LB 12-117 - Environmental non-governmental organizations use social media, but few have large audiences online

Social media heavily influences information spread, issue mobilization, and public policy preferences. Environmental non-governmental organizations (eNGOs) rely on social media to inspire and engage audiences, fundraise, and communicate through visually compelling content and catchy taglines. However, there has been limited research on how eNGOs use social media, which hinders the development of effective communication strategies and campaigns. In this study, we examined the social media presence of 130 eNGOs to assess their platform usage and compare their visibility. We found that almost all eNGOs use four out of five leading social media platforms, but there were significant differences in their follower count based on their area of focus. Advocacy, aquatic environments, and species conservation eNGOs had significantly more followers. Our research indicates that eNGOs can cultivate larger audiences online by using newer, visually-oriented platforms with a younger audience. By identifying eNGOs with larger followings than expected, we can learn from their successes and enhance the social media impact of environmental conservation advocacy.