⁵

In the decade since its inception, Black Lives Matter has influenced more private citizens and police forces to use mobile phones and body cameras to record interactions that may escalate. BLM's Los Angeles branch organized to oust the city's district attorney in 2021, after she failed to prosecute multiple police brutality cases.⁶

In 2007, the Sydney chapter of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) organized a lights-out event to encourage people to take an active role in environmental issues. On its launch on March 31, 2.2 million Australians turned off their lights for an hour to reduce their energy consumption.⁷

Earth Hour uses social media to promote its activities (in which people stop using power for an hour) and raise awareness about environmental activism. The organization partners with influencers to reach a broader audience. It also uses specialized hashtags to inspire action. In 2021, "#EarthHour" was trending in 42 countries and garnered over a billion TikTok views.⁸

The movement addresses other issues in addition to energy consumption. It has used social media to highlight people and wildlife in remote areas losing their homes to deforestation. The organization’s members and employees have also driven changes in legislation in multiple countries, including getting a 10-year freeze on new Arctic oil projects in Russia.⁷

Initiated by the United Nations in 2014, HeForShe highlights gender inequality throughout the world. The movement began as a way for men to stand in solidarity with women and advocate for equal pay, legal rights and other issues that affect women at a high level.⁹

HeForShe launches specialized social media campaigns in various countries to highlight gender inequity and encourage people to take action. In Turkey, the organization used the hashtag "#IDo" to encourage men and boys to highlight steps they’ve taken to support equality.¹⁰ Some men took small steps like speaking up against sexist jokes while others committed to enact more gender parity in their workplaces.

In 2021, the HeForShe Alliance formed to make a positive change. Since then, partner companies have appointed more women to their executive boards, and alliance members have enacted various commitments. For example, De Beers, a South African company that mines, trades and retails diamonds, instituted training and policies to help management-level employees identify people at risk for domestic violence. These policies span operations in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Canada.¹¹ Havas, a communications company, has vowed to achieve gender parity in its operations by 2025, and Howard University has designed a curriculum to educate its female students on issues that lead to gender inequality.

According to survey data, in the U.S., men are more likely than women to neglect their health. In 2022, 33% of men indicated that they don’t think they need yearly checkups.¹² Movember aims to reduce this statistic. The organization started 20 years ago, encouraging men to grow a mustache throughout the month of November to bring awareness to men’s health issues.

Organizations use the hashtag "#Movember" to spread the word and raise money. In 2016, a men's salon in New York City offered free services to customers who signed up for a testicular cancer screening.¹³

In 2013, Movember received the Social Force of the Year Award, having raised more than $550 million in the decade since its founding^.14 In two decades, Movember has donated money to fund prostate cancer research, mental health awareness and suicide prevention programs.

Save the Children raises money and funds initiatives that help children all over the world, particularly in areas stricken by conflict and war.¹⁵ The organization has been helping children in Syria for more than 13 years amid constant conflict. In 2023, the country was hit with an earthquake, and the hashtag “#SaveSyriasChildren” was launched to increase awareness. Syria remains in the midst of conflict while dealing with fallout from the 2023 quake. As the area's crisis is ongoing, Save the Children still uses this hashtag with its videos to inspire more people to help.¹⁶

In 2023, supporters of Save the Children in the United States alone generated more than $974 million in contributions.¹⁷

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that causes motor neurons in the brain and spine to degenerate.¹⁸ People with ALS eventually lose muscle control, which causes them to become paralyzed and lose their ability to walk, talk, and even breathe.

In 2014, three men living with ALS in upstate New York started the Ice Bucket Challenge on social media to raise money to fight against the disease. They encouraged people to film themselves while having a bucket of ice poured over their heads to raise awareness. The Ice Bucket Challenge quickly went viral, with people all over the world dumping ice water over their heads and nominating their friends to do so as well.

The challenge raised $115 million, which was then donated to fund ALS research and care. Recently, the ALS Association launched Ice Bucket 10, a 10-year anniversary challenge aimed at raising more money for the cause.¹⁹

These examples of social advocacy can inspire you to make your next campaign go viral. Here's how to do it:

• Use hashtags effectively: Create a hashtag that's specific to your organization and pair it with related trending hashtags to get more eyes on your campaign; for example, in the early days, you may have paired "#Movember" with "#MensHealth" and "#ProstateCancerAwareness" to get more social media traction 
• Collaborate with influencers: Find social media personalities who are interested in your cause and have a lot of followers; in partnership with them, utilize their reach and tap into their networks 
• Use compelling visuals: Make sure your images and graphics are visually appealing and attractive to stand out 
• Inspire user-generated content: Encourage your followers to tell their stories to make your campaign more relatable and inspiring 

Social media has emerged as a powerful tool in social work advocacy, offering unparalleled opportunities for engagement, awareness and mobilization. Its enormous reach and immediate accessibility enable you, as a social worker, to amplify critical issues, advocate for policy reform and rally community support on a massive scale.

Accompanying its benefits, however, social media presents daunting challenges. It requires a carefully managed approach to maintain confidentiality and professional boundaries.²⁰ The rapid pace of online discourse and the rampant spread of misinformation demand continuous digital literacy and ethical vigilance. By thoughtfully harnessing the strengths of social media and mitigating its risks, social workers can effectively use this dynamic platform to drive social change, ensuring that their advocacy efforts resonate online and in the communities they serve.

Social media can help you take advocacy to the next level by bringing awareness to your cause. Yeshiva University’s flexible online Master of Social Work program gives you personalized attention to make you a stronger advocate.

Nationally accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), the 100% online MSW program provides world-class training in advanced clinical practice and offers a variety of critically needed specializations. In the Wurzweiler School of Social Work, you'll learn from faculty experts—researchers and professionals who walk the walk and understand the groundwork involved in advocacy. You’ll complete a supervised practicum, gain the knowledge and skills needed for meeting real-life challenges and prepare to sit for state licensure exams.

Don’t wait to speak up effectively for people who need you. Get started by scheduling a call with an admissions outreach advisor today.