Social Media for Social Change: It Works, Iran Is Proof

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Jun 17th, 2009 by Val Nelson

Protest in Iran 6/17/09 as distributed via Twitter (click for more images)

If you had any doubt left about the potential for using social media (like Twitter) for social change, I hope all doubts are gone this week.

There is a revolution going on all around us — in business, politics, everything! The streets of Iran this week are the perfect reflection of it.

Social media is playing a central role in it all.

Obama’s victory was already proof that social media can be harnessed for change. Most marketing pros would agree with this expert’s synopsis:

Obama won because he created a worldwide rave using the best web marketing methods.

—David Meerman Scott, author The New Rules of Marketing and PR

You don’t need a massive budget like Obama’s to get big attention if you know how to harness social media. The protests in Iran are proof that if people want something enough, and they have Internet access, they are unstoppable.

The Key Role of Social Media in the Iranian Protests

The Iranian protesters are able to organize and be heard globally because of social media — despite repression of communication channels.

Something is going on in the Middle East today that is very new.

—Thomas Friedman, “Winds of Change?” 6/14/09, New York Times

Social media is powerful even when the government tries to block the media and access to Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. Twitter is easily accessed via third party applications, so they just can’t stop it.

Media blackouts don’t work anymore. Nothing can be hidden.

Twitter practically ideal for a mass protest movement, both very easy for the average citizen to use and very hard for any central authority to control.

—Lev Grossman, Iran Protests…, 6/17/09, TIME

This Shift in Power Changes Everything!

Not just in Iran.

Next post: What this shift means for YOU

Related from the Blogosphere

A Lesson from Iran for Social Entrepreneurs (Change.org)

Tags: activism, iran protests, politics 2.0, social change, twitter, viral marketing

Posted in Social Media, World 2.0

Christa

While the impact of both the examples (Iran and the Obama campaign) certainly demonstrate the impact of social media for change, this leaves out a crucial element behind this -- these were/are major events, that had/have the attention of the world, as well as major print/tv/radio media outlets. While social media may help extend the impact, interaction with and knowledge of these events, it is not a singular media strategy, as many discussions seem to indicate via the omission of the supplementary media tools involved. Perhaps there is an example to use that does not rely on events/campaigns that had the advantage of major media attention? Or perhaps the measure can be made including the impact of the other aspects of the media campaign so that there is more accuracy in how one builds upon the other?
Val Nelson

Thanks Christa. Great points. These examples definitely had other media involvement and so do most examples. I think the power of social media is to supplement other means of communication, not be the only method of communication. And we'll never replace the power of face-to-face communication, which has also been a major factor in Iran.

But when social media is added to the mix, things can take off faster and spread much wider. We'll never know what would have happened with Obama or Iran without social media, but I doubt it would look the same at all.
Val Nelson

David,
Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting. I was going to let you know I quoted you but you beat me to it. Yes, it's amazing!
David Meerman Scott

I am amazed by what's going on in Iran. Amazing stuff. We're witnessing social change in real time.

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