Viral Messaging and Public Events: Speed vs Personal Touch
Viral messaging is all about getting your message passed from person to person on social media at lightning speed. When someone retweets your message, it can reach thousands instantly - it's cost-effective, worldwide, and genuinely life-saving in urgent situations.
The catch? You're completely relying on others to share your content, which isn't guaranteed. Plus, finding someone with serious social media influence can be tricky.
Events and public appearances offer the opposite approach - they're personal, realistic, and create genuine human connections. Getting a celebrity or respected local figure involved can boost your profile massively, especially if the media covers it.
The downside is that turnout can disappoint, and you'll need upfront funding. Sarah's Law campaign demonstrates this perfectly - Sarah Payne's parents made countless public appearances at events like police conferences to raise awareness about their child sex offender disclosure scheme.
Campaign spotlight: The 'Time to Change' campaign went viral with a simple coaster photo promoting 'be in your mates corner', spreading mental health awareness through pubs and bars via Twitter shares.