National Parks Conservation Association
@NPCA
In today’s day and age, social media has
become a daily activity for almost everyone.
Social media users use it communicate, share pictures, brain storm
ideas, plan events, shop, research, educate, protest, build relationships, find
relationships, find lost family members and friends, review products, interact
with companies and much more. With so much activity going on in the digital
world, companies and organizations have learned how to put that resource to
good use and benefit them greatly. While
there are many social media platforms available today, some of the most popular
and widely used ones are Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube.
Each social
media platform has its unique qualities to engage users, companies, and
organizations. Some of them have more
complicated way to interact than others.
However, one of the simplest interactive websites is Twitter. While users are able to Tweet simple
statements, they are also able to share links to informational blogs, videos,
websites, news stories, and more. Many
large companies such as Dell, JetBlue, Carnival Cruise, Hertz, Best Buy, Microsoft,
Mtv, Paramount Pictures and more have gained an understanding of how to use
social media to boost their business and greatly impact their bottom line. However, not only are large companies using
social media to improve their business, but small businesses and organizations
are doing the same.
The
National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) is an organization that is committed
“to
protect and enhance America's National Parks for present and future
generations.” “Present and future generations”
is a key phrase from what we know as the definition of sustainability. Sustainability is defined as “forms of
progress that meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their needs.”
That being said, most American’s don’t know who The National Parks
Conservation Association is or what it is that they do for our country, much
less be willing to support the organization, sign petitions, and become active
within the organization itself. Another
concern they had was financial stability and the ability to continue their
mission, if for some reason the US Government decided to cut funding to their organization. Therefore, financial independence was also a
top priority of theirs that needed to be addressed. Consequently, awareness of their organization
was a number one priority, and what better way to do that than to take to the
use of a social media platform that interacts with millions of people a
day? Once the brainstorming began, the
NPCA decided to launch an awareness campaign that was, “piggy-backed Promoted Tweets on an organically trending
topic (#IfGovernmentShutsDown) to generate awareness of their fundraising and
petitioning initiatives, as well as to encourage a call to action in support of
their cause.” (https://business.twitter.com/en/optimize/case-studies/npca/)
Once their
goal was established, and their plan was in place, they began putting their
plan into action. The NPCA began by
embracing the controversial talks of abolishing federal funding cuts and using
those discussions to their advantage. The
NPCA stated, “Roads
and trails unmaintained. Fewer park rangers. Closed national parks. These are
some of the consequences of Congress failing to protect national parks from
dangerous cuts in January under the so-called sequester. Congress must find a
solution that protects America’s best idea.” Their survival was very much dependent
on how fast they could get their concerned word out, and how fast could they
get supporters involved to prevent further funding cuts. First,
they were able to promote the organization’s name and mission, providing individuals
the chance to learn what amazing efforts the NPCA was making to protect our
national parks and forest land.
Secondly, they were able to raise awareness on the possibility of their
funding being cut, and what that would mean for US residents across the
country. Within a few weeks, Twitter
claimed that the NPCA had, “Over 5,200 people clicked on the link in the Tweet
to contact members of Congress to support national park funding. The message
was also picked up by Twitter’s “Top Tweets” and was broadcast to an additional
1.1 million people. CNN broadcasted the message as one of the most popular
government shutdown Tweets.”
While
there may have been some government interaction involved, their goal of
awareness and support was indeed accomplished.
Today the NPCA has 37,907 followers, with 7,204 tweets and an average of
30 re-tweets to EVERY tweet they produce! As we have mentioned numerous times,
the greatest impact and advertising a company can have is from supporters and
fans. That fact is the very same for
non-profit groups, and other government funded organizations. The NPCA has learned to use the power of
speech and awareness to their advantage, and at the same time, gain a huge
following of fans and supporters. They
have even began utilizing other social media platforms such as Facebook, and
News Feed. It’s easy to see why organizations would want to gain awareness, but
a true lesson can be learned from them.
Never underestimate the power of the people! When the government is concerned enough about
the public following, you know you have the numbers on your side. Whether you’re a non-profit, a small
business, a government funded organization, or even a large company, social media
can not only publicize your company or group name, but raise awareness about
your cause, mission, or product, and improve your group’s image, encourage
customer or fan interaction, and possibly increase your bottom line and improve
revenue. As I mentioned before, never underestimate
the power of the people, and with social media being used by millions of people
a day, the sky is the limit when you embrace all that social media can offer!
Resources
National Parks Conservation Association
Twitter - https://twitter.com/npca
National Parks Conservation Association
Website - http://www.npca.org/
Twitter Case Studies - https://business.twitter.com/en/optimize/case-studies/npca/
Dave Raffaele – Twitter and JetBlue - http://www.daveraffaele.com/2009/01/social-media-case-study-how-jetblue-used-twitter-to-treat-me-like-a-human/
The New York Times – Wheat Thins on
Twitter - http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/05/business/media/05adco.html?_r=4ref=business&