Polyglot-ish

INTRODUCTION

 Since the turn of the century, the internet and social media have become powerful tools for communication worldwide. Many Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) use these tools to raise funds, communicate with supporters and donors, find volunteers, and increase awareness.

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international, independent, medical humanitarian organization that has successfully adapted its strategy and message since its foundation, in 1968. Nevertheless, in the fast-paced world of social media, change is a constant, and NGOs must constantly modify their online strategy to accomplish their needs and remain relevant.

The purpose of this report is to asses MSF’s online presence, to determine which aspects are ideal and which can be improved upon.

To determine the effectiveness of MSF’s online presence, several platforms currently used by the NGO were analyzed individually. The examination considered consistency, quality, followership, interaction, personality, post frequency, and conversation generated. The results of this research are followed  by key recommendations for improvement.

The 2018 Global NGO Technology Report, which analyzed the technological activity of 5,352 NGOs, and other relevant sources were used as a reference to measure MSF’s online presence and gauge the significance of social media. Moreover, as an NGO with similar objectives, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was used to compare and contrast MSF’s results.

  RESULTS

 Consistency

MSF’s consistent colour scheme and logo effectively portray a powerful brand image. The message is constant throughout platforms and languages. MSF is actively present on many social media outlets, which results in widespread accessibility. On average, MSF posts on social media platforms every two days, with occasional breaks, followed by multiple posts within a single day, making the NGO appropriately active across platforms (Global NGO Technology Report 11-3). MSF also presents their followers with consistent and relevant updates on their current events.

 Quality

MSF provides quality reporting and useful information as well as pertinent links to additional resources. Nevertheless, posts tend to be simple accounts of actions and favour long messages which inhibit readability. For example, MSF’s Instagram features long captions, contradicting the platform’s focus on photography. While these messages provide followers with clear information, they do not necessarily receive the best response. MSF posts feature an overly serious and journalistic tone which does not favour social media, resulting in fewer users observing their captions.

 Followership

MSF’s followership is above average across platforms (Global NGO Technology Report 11-3). With over half a million followers on Instagram and over one million likes on Facebook, MSF is creating a considerable followership that continues to grow. MSF, therefore, increasingly spreads its message world-wide.

 Interaction

MSF fails to consistently interact with followers on social media. Effective interaction is sporadic and irregular. Figure 1 depicts an example of successful responsiveness on Facebook, whereas Figure 2 captures a direct question left unanswered. Such inconsistent behaviour leads to frustration and suggests a lack of interest. MSF pages are active due to the NGO’s extensive field engagement. Nevertheless, broad conversations are not accomplished in the comment sections. The lack of interaction from MSF coupled with lengthy captions on instant-gratification-based platforms give their followers little inclination to develop dialogue in the comment sections.

  Figure 1. Example of effective responsiveness on Facebook.

Source: Doctors Without Borders Facebook page (@msf.english)

 Figure 2. Question left unanswered on Facebook.

Source: Doctors Without Borders Facebook page (@msf.english)

Competitors

The ICRC creates substantial conversations through their short, poignant captions, and the Red Cross extensively communicates with videos. As a result, the NGO’s posts are widely and repeatedly shared, as exemplified in Figure 3.

 Figure 3. Example of ICRC’s active conversations on Facebook

Source: International Committee of the Red Cross Facebook page (@ICRC)

  CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

 Conclusions

Social Media platforms have proved that online discussions often lead to better results than traditional channels. For example, in 2010, because of a conversation started on Twitter, MSF successfully resumed a humanitarian campaign that had reached a political impasse (Villarino). Success stories such as this one could be accomplished more often with simple changes in MSF’s online strategy. Through stronger interaction with followers and briefer, more concise information, MSF could see stronger results from ever-changing online platforms.

 Recommendations

Create a comprehensive social media strategy. Figure 4 demonstrates the ever-growing nature of the internet and social media. Given such an increase in MSF’s potential audience, having a clear social media policy and plan leads to increased consistency across platforms, in turn, improving interaction with followers and encouraging comments and engagement on MSF platforms.

 Figure 4. Active Social Media Users Increase in 2018

Source: Global Annual Digital Growth by DataReportal

 Start conversations. Social media users rarely exit their news feed. Therefore, MSF must strive to generate action from within their social media platforms. To accomplish this, the Oxfam Novib Academy encourages NGOs to create fun challenges for followers, thus increasing awareness and inspiring donations (de Jong).

 Create and foster a community. By posting calls to action and directly engaging with followers, MSF can include their supporters in their activities. In addition, liking and commenting on follower discussions further strengthens the community (de Jong).

