The social network Instagram is one of the main social networks for receiving news and other information for the Belarusian Internet audience in the country and abroad, according to various studies of media consumption.
In this social network, women receive information more often than men (60.7% compared to 44.6%, respectively).
The #StandWithBelarus campaign became widely known in 2020 in connection with the protests that began after the presidential elections in Belarus on August 9, 2020. Many Belarusians and the international community considered the results of these elections to be rigged.
The #StandWithBelarus campaign was aimed at drawing the attention of the world community to the situation in Belarus and expressing solidarity with the Belarusian people. Social networks have played a key role in spreading the word about what is happening in the country, and the hashtag #StandWithBelarus has become one of the symbols of this movement on the Internet.
On July 25, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, with over 210,000 followers, posted a tweet on the social network X (Twitter):
August 9, 2020, was the day when Belarusians made their choice & rejected dictatorship, violence & lies. Please join us & take action on the upcoming anniversary. Learn more about the International Day of Solidarity & ways in which you can participate:https://t.co/aslHNczAiQ
— Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya (@Tsihanouskaya) July 25, 2023
The call contained item about using the hashtag #StandWithBelarus in this campaign of solidarity with Belarusians.
For foreigners:
Launching media, offline and online campaigns: informing about the situation in Belarus, stating that Belarusians are not equal to the Lukashenka regime, supporting the sovereignty and independence of Belarus. Share news about Belarus on social networks with the #StandWithBelarus hashtag.
For Belarusians abroad:
In the end, there were 68 posts that garnered 9,480 interactions.
According to the social network Instagram, the number of interactions and posts with the hashtag #StandWithBelarus for the period from August 1, 2020 to August 19, 2023:
The hashtag #StandWithBelarus was used in 532 accounts in 3 years. Svyatlana Tikhanovskaya’s account made only 7 posts with the hashtag. Pavel Latushka’s account – 2 times. Account of Maria Kolesnikova – 231 times
Distribution of post authors by the largest number of interactions:
The first uses of the hashtag in August 2020:
The posts that got the most interactions (interactions in the form of likes and comments):
It is necessary to pay attention to the use of the hashtag on August 20, 2020 by such a global influencer as Stephen Fry.
Leaders in interaction (interaction rate):
Additional information on organizing search in the social network Instagram:
The three main factors that generate search results for a particular user on Instagram are:
- Query text is the most important search signal. The social network tries to show results that have the specified keyword: in the username, description, hashtags and places.
- Actions in the application – search results will be selected based on what you have recently watched, which accounts you have visited and how you have interacted with content in the past. Above are the accounts and hashtags you follow or visit.
- Popularity. The more popular an account, hashtag, or location is, the higher it appears in search results.
Our general recommendations for building strategic communications to keep Belarus on the global information agenda:
- Identification of key messages: It is necessary to determine the main messages that need to be conveyed to the world community. These should be simple, clear and memorable statements.
- Content Creation: Regularly publishing quality and engaging content across multiple platforms – articles, videos, infographics and other forms. Policy papers prepared by various research centers.
- Using social media: An active presence on social media helps you quickly spread the word and engage with your audience.
- Cooperation with international media: Constant interaction with the world’s media will help keep Belarus in the spotlight.
- Organization of events: Conferences, seminars, workshops and other public events can draw attention to specific issues.
- Collaboration with influencers: Collaboration with key influencers can help expand the reach and credibility of the messages.
- Monitoring and analysis: Monitor how messages are perceived by the audience and adjust your strategy according to the data received.
- Diplomatic efforts: Engage with representatives of other countries, international organizations and NGOs to include Belarus issues in international discussions.
- Education and cultural exchange: Support for student exchange programs, cultural events and other initiatives that can show Belarus from different sides and attract interest to the country.
- Responding to current events: Responding quickly and effectively to global and regional events related to Belarus will help keep the topic relevant.
For these strategies to be successful, it is important to ensure that they are coordinated and systematic.
This post was produced by the think-to-do-tank Baltic Internet Policy Initiative.
