Max Gladwell

MediaPost columnist and SocialVibe CEO, Joe Marchese, writes about the nexus of social media and green living.

We’re honored to get a mention today in Marchese’s OnlineSPIN column, Social Media for Social Good. “Check out DoSomething.org and read Ten Ways to Change the World Through Social Media written by Max Gladwell.” We’ve excerpted from the column below after the jump.

“Social media’s awesome power can really take your breath away when you take a second to step back and see the change that it can cause in the world. Many brands and traditional media companies are focused on social media’s effects on their relationships with consumers. Yet it is social media’s ability to fundamentally shift how people discover, connect, communicate and interact with each other that makes the space so powerful.

The knock against social networks for a long time has ben that they were glorified dating systems or popularity contests.  But one look at applications like Causes on Facebook, and you can begin to see the swell beneath the surface of a new generation of social-media-savvy teens and young adults making it “cool” to be socially aware. I have always subscribed to the philosophy that in order to change the world, you don’t need to make new laws, just make it popular to do the right thing (stolen from John Locke;  for more on this topic,  read “John Locke To Al Gore: Tech Changes, Advertising Remains“).   

Because of social media, not only can people in need, be they class room teachers or farmers in the third world, publish their stories and have them read, but these platforms actually make it possible for people to band together to make a difference. Finally, social media completes the loop by allowing the teachers, students or farmers to actually thank those that made the difference. Talk about value in connecting people.

One thing I have learned by listening while building a social media company is that people want to make a difference and be recognized for their ability to do so. Successful social media companies and  campaigns will enable people to do this.”

Marchese is also CEO of SocialVibe, where you can leverage the traffic you receive at your MySpace page or blog to generate donations for good causes by matching you up with sponsors. 

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