Millennials use social media like they use air—it’s an integral part of their lives. But many of them are starting to get frustrated with how much time it takes up and the lack of meaningful conversations they find there. You have a worthwhile cause. You can help fill the gap.
Millennials are innovators and collaborators. They share what’s important to them and they incorporate activism into their everyday lives. By creating a specific project, you can give them multiple ways to participate, both online and offline.
Let’s say you have a goal of building 10 tiny houses for the homeless. It’s a specific project—it’s concrete, visible and it has a definite beginning and end. The perfect thing for a social media campaign. In addition to all the usual channels (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.), you could expand your reach with some unconventional approaches.
For instance, you could start a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter or Razoo that will attract people to contribute directly to your project. Kickstarter is for creative projects of all kinds. Razoo is designed specifically for social causes.
Another forum to keep an eye on is Horyou, a platform for social good that blends the online and offline worlds. It’s in the early stages right now, but it has a number of elements that appeal to Millennials. Continuing with our “tiny houses” example, you can post it as a Project on Horyou and enlist support from your audience. Maybe you schedule a work party where people can come help build one of the houses. Or maybe your event is a Materials Collection Day where people can drop off donated building materials. Being physically involved in a project helps people feel more connected to your cause.
Horyou also has a place to log Actions, so you can generate excitement for your event by publishing the steps you are taking to prepare for it: “Signed up Home Depot to sponsor Materials Collections Day” or “Enlisted local carpenters to oversee the construction of the tiny houses.”
With both Projects and Actions, you can post photos, videos, links, etc. on Horyou. Individuals can also post Projects and Actions, as well as News. So when people come to your event, you can encourage them to share their experience on Horyou (and every other social network they use).
By engaging Millennials both online and offline, you can offer worthwhile and meaningful conversations and experiences. Help fill the gap many of Millennials feel in their digital lives and you will attract more of this generation to your cause.
