It seems that recently Craigslist founder, Craig Newmark, has been testing the waters with social media. Newmark will donate 1$ to the National Wildlife Federation anytime the hashtag '#squirrels4good' appears on his Twitter feed or Facebook. In an article in Yahoo! News the founder stated:
"In the short term, I'm learning how to use social media to support the stuff I believe in," Newmark told Mashable in an email. "I do most of my work in my home office, where frequent visitors remind me of a growing love of the natural world. Beyond that, I need to learn social media more effectively to support what I believe in the 20-year range and the 200-year range."
The owner says that a Twitter account under the name of '@Common_Squirrel' will be teaming up with him to get his message across. Newmark also says that he has a Pinterest board up for squirrels, so people can post pictures, facts, and any videos of the fuzzy little creatures. What does this say about the social media? We're starting to use it more and more in our everyday lives and it seems that such routine use is catching fire with others. Many other non-profit organizations have been using Twitter to their advantage as well. Some popular ones are Redcross, and MakeAWish- both which seem to have the right idea considering we turn to social media in times of emergency or possible natural disaster for communication, and with Make A Wish's popularity it makes sense for them to target Twitter as a constructive medium to raise awareness.
In an article in The Huffington Post not only does it mention the rise of using Twitter to connect with supporters, it recommends it to spread the message:
Users aren't going to Twitter and Facebook to hear press-release speak. They want genuine, community-minded engagement that inspires conversation and a reason to get involved in a cause.
So what's next for organizations, and charities alike? Seems like the next best step is to take your ideas to Twitter- where you can spread the word and connect with supporters. With the founder of Craigslist now on board with Twitter promoting, it will be interesting to see who else is next.