Nonprofit Organizations Use of Social Media: The Case of Drug Helplines

The telephone was once the main way organizations communicated with their target groups. This situation has changed considerably in recently years and it is apparent that organizations like drug helpline services must also expand their range also in order to reach their target groups. A social media survey1 within European Foundation of Drug Helplines members resulted in 16 responses (approximately 38 percentage response rate), representing 10 different European countries. Findings indicated that most drug helplines in the survey have some experience with social media. However, few of the drug helpline use social media based on purposeful planning and clear distribution of responsibility. Social media can be used for promoting an event or a sensitizing campaign to create positive value. Facebook is the social media that in general are most frequently used for purposes such as reaching a specific audience and promotion. Additionally, findings of the survey show that few drug helplines in the survey monitor social media frequently.