The Role of Media Analytics in Social Justice Movements

By: Sadie McCullough

​During this unprecedented time in the world, we have had a new perspective on social media.

As a collective community, we have used social media to stay connected through this isolation. In addition to connectedness, we have used it to support and strengthen social justice movements like Black Lives Matter. The main mission of Black Lives Matter is to end white supremacy and build community power to combat violence inflicted on Black individuals. Supporters of the cause have taken over platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter with hashtags, resources, information, and stories to educate others on the organization.

The goal of social media analytics is to gather and analyze audience data to make more informed decisions for the organization. Organizations like Black Lives Matter that are spreading resources and information to the public and policymakers, measure their efforts through metrics such as impressions, reach, and engagement.

• Impressions: The number of individual feeds a post appears on. Impressions are most effective in raising awareness for the organization or cause.
• Reach: The number of users who saw any post from an organization on any medium.
• Engagement: The total amount of times users interact (like, comment, share) with a post. Engagement is best to help build a community of supporters. ​

Engagement with the @blklivesmatter Instagram is crucial in the information sharing that leads to success. The social media accounts provide materials, guidance, and a framework that allows supporters to take the activism into their own hands. Followers engage with and share informational posts inspiring groups across the country to lead protests even when the organizers may not be directly associated with Black Lives Matter. ​

Success is stemming from their hashtag’s prominence on social media. In June 2020, #BlackLivesMatter recorded 8.8 million unique mentions of the hashtag per day. The overwhelming usage of the hashtag allowed the message of the organization to spread across the world. 

Black Lives Matter social media platforms also stress the idea of strength in number and creating a supportive community. To further increase engagement, the website collects the personal information of supporters who wish to stay informed. These messages help build a loyal base of supporters and keep people connected to the cause. 

The successful media analytics tactics used by Black Lives Matter helps spark and maintain the movement through many months and years. Other organizations can use similar tactics to facilitate engagement and interest in causes.