California Wild Fires & Social Media

Many of you are likely aware of the tragic fires that are raging through Southern California at the moment.

The Woolsey Fire is spread out over a massive 70,000 acres and has caused an indescribable amount of damage to structures, property, and most sadly…people’s lives. There are so many photos circulating the internet showing the path of destruction and the animals and humans who have been effected by the fires. In the age of social media, news spreads quickly. According to Hayes & Kelly (2018), “Social media represent a medium for the rapid dissemination and consumption of information consisting of text, images and video content.” Social media truly can act as a strong tool to help connect people, keep users engaged, and spread information during a crisis.

   The American Red Cross is a strong example of an organization that has effectively been using social media to support Californians affected by the fires. They tweeted a link of help to users to help connect them with resources. In addition to the link to “Safe and Well“, where people can note if they are safe, the tweet also included a video clip with resources in Spanish & English, broadening its reach to the masses.

In another tweet, they included a link to a press release with more information about the fires, resources, and how to stay safe. At the time of writing, these tweets had 498 and 290 retweets, respectively, showing the positive impact that users can have when engaging with an organization like the Red Cross.
Furthermore, the same content was posted on Facebook, where they had 208 and 254 shares, respectively.

The American Red Cross is responding to questions on users’ posts, showing their authenticity and genuine concern. Facebook has unveiled an option for people to crowd source for donations for a charity of their choice; American Red Cross has many people who have chosen them as their charity, furthering the amount of physical money they receive as well.

Additionally, the American Red Cross has made it easier to gain donations by setting up a phone number to text. People can text REDCROSS to 90999 to donate $10, a quick process that only takes a matter of seconds but can have a massive impact. It is all about making this process as seamless as possible. In this day and age, users want convenience: how quickly can I donate? How accessible is the link I need to visit? Do I need to do research?
From a communications standpoint, the American Red Cross is doing a great job of managing questions, concerns, and funding during this major crisis. While this is to be expected as the organization’s purpose truly is to deal with crises, they certainly have done an effective job of streamlining content across their various media channels. According to Briones, Kutch, Liu, & Jin (2011), the American Red Cross does a strong job of having a “two-way dialogue through social media”, which in turn, helps to build relationships with its users, as seen in the personal replies to posts and inquiries on Facebook which were mentioned earlier. Additionally, the organization has also made sure that their links to their individual social media sites are accessible from others, showing a strong connection across media. Lastly, by utilizing hashtags in their posts, they are showing consistency across their media, while increasing the amount of user generated content. From a charitable organization point-of-view, this is only increasing the exposure of their content, and consequently, the amount of support received.

Overall, it is truly a scary time for Californians. Which so many tragedies happening, it’s important to hold your loved ones close. If you would like to donate to another organization, here are some options for you. Remember, every donation, share, and impression truly does make a difference. 

To support Los Angeles Firefighters by providing hydration backpacks, click here.
To donate to the Humane Society of Ventura County and help animals in need, click here.
To make a donation to Direct Relief (which Tito’s Vodka will match), click here.
To donate to the California Community Foundation Wild Fire Relief Fund, click here.

If you are like me and would like to learn more about the way different charities work and their “ratings” for fund distribution and efficiency, visit Charity Navigation.

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