Movember: Using Social Media for Social Good

By Kate O'Hara on Thursday, November 3 2011

November (or should we say Movember) has crept up on us again, heralding the month-long charity event of ‘mo growing - where men donate their upper lip to raise money for men’s health issues, including prostrate cancer and depression. Registered “Mo Bros” start out on November 1 with a clean-shaven face and spend the month growing, flowing and showing a ‘stache for the benefit of charity.

Movember has now grown to a worldwide movement, experiencing unprecedented growth in levels of support year by year. In 2010, registrations doubled to 447,486 and $61,806,647.00 was raised - an outstanding result for a charity group that originated in Melbourne, Australia.

But how?

In the good old days (before 2003, remember then?) nonprofits would raise money by door knocking, selling baked goods and soliciting monetary support from our neighbours. However, the advent of Facebook, Twitter and other social networks have drastically changed the fundraising game.

Nevertheless, Movember doesn't strictly use social media for fundraising; rather cultivation and engagement are key. This is because people raise money, not social media. In this way, Movember utilises its Facebook, Twitter and YouTube channels to create genuine relationships with its community of supporters and donors by sharing the mission, programs, support systems and personal stories. They also give their audience a reason to stay connected and interested by giving them creative license to co-create content and add value.

Movember have even solicited support from Mr Clean, Seth Rogan and Google Chrome, and have redesigned their iPhone app to cater to the growing mobile market.

Social media takeaways

Many nonprofits can learn from Movember’s strategy. A survey in Australia last year found that of the 71% charities in Australia using social media, only 34% are using it to fundraise. Despite ‘donation fatigue’ and the dwindling economic climate, it is possible to achieve monetary support. The answer lies in true audience engagement; relinquishing control to the user while addressing their needs. This will build an engaged and responsive online community and strengthen emotional ties to increase the likelihood of gaining donations.