Getting Beyond 'Slacktavism'

When the trend of creating campaigns and getting folks to "like" them on Facebook was heating up I have to admit I felt pretty darned jaded and unenthusiastic by it. For me, it all came to a head with the Support the Monks in Burma Facebook campaign, which quickly became one of the largest groups on Facebook at the time, which was in 2007. What impact was clicking on a "Like" link really having beyond some basic awareness raising I wondered, and was that awareness raising even enough? I'm not alone in critiquing Facebook activism, and in fact a whole term around it "Slacktavism" (or sometimes Clicktivism) has evolved, referring to basic/simple actions that people can take online that really don't have any actual impact in moving a campaign or issue forward.

Working in the world of online communications strategy and the not-for profit/social good sector I find myself frequently challenging with creating plans that best make use of my client's resources to launch effective online campaigns and long term engagement strategies.

I bring this up today as there's a discussion going on in NTEN's LinkedIn Group about "Slacktavism" that references an article in one of their publications. The article, by FairSay's Duane Raymond, suggests reframing the goals of any online engagement strategy and offers a great summary of the approach that we take at Raised Eyebrow.

"Managers need to make sure the right questions are being asked. If you ask for a Facebook page you will get one. If you ask for your open and click rates you will get them. But if you ask for a campaign that achieves tangible goals based on a sound theory of change, then you can get that too."

Or, put another way, it's about measures of success. If success for your campaign looks like becoming the biggest group on Facebook or simply increasing your number of "likes" or Twitter followers, then fine, aim for that. But, on the other hand, if you want to increase the number of people that are actually developing long term or deeper relationships with your organization, your strategy needs to look very different. It may still involve increasing your number of followers/Facebook circle, but it will need to go deeper. It will require engaging content, ongoing communication and, if I may suggest, in most cases not just pushing out information but putting the time and resources into listening to those who choose to support you and responding to their needs. The web is an amazing tool for change, it's what drove Lauren and I to start this company nearly 12 years ago now, but without a strategy in place the activism you undertake, it not likely to reach the goals you are aiming for.