 Shorten messages. With today’s short attention spans, the ideal tweet, caption or post should be short and simple - one thought-provoking question or relevant data point is ideal. Hubspot’s Barry Feldman supports this suggestion, explaining that pages should “post a question that invites people to share their opinion or weigh in on something.” When a message or caption becomes too lengthy, the reader will likely move onto the next post given the sheer quantity of content available.

 Offer training to all staff and volunteers. Specialized training ensures that all staff knows how to create online conversations. It is recommended that such training opportunities be held repeatedly each year. MSF stakeholders must be briefed on the NGO’s current goals and future plans to ensure appropriate posting and, in turn, achieve what is expected. Staff and volunteers need to be trained on how “to create authentic and lasting brand awareness” (Barnhart). Instead of promoting constantly, MSF must learn to build an identity on social media that remains consistent. The following TEDx Talk regarding brand identity is extremely beneficial for all staff and volunteers:

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Barnhart, Brent. “How to Build Your Social Media Marketing Strategy for 2019.” Sprout Social, 31 Jan. 2019, sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-marketing-strategy/. Accessed 2 April 2019.

de Jong, Romee. “How NGOs can strategically use social media.” Oxfam Novib Academy, 29 Jan. 2018, oxfamnovibacademy.wordpress.com/2018/01/29/how-ngos-can-strategically-use-social-media/. Accessed 5 March 2019.

Feldman, Barry. “5 Proven Social Media Engagement Strategies for 2019.” HubSpot Blog, 5 Feb. 2019, blog.hubspot.com/marketing/proven-social-media-engagement-strategies. Accessed 2 April 2019.

Global NGO Technology Report. Nonprofit Tech for Good, 2018.

INTRODUCTION

Since the turn of the century, the internet and social media have become powerful tools for communication worldwide. Many Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) use these tools to raise funds, communicate with supporters and donors, find volunteers, and increase awareness.

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international, independent, medical humanitarian organization that has successfully adapted its strategy and message since its foundation, in 1968. Nevertheless, in the fast-paced world of social media, change is a constant, and NGOs must constantly modify their online strategy to accomplish their needs and remain relevant.

The purpose of this report is to asses MSF’s online presence, to determine which aspects are ideal and which can be improved upon.

To determine the effectiveness of MSF’s online presence, several platforms currently used by the NGO were analyzed individually. The examination considered consistency, quality, followership, interaction, personality, post frequency, and conversation generated. The results of this research are followed  by key recommendations for improvement.

The 2018 Global NGO Technology Report, which analyzed the technological activity of 5,352 NGOs, and other relevant sources were used as a reference to measure MSF’s online presence and gauge the significance of social media. Moreover, as an NGO with similar objectives, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was used to compare and contrast MSF’s results.

RESULTS

Consistency

MSF’s consistent colour scheme and logo effectively portray a powerful brand image. The message is constant throughout platforms and languages. MSF is actively present on many social media outlets, which results in widespread accessibility. On average, MSF posts on social media platforms every two days, with occasional breaks, followed by multiple posts within a single day, making the NGO appropriately active across platforms (Global NGO Technology Report 11-3). MSF also presents their followers with consistent and relevant updates on their current events.

 Quality

MSF provides quality reporting and useful information as well as pertinent links to additional resources. Nevertheless, posts tend to be simple accounts of actions and favour long messages which inhibit readability. For example, MSF’s Instagram features long captions, contradicting the platform’s focus on photography. While these messages provide followers with clear information, they do not necessarily receive the best response. MSF posts feature an overly serious and journalistic tone which does not favour social media, resulting in fewer users observing their captions.

 Followership

MSF’s followership is above average across platforms (Global NGO Technology Report 11-3). With over half a million followers on Instagram and over one million likes on Facebook, MSF is creating a considerable followership that continues to grow. MSF, therefore, increasingly spreads its message world-wide.

 Interaction

MSF fails to consistently interact with followers on social media. Effective interaction is sporadic and irregular. Figure 1 depicts an example of successful responsiveness on Facebook, whereas Figure 2 captures a direct question left unanswered. Such inconsistent behaviour leads to frustration and suggests a lack of interest. MSF pages are active due to the NGO’s extensive field engagement. Nevertheless, broad conversations are not accomplished in the comment sections. The lack of interaction from MSF coupled with lengthy captions on instant-gratification-based platforms give their followers little inclination to develop dialogue in the comment sections.

  Figure 1. Example of effective responsiveness on Facebook.

Source: Doctors Without Borders Facebook page (@msf.english)

 Figure 2. Question left unanswered on Facebook.

