Social Media Audit of UNHCR (Final)
Introduction
A group of University Students endeavoured to research and audit the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Canadian division’s online and social media presence. Google, UNHCR’s website and its social media platforms were accessed and used to determine the effectiveness of the organization’s communication to its viewers. Based on this research, a collaborative audit was performed to point out strengths and weaknesses. The group also made recommendations to improve the organization’s social media communication methods, which were based on the group’s knowledge of methods to maximize social media presence.
Literature Review
UNHCR is a part of the United Nations (UN) which encompasses several humanitarian aid/relief organizations. “The UN system, also known unofficially as the "UN family", is made up of the UN itself and many affiliated programmes, funds, and specialized agencies, all with their own membership, leadership, and budget. The programmes and funds are financed through voluntary rather than assessed contributions. The Specialized Agencies are independent international organizations funded by both voluntary and assessed contributions”.
Methodology
The group was assigned to choose an organization and audit its online and social media presence. They selected the UNHCR’s Canadian division. They searched for and accessed all available social media platforms that the organization currently uses for promotional material and communication. The team observed strengths, weaknesses, ease of access/networking, and overall ratings/feedback from users of individual social media platforms. The group then discussed ways that the organization could increase the benefits from each platform and why.
Results
UNHCR effectively makes use of Facebook and Twitter, however, they could benefit from the use of additional online resources and tools to capture multiple audiences. Other social media platforms and networking/back-linking to affiliated organizations would increase web-traffic and consumption of their content – effectively reaching a larger audience.
Discussion
A Google search for “Refugee Assistance Canada” gives no obvious, eye-catching results that would guide searchers to UNHCR specifically. Unfortunately, in the absence of an easy “one-click” option, this may lead to a loss of potential viewers/readers. This includes individuals that might be looking for information or organizations that provide refugee assistance but might not be aware of what UNHCR is specifically.
If the consumer is aware of UNHCR and accesses their main site, they are brought to an eye-catching main page that is easy to navigate with clear menu options directing the viewer to find useful information such as “what do we do”, “donate now”, and external links to Facebook and Twitter.
UNHCR has an effective and eye-catching Facebook page that is updated daily. Their posts include clear, profound messages with graphics that attract the viewer and entice further reading. Their use of bullet-points, short quotations, and open-ended question allows for the reader to want to remain engaged. Throughout Facebook, Twitter and their main web site, UNHCR Canada seems to focus on informing the reader while provoking an emotional reaction. While the content of their posts seems to be less discussion-oriented and more informative, there are several clearly defined links and information available on ways for the audience to participate via donations, purchasing gifts, and sharing posts to external sources.
The user reviews/ratings option on the UNHCR Canada Facebook appears to be used as more of a discussion board. There are posts both praising and discrediting the organization and even politically condemning the UNHCR for its efforts outside of Canada. There are also active refugees posting requests for aid from the organization. Many of these Facebook “review” posts are not responded to by the organization, therefore it is difficult to know whether these posts are being addressed by the UNHCR. Since the review section isn’t being used for its intended purpose, it may be best to disable it in the page’s settings. Instead, they should designate a discussion board or dedicated email address for questions and concerns.
UNHCR effectively captures its intended audience with image-oriented posts since too much text can result in viewers losing interest. Furthermore, the inclusion of video posts can drive engagement with the added benefit of the original source being embedded in the video – meaning increased traffic back to UNHCR when these posts are re-tweeted.
While UNHCR’s Twitter biography briefly and effectively states its mission statement, it includes a link to “Follow us” on Facebook. The UNHCR Canada Facebook page contains the exact same content as their Twitter account, which seems counterproductive and to be a waste of space in their Twitter bio. More effective use of this space would be to link the reader to a more detailed page that more clearly explains what they do outside of their one-sentence mission statement. Furthermore, diversifying content between the two social media pages would encourage the reader to follow both.
Other Social Media Tools
Useful social media platforms that could be utilized are LinkedIn, which provides a professional networking platform, as well as Tumblr and Instagram which cater more to the “browsing” viewer. In addition, Hootsuite is a social media scheduling platform that allows organizations to schedule posts ahead of time and allows the same posts to go to multiple platforms at once. This is a great way to streamline content and have months’ worth of content created ahead of time.
Comparison
When comparing similar organizations’ social media presence, their posts are very similarly laid out to UNHCR. One example is the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF). UNICEF’s Instagram posts are visually eye-catching and profound which draws further attention to the fact that UNHCR seems to be missing out. With 500,000 uses of #humanitarian and over 200,000 uses of #refugee, Instagram is a missed opportunity for UNHCR.
Conclusion
UNHCR has effectively made use of Facebook and Twitter as well as effective content on its YouTube channel. However, this organization could benefit from expanding into other social media platforms such as Tumblr, Instagram and LinkedIn to reach more viewers and potential donors.
Recommendations
Establish accounts and begin networking through other social media platforms such as those listed above. Following along the general format for each platform would ensure maximum reach for respective audiences. For example, Tumblr is a BLOG-style page where clear, concise and eye-catching posts will engage the general audience and entice them to continue reading. Instagram is highly image-based and would benefit from including the profound visuals that the organization currently uses on its Twitter and Facebook pages. Providing external links from Tumblr and Instagram posts would allow for networking to increase traffic through the organization’s multiple online profiles.
A useful and comprehensive resource that demonstrates methods to establish and maintain an effective Instagram account for a non-profit organization can be found in Appendix 1 which is a video of Sue B. Zimmerman discussing strategies for successful campaigning on Instagram.
Creating a LinkedIn profile will allow the organization to tap into professional networks with similar interests, job-seekers, potential volunteers and potential donors. Often, LinkedIn is used on a more professional level, rather than just internet browsers. It has created a go-to source for professionals seeking networking and affiliations in a less “adware” cluttered environment.
References
Bluehost (2012, Jan 31). What is SEO and How Does it Work? Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqg3F-8jBec&t=2s
Funds, Programmes, Specialized Agencies and Others. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.un.org/en/sections/about-un/funds-programmes-specialized-agencies-and-others/
Hashtags.org (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.hashtags.org/
Hootsuite (n.d.). Social Media Scheduling Platform. Retrieved from https://hootsuite.com/
Instagram (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.instagram.com/
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Canada website (n.d.). Retrieved from https://unhcr.ca. Date accessed: 25 March 2019.
UNHCR Canada Facebook Page (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/UNHCRCanada/. Date accessed: 25 March 2019.
UNHCR Twitter Account Page (n.d.) Retrieved from https://twitter.com/UNHCRCanada?lang=en. Date accessed: 25 March 2019.
UNHCR Canada (2016, Dec 22). Nobody Chooses to Become a Refugee - But You Can Choose to Help. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/user/UNHCRCanada
UNHCR and UNICEF urge action in Europe to end childhood statelessness (2019, Feb 14). Retrieved from https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/unhcr-and-unicef-urge-action-europe-end-childhood-statelessness
Zimmerman, Sue B. (2016, Jan 27). Instagram Marketing for Non-Profit Organizations. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3_mJ6igLgw