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We’ve all seen how social media can impact sales, customer service, and the ability to keep in touch with friends and family. But, with the recent disaster in Haiti, social media has proven itself to be even more powerful than previously imagined.
Did you see this posted on a friend or colleagues Twitter or Facebook? Did you post it yourself?
Text “Haiti” to 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross relief efforts.
Less than one day after the tragedy in Haiti, this text message campaign, or another version of it, started popping up on Twitter and Facebook feeds. From celebrities to college students, people everywhere began spreading the word on how and where donations could be made. But, more importantly than the fact that this campaign went viral is the good that it’s accomplished.
According to a Twitter post from The White House, in around 48 hours, Americans raised over 8 million dollars for the Red Cross through text message donations. Maybe it’s because what happened in Haiti was so catastrophic, or maybe it’s because the economy is slowly recovering, or maybe it’s because social media is even more prevalent in the daily lives of people than last year. No matter the reason, the money raised thus far is double what was raised through text messages in all of 2009.[1]
On a smaller scale, local businesses and individuals are using social media outlets to spread the word and raise funds.
Foiled Cupcakes, a Chicago cupcake bakery that started growing their business exclusively through social media, used Twitter, Facebook and their blog to see if $500 could be raised for Haiti in just 30 minutes. Guess what? It could, and it was! Read more about Foiled Cupcakes Haiti efforts here.
Social media communities’ reaction to Haiti is just the beginning of how social media is proving itself to not only be a great marketing tool, but also to be beneficial to real-world communities on a local, national and global level.
If you haven’t yet donated and don’t feel comfortable doing so through text (not all cellular providers have waived text messaging fees for this campaign), you can donate at www.yele.org or www.redcross.org.
1. Source: CNN.com news article “Digital Fundraising Still Pushing Haiti Relief”
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