Bailey MeCey

As more brands and organizations jump onto social media, it’s important to have more than just your presence. It’s necessary to build a community of followers that are passionate about the work you are doing. Whether that is for a brand that hopes to sell its product or a non-profit that is looking to increase donations, an online community will strengthen the reach of your message.

Duolingo is a language learning app available on the iPhone and Android. The app allows users to learn a variety of languages with fun, encouraging activities.

Duolingo has social media accounts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. They produce a variety of graphics that all relate to their owl mascot. Given that their product relates to learning languages around the world, the brand can have a major impact across multiple regions. This allows them to expand their reach and grow their community.

To engage with their community, Duolingo uses a variety of methods from both the app and user-generated content. When users complete their language activities for multiple days in a row, they are rewarded with a streak that they are encouraged to post about on social media. The main accounts will share the content with the hashtag #StreakoftheWeek.

Another method to encourage user-generated content is the promotion of fan art, with the hashtag #DuoFanArt. Community members will create art featuring the mascot, then the main account will reshare the art on their accounts. This type of content generation allows the community to feel more connected with the brand.

Another organization that uses social media to build its community is the Alzheimer’s Association, a non-profit that works towards curing Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related diseases. The organization has social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, where they promote their cause.

The Alzheimer’s Association uses a variety of content on its platforms, including photos, videos, and graphics. However, all of the posts are grouped with their main hashtag #ENDALZ. Not only is the hashtag on most posts, but the photos and graphics will include the hashtag as well.

To engage with the community, the Alzheimer’s Association will feature stories and content from its users. For National Volunteer Week, the accounts highlighted a collection of volunteers and how their work impacts the goals of the organization.

On Facebook, the Alzheimer’s Association utilizes the Fundraiser option to allow users to create a fundraiser and donate on their behalf. This allows users to feel they are having a direct impact on the organization, as well as creating a financial benefit through the donations they receive.

While both these organizations do a lot on social media, they do not have much following through the building of influencers or ambassadors on a smaller scale. By building up their community through the promotion of smaller creators, they could both continue expanding to new audiences.

Duolingo and the Alzheimer’s Association have vastly different goals, but they both use social media as a place to create community and engage with their audience. Duolingo engages with its audience to promote the positive aspects of learning a new language, while Alzheimer’s Association expresses its message on stopping dementia. These communities not only grow their reach but allow their audience to feel that they are making a difference for themselves or others.