Ace CauseAChatter to create an impact for your Social Cause

We've come a long way from the time we introduced writing on a social cause through CauseAChatter in our community. If there's one thing we've truly learnt from all the activities we've had, it is the power of collective effort. We have to speak up if we want to bring about change. When the entire community comes together with one purpose around a social cause, to create a positive impact, it definitely shows. Like Helen Keller said, "Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much."

When we have an established platform, a community of readers who look forward to our content, talking about an important cause adds value to our blog. It helps bring awareness to an issue and instantly connects us to people who feel the same way. That is how movements begin!

So, we thought of sharing a few tips on how you can do CauseAChatter better and make this journey worthwhile.

Choose a social cause that is important to you

For 2021, we had chosen 3 social causes: mental health, gender talks and environment. The community could choose a cause that resonates the most with them. While our efforts were pivoted around these 3 causes, you could also select a social cause apart from the 3 as well. (Posts on causes beyond the three were not be added to the module, but would not affect your submission to BlogRolls. In case anyone had an idea on a cause beyond the ones we have on the site, they could contribute as a guest post on our new section, BeStorified, where we accept a variety of topics.

What if you've never created content for CauseAChatter?

It doesn't matter. You can go through the resources we have, or what community has been talking about and think of a topic that is relavant to you. You can share personal stories, anecdotes, you can review books, movies and shows that have a socially important message, you can interview people who've been doing something good for society, or you can give your opinion on a trending topic on social issues, perhaps. There are many ways to begin once you decide to dive in.

What happened in 2021 CauseAChatter

With our new and very streamlined module, CauseAChatter in 2021 has had a separate section for resources you could use to curate causes, our insights on various topics and celebration of global days and a section for all community posts. Since our three causes were Mental Health Talks, Environmental Talks and Gender Talks, we began by going back to the roots. How mental health, treatment and awareness has evolved over the years, how gender equality has changed, how the spectrum of gender is looked at now as compared to years ago and the history of gardening and its relationship with the environment. We understood that to create awareness on a topic, we need to educate ourselves and that has been the main messaging of 2021.

Understanding terminology and using the right words while communicating show involvement in a cause which is key to making a change.

Next up we spoke to a few experts on the topics of gender, sustainability and mental health. Our conversation with Soumita on inclusive and sustainable fashion opened our eyes to indigenous innovations in the field. Nemat Sadat and Tanushree Ghosh discussed the basic question which is how can we simplify and talk about gender in a way everyone can understand. It was certainly an insightful talk that set the tone for the entire year's Gender Talks.

We've also had some interactive chat sessions to help each other understand how we identify with the causes we champion, what it means to be a humanitarian, using the online realm for a good cause, celebrating relevant days and more. Our community joined hands with us to raise awareness on current issues and participated enthusiastically, leading each campaign we've had.

Social media and causes

Especially when the pandemic hit hard and the whole world shifted to the digital space, we began to see how vital it is to become advocates of good causes. Our post crowdsourcing NGOS and contacts that were helping flatten the curve in 2020 saw so many clicks that made us realize the impact CauseAChatter has been having.

A study by WHO talks about how misinformation has been circulating around and affecting people, especially the GenZ and millennials and proving to be a threat to public health. We stressed on the importance of credibility especially when sharing COVID-19 related information and resources, to check each tweet before we retweet and to provide verified information in blog posts.

Here's a study that speaks about social media being a vital tool in giving out much needed information during the pandemic.

When technology and social media was our only source of comfort and support during tough times, many of our community members found solace in creating content and expressing themselves through CauseAChatter.

For 2022

In 2022 we decided to make a few changes to the causes we talk about. Limiting it to three exclusive causes meant we would miss out on many more topics that are equally important. So, we’ve introduced an umbrella topic called inclusivity under which there are a myriad of selections. Read more here. The causes and resources of 2021 will still be available as an archived library you can access anytime.

Set goals, track them

While creating content is fun, it is even more exciting when we have a goal in mind that we work towards. They need not be big goals. But it needs to be something you can measure, maybe on a quarterly or even monthly basis to see how far you’ve come. Write your goals on a notebook, or put it up on a sticky note on your computer screen, maybe next to the dresser that you cross each morning. A goal can be like an affirmation, if you will. Something as simple as “I want to learn more about how gardening impacts the environment” can be a goal. And then you proceed to write down the steps on how you plan to take action on this goal. Little steps could include reading up on gardening, talking to experts you know love gardening, getting essential supplies, documenting your journey on the blog and social media, talking about what other ways gardening impacted you such as evoking a calming feeling are few actionable points your goal can have.

Create impactful content

This is easier than it sounds. The idea behind keeping the target as just 3 pieces of content per quarter is so you'll have enough time to think over and create. When you have a social cause close to your heart, you will already have a rough idea on what direction to give it. Even then if you get stuck, you can always reach out to us or check the resources we have on the site. Keep yourself updated on news and trends and see if your cause resonates with them. Keep an eye on the UN website or social handles, check out newsletters that talk about causes and you will always find something that strikes a chord. Connecting your causes to current situations is a good way to get engagement and amplify your message. When you have the right intent, inspiration will always come.

Guidelines and disclaimers

Make sure you follow guidelines when you write for social causes. When you write on something sensitive such as mental health, or gender issues, and you share your personal experiences, it is good to have a disclaimer at the end because what works for you may not really work for everyone else. Our experiences are our own. Make sure your audience knows that. Read more about the new guidelines here.