Source: Doctors Without Borders Facebook page (@msf.english)

Competitors

The ICRC creates substantial conversations through their short, poignant captions, and the Red Cross extensively communicates with videos. As a result, the NGO’s posts are widely and repeatedly shared, as exemplified in Figure 3.

 Figure 3. Example of ICRC’s active conversations on Facebook

Source: International Committee of the Red Cross Facebook page (@ICRC)

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

 Conclusions

Social Media platforms have proved that online discussions often lead to better results than traditional channels. For example, in 2010, because of a conversation started on Twitter, MSF successfully resumed a humanitarian campaign that had reached a political impasse (Villarino). Success stories such as this one could be accomplished more often with simple changes in MSF’s online strategy. Through stronger interaction with followers and briefer, more concise information, MSF could see stronger results from ever-changing online platforms.

 Recommendations

Create a comprehensive social media strategy. Figure 4 demonstrates the ever-growing nature of the internet and social media. Given such an increase in MSF’s potential audience, having a clear social media policy and plan leads to increased consistency across platforms, in turn, improving interaction with followers and encouraging comments and engagement on MSF platforms.

 Figure 4. Active Social Media Users Increase in 2018

Source: Global Annual Digital Growth by DataReportal

Start conversations. Social media users rarely exit their news feed. Therefore, MSF must strive to generate action from within their social media platforms. To accomplish this, the Oxfam Novib Academy encourages NGOs to create fun challenges for followers, thus increasing awareness and inspiring donations (de Jong).

Create and foster a community. By posting calls to action and directly engaging with followers, MSF can include their supporters in their activities. In addition, liking and commenting on follower discussions further strengthens the community (de Jong).

Shorten messages. With today’s short attention spans, the ideal tweet, caption or post should be short and simple - one thought-provoking question or relevant data point is ideal. Hubspot’s Barry Feldman supports this suggestion, explaining that pages should “post a question that invites people to share their opinion or weigh in on something.” When a message or caption becomes too lengthy, the reader will likely move onto the next post given the sheer quantity of content available.

Offer training to all staff and volunteers. Specialized training ensures that all staff knows how to create online conversations. It is recommended that such training opportunities be held repeatedly each year. MSF stakeholders must be briefed on the NGO’s current goals and future plans to ensure appropriate posting and, in turn, achieve what is expected. Staff and volunteers need to be trained on how “to create authentic and lasting brand awareness” (Barnhart). Instead of promoting constantly, MSF must learn to build an identity on social media that remains consistent. The following TEDx Talk regarding brand identity is extremely beneficial for all staff and volunteers:

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Barnhart, Brent. “How to Build Your Social Media Marketing Strategy for 2019.” Sprout Social, 31 Jan. 2019, sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-marketing-strategy/. Accessed 2 April 2019.

de Jong, Romee. “How NGOs can strategically use social media.” Oxfam Novib Academy, 29 Jan. 2018, oxfamnovibacademy.wordpress.com/2018/01/29/how-ngos-can-strategically-use-social-media/. Accessed 5 March 2019.

Feldman, Barry. “5 Proven Social Media Engagement Strategies for 2019.” HubSpot Blog, 2019, blog.hubspot.com/marketing/proven-social-media-engagement-strategies. Accessed 2 April 2019.

INTRODUCTION

Since the turn of the century, the internet and social media have become powerful tools for communication worldwide. Many Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) use social media to raise funds, communicate with supporters and donors, find volunteers, and increase awareness.

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international, independent, medical humanitarian organisation that has successfully adapted its strategy and message since its foundation, in 1968. Nevertheless, in the fast-paced world of social media, change is a constant, and NGOs must constantly modify their online strategy to accomplish their needs.

The purpose of this report is to determine whether MSF’s online presence can be improved.

To determine the effectiveness of MSF’s online presence, several platforms currently used by the NGO were analyzed individually. The examination considered consistency, quality, followership, interaction, personality, post frequency, and conversation generated.

The 2018 Global NGO Technology Report, which analyzed the technological activity of 5,352 NGOs, was used as a reference in the audit to measure MSF’s online presence. Moreover, as an NGO with similar objectives, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was used to compare and contrast MSF’s results.

RESULTS

Consistency

MSF’s consistent colour scheme and logo effectively portray a powerful brand image. The message is constant throughout platforms and languages. MSF is actively present on many social media outlets, which results in widespread accessibility.

 Quality

MSF provides quality reporting and useful information as well as pertinent links to additional resources. Nevertheless, posts tend to be simple accounts of the NGO’s actions and favour long messages which inhibit readability. For example, MSF’s Instagram features long captions, contradicting the platform’s focus on photography.

