Using Social Media as a Tool for Dialogic Engagement: The Case of an NGO in South Africa

Abstract Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) increasingly use social media to build and maintain relationships with different stakeholders; however, previous research shows that NGOs face numerous challenges in the strategic use of social media for dialogic engagement to support their mission. While the use of social media by commercial brands has been researched considerably, research on the use of social media by NGOs as a tool for organisation-stakeholder dialogue in South Africa is scarce. Previous studies on social media usage by NGOs in South Africa have focused on social media adoption patterns or on the use of social media in branding but have not addressed the use of social media as a communication tool for relationship building. This study focuses on the use of social media for dialogic engagement by a non-governmental organisation in Gauteng province in South Africa. Data were collected through 10 semi- structured interviews with six full-time employees and four volunteers who work in the marketing, public relations, and fundraising departments and manage online communication for the organisation. The results of the study revealed that the NGO’s social ties and stakeholder support are of primary importance and that social media play a strategic role in ensuring fulfilment of the organisational mission and maintaining brand legitimacy.