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Most engaged communities on social media
The majority of those who are engaged on social media are in the younger demographics like Millennials and Generation Z. These communities are more likely to donate and interact with social causes online and are 55% more likely to take action after engaging with a social cause on the various social media networks. Most of this interaction occurs on Facebook and Instagram with Instagram accounting for the most interactions and Facebook accounting for the most time spent. Although specific donations could not be traced back to social media, the causes that received the most online donations as of 2016 were public and social groups, medical research and international affairs.
WHO ARE THE MOST ENGAGED COMMUNITIES
The most engaged communities are Millennials and Generation Z who make up the majority of social media users. It's noted that "two-thirds of Millennials use social media to engage" with social action and corporate social responsibility. On Instagram in 2017, 90% of their users are under 35 which covers individuals in the Millennial and Generation Z age brackets. Generation Z is also noted to have high expectations for brands and demands that they stand up for what they believe in. It's reported that 60% of this age group will only support brands who take a stand.
Facebook is one of the best places to reach Millennials but it also ages up through popularity with Generation X. The latter of which spends an average 7 hours/week on social media. Twitter is known to have users who are mostly 18-29. These figures are important to note when considering the available population of those who can potentially become involved in social issues through these platforms.
ENGAGEMENT LEVELS
In 2015, it was reported that Facebook had the highest engagement level among Americans aged 18-34. Each user had over 1,000 minutes on the platform a month and near 100% reach. In terms of average app engagement, Facebook and Facebook Messenger logged 15 and 7.9 days in comparison to Instagram with 11 and Twitter with 7.5 days of engagement. However, in 2016, Instagram significantly outperformed other networks with their average interactions per post. Instagram interactions ranged from approximately 50-70 interactions per post per 1,000 followers. Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn trailed with an average 6, 1 and 3 interactions.
TRENDS OF THESE COMMUNITIES
In terms of causes, it is unclear which particular causes have garnered the most popularity. However social movements and campaigns are constantly being brought to the fore by social media on a daily basis. These causes are often presented by a hashtag or set of hashtags and are usually sparked by a particular event but revolve around general topics. For instance, #NoDAPL centers around the pipeline construction but is also related broadly to oppressed groups, the environment, and police violence. The pervasive causes and other noteworthy trends among these Millennial and Generation Z communities ranged in subject matter and are listed and detailed below.
2017
This social movement was sparked by the increasing number of sexual harassment allegations against Hollywood mogul, Harvey Weinstein. Social media was inundated with celebrities and various individuals who shared their own stories of abuse and harassment. The movement originated prior to this hashtag by Tarana Burke of the Girls for Gender Equity organization. As of October 19th, the hashtag has been used 825,000 times on Twitter and Facebook reported that 45% of users in the U.S. "are friends with someone who's posted a message with the words 'Me too.'" A reported 4.7 million people have engaged and 12 million "posts, comments and reactions" have occurred.
2016
This campaign was started to shed light on the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. It became clear that the police were using excessive force against peaceful protesters. Social media users shared their support for the protesters on the ground and the Sioux tribe members fighting against it. Supporters also checked in at Standing Rock to hinder the efforts of authorities who sought to use social media to monitor protesters.
This cause emerged surrounding the intersectional issues of black women and gender identity as well as police brutality. It focuses on bringing awareness and attention to victims that often do not receive the same attention as others.
This hashtag movement emerged when the 2016 Oscar nominations revealed a vastly white roster of candidates. This hashtag was used to bring awareness to the disparity of influence and the lack of diversity n the industry.
2015
This movement has grown into a huge agent of change that was featured in 9 million tweets in 2015. This social movement is centered around racial inequality and social justice in terms of police violence and more.
This hashtag movement emerged when a young child named Ahmed Mohamed was arrested for bringing a homemade clock to school. His arrest highlighted the growing issue of Islamophobia and resulted in a tweet from President Obama as well as more than 300,000 other tweets of support.
After refugees fled their Middle Eastern countries and sought refuge in other countries social media communities rallied around them. A photo of a drowned Syrian child skyrocketed the attention this movement received and activists across the world demanded their countries let in refugees.
Once same-sex marriage was legalized the hashtag was used "284,730 times within the first hour after the decision." People showed their support throughout social media and on Facebook, 26 million members used rainbow filters in celebration.
2014
This movement led to record-breaking fundraising for the ALS Association and was able to bridge the gap and get communities involved.
CAUSES THAT PEOPLE GIVE THE MOST Money TO ONLINE
Precise data on which causes individuals donated the most to through social media, crowdfunding, and micro-donations were not publicly available. However, general information on what causes receive the most online donations, and how people interact with giving online was found. Recently, in a report from The Chronicle of Philanthropy and Network for Good, human services, healthcare, and education groups received the highest total donations. This report offers details from September 2016-17 and states that human services group received 706K. It's also noted by the Blackbaud Institute that in 2016, public and societal donations made up 10.2% of total fundraising. This was followed by medical research at 9% and international affairs at 8.5%. Other giving percentages are listed below.
WHERE DO THEY SUPPORT CAUSES
Last year, giving as a whole grew by 1%, however, the online giving segment grew by 7.9%. These online donations accounted for 7.2% of all fundraising and almost 17% of these donations happened on mobile. It's noted that Millennials as well as those in Generation X, prefer to donate online. During #GivingTuesday 2016, a global social media day designated for giving back, online donations increased to 20%.
Facebook accounted for 29.4% of the referral traffic to donation pages for this event. This social network also refers "15-18% of donations" for "peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns." Twitter, on the other hand, refers "700% more visitors to donation pages on Giving Tuesday."
As a whole, 55% of social media users who engage with nonprofits take action. For Instagram, this percentage increases to 75% for ads. It's noted that 40% of current social media supporters of a given cause will typically first get involved by choosing to donate money. These same supporters are also very likely to share their support and attempt to get their friends involved. It's reported that 65% of Millennials will share a nonprofit's story, 61% will use Facebook to let others know about volunteering opportunities, and almost three-quarters of them would share nonprofit events. This is in line with the fact that 87% of Millennials will post about social causes on Facebook, followed by 54% on Twitter, and 47% on Instagram.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the most engaged communities on social media are from the Millennial and Generation Z age group. These users engage with social action and corporate social responsibility causes the most on social media with "two-thirds of Millennials" choosing to interact on social media for that purpose. It's noted that 87% of Millennials post about social activism on Facebook, followed by 54% on Twitter, and 47% on Instagram. Out of all the social media platforms, Instagram has the highest interaction levels per individual post at 50-70 interactions and Facebook users spend 1,000 minutes a month on the platform. As of 2016, public and social donations accounted for 10.2% of total online fundraising followed by medical research at 9%, and international affairs at 8.5%. Some popular recent social movements included #NoDAPL, #SayHerName, and #MeToo.