One of the greatest personalities of our time, Nelson Mandela, said: "Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world." Thanks to the Internet and social media platforms, it is easier than ever to wield this powerful weapon, even for the individual.

 

We are no longer relegated to speaking our mind to a select few in our circle of friends. The Internet has given all of us a powerful platform which we can use to reach the world and help promote the causes and charities we can believe in. So, the power of using social media to get the word out cannot be ignored.

 

Imagine if every person in your circle of friends would promote your charity to their friends, and then those friends did the same and so on and so forth. And imagine if just 50 percent of those people were to contribute with as little as $1, that would amount to a fortune in time as word spread across the world. So, the question isn't if you should use your social media account to promote a charity you support or a cause you believe in, but how to do so, and how to make a difference.

 

The reason why this message is important to me is my son, in 2011 was in a car accident and suffered a severe traumatic brain injury. Like other mothers whose children have been injured I have taken up the cause to become an advocate for Brain Injury Awareness. How lucky am I to be in an industry where I can use my social media skills and content writing skills for a greater good. And use it I have! Over the last 3 years since his accident I have developed a great plan of action to spread my message and you can too.

 

 

 

It's important to decide what your goal is if you want to promote your cause or charity effectively. Don't worry because it doesn't mean a lot of work or time. It's simply a matter of deciding whether you want to increase awareness about a certain charity, or you want to get people to donate, or you want to convince people to volunteer.

 

If your goal is to get people to volunteer their time, then showcasing how much fun people have and how rewarding the experience is would be the best approach. However, if you're looking to get people to part from their money--which is often harder than getting them to part with their time--then you should consider showing them how a few dollars could change someone's life.

 

 

Educating people is essential to promoting your cause or charity. Though the world might be a smaller place thanks to the Internet and our ability to connect with anyone, this has also led to an increasing level of cynicism. There are so many scams online that many people simply don't believe in many charities because they feel their money isn't being put to good use.

 

So, a good way to combat this problem is by creating a blog and writing about concrete examples of how your charity has helped people. Don't be generic. The more specific you are, the more people will believe in your charity or cause. You can then use your social media account to promote the blog.

 

If writing is not your thing, or you simply don't have the time to do it, then consider posting links to articles that have already been published online showcasing the good work your charity does. The more content you can share using social media, the better. Videos are even more effective because they provide visual proof, and people will be more inclined to believe what they can see with their own eyes.

 

 

People love reading about celebrities. We might pretend we don't care, and we certainly don't want to admit to reading the tabloids because that would be below us, but secretly we still enjoy reading about the Kardashians.

 

The key is to create a connection between your charity and celebrities whom people love and respect. This will bring your charity front and center because people enjoy emulating their favorite celebrities.

 

Since celebrities love posting or tweeting or "Facebooking" to let the world know about the charities they support and all the good work they do, it should be relatively easy for you to find a connection. Just show people that someone famous is supporting your cause or charity, and you've suddenly got masses of people who are interested.

 

But what if there is no "big name" supporting your charity? Try looking locally. There are certain to be a few well-respected people in your area supporting your chosen charity. And if there aren't, you can take things a step further by getting in touch with them and pitching the idea of promoting your charity. After all, celebrities like publicity, especially good publicity, so there's a good chance they'll respond and help you by spreading the word to their legions of followers.