Think about it for a moment: on average, how many people can you talk to about the vegan message each day?
Unless you are surrounded by people who follow a similar lifestyle as you, this number is pretty low.
Not to mention, most non-vegans will probably leave the room once you try to broach the subject.
Now, take a peek at the number of followers you have on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram accounts. If you are like most people, then you will have dozens, perhaps hundreds of followers.
Even if you aren’t all that active on social media, your audience will still be pretty decent.
The advantage with social media is that you can still spread your message to people that you don’t meet on a regular basis.
What’s more, it isn’t like they can excuse themselves out of a post. Sure, they can unfollow you but by modern standards that are considered a rather drastic action.
Even better is that on social media, you have access to a more primed crowd as well. After all, there were over 50 million hashtags used in 2018 alone.
Thus, you are certainly not in the minority here. At the same time, you should keep in mind that there are right and wrong ways to get the message across.
If you really want to spread the message of veganism on social media, you are going to need a couple of tips.
Check out the guidelines below and you should find more people warming up to your preferred lifestyle online.
Keep It Positive
You probably turned to veganism because you were horrified by the way animals were treated by farms, the fashion industry, and more.
As a result, it is only natural to want to alert people to the atrocities that animals have to go through every day.
However, before you post pictures and videos of a graphic nature, stop for a moment.
Sure, graphic media tends to have a shock value. After all, once you have seen the horrors firsthand, it is difficult to continue eating meat and wearing leather.
Nonetheless, such images and video can also have a negative impact as well.
No one wants to go scrolling through their feed only to be met with something that is upsetting.
If one of your followers were to be greeted with such a sight, they probably won’t think twice about unfollowing you.
Furthermore, this isn’t the best approach to getting people to change their ways.
Instead, it is more useful to keep the tone light. Take the famed Mercy for Animals social media exploits, for a moment.
While this organization is all about stopping cruelty against animals, there is nothing confrontational about their posts.
Instead, they highlight animals being adorable and urging people to see farm animals the same way they do their pets.
What’s really illuminating about all of this, though, is that it works! This account gets millions of visitors each week and is doing better than ever before.
In the end, posting an image of cute farm animals with a gentle message may be a more appropriate move for you.
This is especially true when you are just getting started and don’t have too many followers.
Show Off a Diverse Lifestyle
Let’s face it, most people have a rather stereotypical idea of what vegans are like.
They imagine that you spend your time throwing paint on people and screaming angrily at meat-eaters.
Since social media can act as a window to your lifestyle, you can use it to show people how fulfilling your life really is.
This is why it is important to have a variety of images, videos, and posts. Don’t just put up ones that showcase your activism.
Let people see you enjoy yourself with your friends and family members – just like everyone else.
In particular, you may want to broaden people’s horizons on what vegan food is actually like.
So, make sure to snap a few artistic shots whenever you visit vegan cafes and restaurants.
If you don’t mind making a bit of an effort with your meals, then documenting these will be a great start as well.
It will show people that you don’t just live on salads.
It doesn’t have to end there, though. Do you have enviable fashion taste? Then why not model your vegan or cruelty-free duds on your page?
Or, show people how they can still stay warm in the winter without resorting to wool coats. Your opportunities – and reach – could be endless.
Use the Right Hashtags
Getting those picture-perfect posts is only half the battle, though. You also have to make sure that they are seen by the right people.
For this, you are going to need to know what hashtags to use under your posts.
While you shouldn’t go overboard, it is best to use several relevant ones so that you cover all your bases. Here are some of the more popular ones:
- #vegan
- #veganfood
- #veganfoodporn
- #vegantravel
- #vegansofig
- #veganeats
- #plantbased
- #crueltyfree
At the same time, it is a good idea to think about the kind of audience that you are targeting. What do you think they are most interested in?
Then use these hashtags (as long as they apply) and mention these too. This way, you will be able to capture the attention of even more people.
Be Careful of What You Say
With social media, everyone’s opinions are given a platform. Nonetheless, once something is out on the internet, it can’t be pulled out.
In many instances, it can begin to take on a life of its own. It is due to this that you need to be careful about what you say.
For example, when you notice a heartbreaking incident, you may want to rail against the world.
And social media can often feel like a great place to do this.
Such tactics, however, may end up excluding people. In the end, few people want to be associated with anyone who may appear to have extremist views of any kind.
On a similar note, you may also want to be careful about how you react to other people’s lives and habits as well.
For instance, if you see someone constantly posting pictures of steak or making mean comments about animals or even vegans, it can be tempting to say something.
While a few, well-placed comments may work in your favor, such things have a tendency to snowball.
What’s more, there are rarely any winners when it comes to social media feuds.
So, carefully assess the situation and decide whether it is worth it for you to react. If it isn’t, move on and continue with your good work.
Have a Call to Action
If you were to ask people to start following a plant-based diet, then you would probably meet with some resistance.
However, if you were to ask those same individuals to help you save an animal, they may be a lot more willing to take action.
In fact, you will often find that most people are eager to help out in some way.
The only problem is that many aren’t sure where to look for information or what they can do.
After all, not everyone might have the same connections that you do in the vegan or cruelty-free community.
If you are looking to change that, start putting up posts with a call to action.
Once again, though, try to keep the tone positive so that you can convince more people to join in.
Then, simply point them in the right direction and list out all of the ways that they can help.
You really will be surprised by all of the support that you end up getting.
Understand That Not Everyone Will Be Onboard
Vegans tend to be an easy target. This is something that you are probably aware of because of the many jokes and comments passed your way in the real world.
Online, this kind of teasing or trolling can go to a whole new level.
Since most people feel anonymous, they aren’t afraid to say some truly horrendous things in the comment section.
This is yet another instance where you will have to think before you reply. Keep in mind, some people are just looking for a reaction.
So, if you lash out at them, then they will have gotten the result that they wanted. In this sense, they have won.
More often than not, you will find that ignoring such individuals is the best course of action. Eventually, they will get bored and move on.
If the abuse does continue, then you can feel free to block them or their comments. Reporting them to managers of the social media platform may also help.
As you can see, there is quite a bit to know about spreading the vegan message online.
If you follow the right guidelines, you should be able to see an impressive and positive change in the way people speak about their diet and lifestyle.
Now that you know what these secrets are, go ahead and put them to good use!
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