Innovate, get creative

We don’t restrict CauseAChatter content to just blog posts. It can also be a Youtube video or IGTV video with you speaking or a meaningful message. Additionally, since CauseAChatter posts are mostly evergreen, repurposing them or using other media to promote them is a tip you won’t regret using. Reels, Instagram carousel posts, tweet threads, stories, Youtube shorts are some interesting ways you can make use of to repurpose an evergreen post. You can also connect with other bloggers who write on causes, influencers or experts in a cause, get together for a podcast, live session or any form of collaboration. Two heads together can come up with amazing ideas, you know! The key is to have fun and learn at the same time.

Active participation

We will always have some activity around one of the three social causes, be it community activities, inviting experts over for discussions or celebrating days of social relevance, be it internationally or nationally. We have curated a list of socially important days so you can prepare beforehand. Another way is also to keep an eye on the what’s on section of our site that tells you what's happening in the near future and add the upcoming days to your calendar. Participating in whatever you relate to shows your involvement in the cause and also helps you gain insights. It also tells your readers and followers about what matters to you. We are also on the lookout for active participants to join us on podcasts and live sessions, the more we see you around, the more impact we all create. For instance, check out this podast we had with some of our champions on the creative process for CauseAChatter.

Engage

It goes without saying that creating content can be a lonely experience if you don't spend a little time to engage and build your community. Our website is the best place to find more CauseAChatter content from like-minded community. You can go to the CauseAChatter section of the website, put in the 'Community Speaks' filter and browse for your next read. An easy way to make use of this is to read, comment on and share atleast one post daily or perhaps in the weekend- whatever suits you best.

Reward points and stickers

Writing for a cause to create change is always rewarding when atleast one person is moved enough to take action. However, we believe in also rewarding the efforts you put in each quarter. A lot of research goes into curating such content and we don’t want it to go unnoticed. We introduced a reward point system via which reward points convertible to cash will be credited to your wallet after successful completion each quarter. After points are credited you will receive an e-mail and you can check your wallet here. A sticker too appears on your public profile that you can add to your blogging accolades. If you have been actively participating and completed the entire year’s target, you’ll also get a certificate from us. We hope this gesture is a reminder of the CauseAChatter champion you are and keeps you motivated to go on creating purposeful content that heals the world.

What next?

Now that you’ve followed these steps, put them into action and creating CauseAChatter content, what more can you do? This is something you can decide based on your goal setting. What more do you want to achieve from your initiative? Attach your cause to a fundraiser or support an NGO you like? Connect with other content creators and collaborate to create something bigger, which brings us to the next topic.

CauseAChatter Projects

The word campaign may sound intimidating, and a social cause campaign even more. But we all begin somewhere. We recently had an activity where the community could pick a cause and curate a campaign around it, following these simple steps:

1. Pick a social cause topic

2. Give the campaign a name ( Here are some examples, but of course you can keep it very simple)

3. Set a small goal- what you want to achieve via this campaign?

4. Make a content plan and preferably a simple calendar that you can follow (what do you plan to do on social media, your blog post, video/podcast if you want, invite someone for a live discussion, use various social platforms for exposure, reach out to people etc. These are examples, you can plan your own)

5. Start collating resources and keep track of the impact as you begin creating content.

6. In the end assess the whole thing- how did it go? what worked, what didn't?

The idea of this exercise was so they could test the goals they have, the impact they create and understand what more they can do.

What more can you do?

Beyond all these steps, what more can you do for a cause? Some ways are:

1. Contributing to a fundraiser or starting one yourself. (Your CauseAChatter Projects can help here)

2. Volunteering in various ways, offering your talent in NGOs, ashrams and other places. There are even NGOs in need of content creators like you!

3. Supporting a child's education or medical care at an ashram. Manavya at Pune for example lets you take care of a child suffering from HIV for a very affordable amount each month.

4. Support fellow CauseAChatter champions even beyond community- It could be a retweet, a shoutout, or something even more personal.

5. Sign a petition for causes that you relate to.

6. Participate in surveys, give your valuable feedback.

7. Teach skills to the less fortunate- It could be a domestic worker, their kids or anyone you may come across. Teach them something that will enable them to earn a living.

8. Celebrate with a cause- On birthdays and other festivities, gifts could also be a donation to a cause in cash or kind.

9. Be kind! Yes that will never go out of style. If nothing, be kind and communicate with empathy.

10. Be aware of your surroundings. Awareness and curiosity leads us to ask the right questions, which in turn leads us to make right choices.

Make it personal

Yes, each cause when it touches your heart becomes personal. That certainly connects with people better. When the world can see your passion towards something, it evokes compassion and empathy and helps them raise the right questions too.

Spread the word

Social media is a great way to do this. Amplify the reach of your own posts, talk about the social cause you have taken using our hashtag #CauseAChatter, tag us and spread the word to fellow bloggers. You never know who you might inspire with just one post/tweet/story of yours.

Writing for a cause is as much a journey of personal transformation as it is of social impact. This is the opinion of several of our champions who found it healing to participate in our activities, have a space to express themselves on sensitive topics even in the most trying times. We, as advocates of causes we support can be the voice someone needs to hear.

In case you are new to CauseAChatter, you can always register with a click right here.

While CauseAChatter is about creating impact and bringing purpose, upliftment begins at home from where you can create a ripple of change by being the change.