Social Media for Good
In the digital age, where connections are forged through screens and stories are shared with a click, harnessing the power of social media for a non-profit cause holds immeasurable potential. SARC – a research collaborative dedicated to finding a cure for sarcoma – relies on social to connect with healthcare professionals, researchers, pharmaceuticals, biotechs, patients and families, and donors.
The path to creating a cohesive social media strategy and brand identity for SARC is not just about amplifying their message, it‘s about fostering a community, sharing knowledge, and kindling hope for a sarcoma cure. Despite ongoing social media controversies and bad actors – Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Spotify, YouTube and others still offer non-profits a cost-effective place to share their story and find their audience.
Our goal in this project was to create consistent branding and messaging across all social media platforms, make each platform feel familiar yet unique, and provide templates for SARC’s social media team to easily create individual posts. For SARC, this involves infusing the brand with compassion, credibility, and expertise. The tone is empathetic yet professional, the content informative, and the visuals evocative.
SARC works very closely with health professionals and researchers. In addition, patients and their families look to SARC as a resource. Sarcoma is a very rare form of cancer, which means it demands not just medical expertise, but also emotional support. Bridging this gap is a key component of SARC’s ongoing social communications.
SARC’s social media content both educates and inspires – from survivor stories that ignite hope to medical breakthroughs that highlight progress, these narratives form the backbone of their content. Tailoring content for each platform is critical and ensures that SARC’s audience finds value.
For example, SARC Talk podcasts featuring leading sarcoma physicians and researchers require different assets for each platform. Spotify and Apple Podcast, which host the podcast, require only a “logo” graphic, whereas when the episodes are released on YouTube, a unique and individual episode thumbnail is added every time. Instagram is used to market and promote the podcasts through short video reels.
Presentations by sarcoma experts during SARC’s annual in-person event before the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting are videotaped, thumbnails created, and then each session is posted on Vimeo and YouTube.
In addition, ongoing calls for support and participation in open clinical trials are promoted via social with eye-catching graphics.
A successful social media strategy isn’t static – it’s a living entity that needs constant nurturing. We look forward to continuing our work with SARC and transforming their digital interactions into avenues of support, empathy, and empowerment.
– Olivia Graham
More about social media in 2023:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/04/11/social-media-quit-loneliness/
https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/social-media-statistics/