 Followership

MSF’s followership is above average across platforms (Global NGO Technology Report 11-13).

 Interaction

MSF fails to consistently interact with followers on social media. Effective interaction is sporadic and irregular. Figure 1 depicts an example of successful responsiveness on Facebook, whereas Figure 2 captures a direct question left unanswered. Such inconsistent behaviour leads to frustration and suggests a lack of interest.

Figure 1. Example of effective responsiveness on Facebook.

Source: Doctors Without Borders Facebook page (@msf.english)

 Figure 2. Question left unanswered on Facebook.

Source: Doctors Without Borders Facebook page (@msf.english)

Personality

MSF posts feature an overly serious and journalistic tone which does not favour social media.

 Frequency

MSF is appropriately active across platforms and features up to date posting of current deployments and activities (Global NGO Technology Report 11-13).

 Follower Conversation

MSF pages are active due to the NGO’s extensive field engagement. Nevertheless, extensive conversations are not accomplished in the comments sections.

Competitors

The ICRC creates substantial conversations through their short, poignant captions, and the Red Cross extensively communicates with videos. As a result, this NGO’s posts are widely and repeatedly shared, as exemplified in Figure 3.

Figure 3. Example of ICRC’s active conversations on Facebook

Source: International Committee of the Red Cross Facebook page (@ICRC)

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Conclusions

Social Media platforms have proved that online discussions often lead to better results than traditional channels. For example, in 2010, because of a conversation started on Twitter, MSF successfully resumed a humanitarian campaign that had reached a political impasse (Villarino). Success stories such as this one could be accomplished more often with simple changes in MSF’s online strategy.

 Recommendations

Shorten messages. With today’s short attention spans, the ideal tweet, caption or post should be short and simple. For example, one thought-provoking question or relevant data point is ideal.

Create a comprehensive social media strategy. Having a clear social media policy and plan leads to increased consistency across platforms.

Offer training to all staff and volunteers. Specialized training ensures that all staff knows how to create online conversations. It is recommended that such training opportunities be held repeatedly throughout the year.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Global NGO Technology Report. Nonproft Tech for Good, 2018

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WHAT IS POLYGLOT-ish?

Polyglot-ish is language and culture, with everything in between. My name’s Bryan, and I am an English teacher. I have dedicated my life to travelling - learning languages and discovering new cultures along the way. I have learned 5 languages so far and met many different people. This blog is dedicated to the small, but essential, links between languages, the unexpected connections, the funny gibberish that sometimes comes out of the clash of cultures.

Have you ever wondered what English sounds like to someone who does not understand it? This YouTube video can show you that. Go, check it out. I’ll be waiting.

That’s what Polyglot-ish is!

WHY LANGUAGES?

It all started in Rome.

Ah, the eternal city, beautiful, isn’t it?

Several years ago, I was on a social project where I taught English and culture to many people, and I became addicted – to language, to people. Since then, I have been travelling, learning languages, meeting people, and discovering different lifestyles. Now I want to share all that with you.

The first of my musings...

IS SOCIAL MEDIA CHANGING LANGUAGE AND CULTURE?

I definitely think it is. Has it been for the better or for the worse? Some may think it’s for the worse, saying, for example, that texting is destroying language. I beg to differ. Click here to see how John McWhorter, a renown linguist, proves why texting is simply a written form of oral communication.

Social media may have its negative sides, but I believe it has overall positively impacted language and culture. Here’s why:

Social Media Connects

Social Media encourages us to learn from each other. We can share our culture with the world by posting a picture on Facebook or by creating a blog about language and culture on Tumblr. Thanks to social media, we can connect to people around the world more easily than ever before.

 Social Media Challenges

Social media helps us challenge the status quo. With a simple tweet, we can give voice to minorities; we can see the world through different perspectives. Because of social media, we are becoming increasingly conscious of the world around us.

 Social Media Facilitates

Through social media, you and I can contribute to the evolution of language. Social media gave us “to friend,” the meme, the troll, and LOL. It is now easier than ever before to create a linguistic trend from the comfort of your armchair.

 There is no doubt social media has changed the way we communicate. As the internet and social media evolve so will language. Language and social media are tools we use to communicate and express ourselves; the faster we change, the faster we will adapt our tools to fit our needs.

Do you want to learn a foreign language? My advice: stop considering language a subject you study. Instead, think of it as a way to communicate with actual people. It’s easier than you think (check this article out for more).

 Ciao! See you soon.