Italy: Social media to help raise local awareness and create dialogue

With close to two thousand Facebook followers and in a short time a couple of hundred on Instagram, DRC Italy sees steady growth and promising interest among local audiences who would like to get closer to and engage in DRC work in Italy and beyond.

‘We see how social media are efficient tools that allow us to better bridge the gap between NGOs, for-profit making entities, and the public,’ tells Giulia Spagna, DRC Italy Country Director.

To do this, DRC Italy has decided to target Italian speaking audiences and to work to create more awareness of topics related to the mixed migration challenges we see in this region. They engage with both more mature audiences and with younger people, to create dialogue, discuss needs and opportunities to support. And they use their social media to advocate for rights and root causes related to migration and displacement across Italy and Europe.

DRC Italy strives to twist the usual narrative on migrants and refugees and to use more day-to-day communication styles – infographics, simple and informal copy of posts, reels. A crucial part of these efforts is the direct involvement of the followers and their engagement through different ways, such as quizzes, contests and direct questions.

Thanks to these efforts, DRC Italy has managed to gradually increase its baseline of followers, as well as its reputation and visibility among the general public.

Follow DRC Italy to learn more:

Facebook: DRC Italia
Instagram: @drc_italia_onlus