• by Steven Rosenbaum , Featured Contributor, March 3, 2025

Let's face it -- the romantic era of social media organizing is dead. Remember when we thought Twitter would democratize activism and Facebook would be the great equalizer? That dream has crashed into a reality where billionaires control our digital town squares, algorithms bury our messages, and surveillance is constant.

That’s why effective organizers are now approaching social media more tactically -- as just one tool within a diversified strategy rather than their primary organizing infrastructure. The most successful movements I see are building capacity that can operate independently of corporate platform decisions. They recognize that social media companies have become increasingly unreliable partners in political mobilization.

The Platform Reality Check

The right has consolidated strong positions across the digital landscape. X/Twitter operates under Musk's explicitly pro-Trump leadership. Facebook's algorithms continue to favor conservative content while suppressing progressive organizing. Truth Social, Gab, and Parler represent spaces designed specifically for right-wing organizing with minimal content moderation. This consolidation gives conservative organizers advantages they're actively exploiting.

Meanwhile, progressive organizers find themselves scattered across smaller platforms. Mastodon communities emerged as a refuge for those fleeing Twitter after Musk's takeover, but the federated structure creates fragmentation that makes large-scale organizing more difficult. BlueSky continues developing as a potential Twitter alternative with more progressive-friendly policies, though its user base remains limited. CounterSocial positions itself as a progressive alternative with stricter moderation, but hasn't achieved the critical mass needed for broad-based organizing.

The mixed battlegrounds include Reddit, where political leaning varies dramatically by subreddit community; TikTok, which hosts diverse viewpoints despite facing bipartisan scrutiny over its ownership; and platforms like Discord and Telegram that contain communities across the political spectrum. YouTube maintains a presence for diverse content, though its strengthened moderation policies increasingly shape what's possible there.

What's Actually Working Now

I've been watching a renaissance in text-based organizing that bypasses the algorithmic control of social platforms entirely. While your carefully crafted social post reaches maybe 2% of your followers, direct text messages get nearly universal open rates. The most effective organizers are investing heavily in these direct communication channels.

Tools like Hustle and Spoke enable peer-to-peer texting campaigns that feel personal rather than automated. Volunteers can send individualized messages to supporters, creating authentic connections that drive real action. Signal Communities create encrypted spaces for sensitive planning, allowing organizers to communicate securely without corporate or government surveillance. The real innovation, though, is happening with decentralized SMS networks that build text chains where key volunteers receive and forward messages to their own networks, creating resilience against single-point shutdowns.

Let's talk about these emerging decentralized text solutions that aren't getting enough attention. Relay by Resistance Labs has pioneered systems specifically designed for distributed text messaging campaigns, allowing volunteers to forward messages to their own networks in a branching pattern that prevents easy disruption. Organizations building custom solutions on Twilio's API have created sophisticated message routing systems – the Movement for Black Lives' text alert system demonstrated the power of this approach during the 2020 uprisings, maintaining communication even as social platforms throttled content.

Some organizers are experimenting with community-owned messaging infrastructure – actual independent messaging servers and apps that eliminate dependency on corporate platforms entirely. I've seen local mutual aid networks develop hybrid systems that combine messaging with direct action coordination, petition signing, and resource distribution all within text conversations. The technology isn't particularly flashy, but it's effective precisely because it's under community control rather than subject to corporate platform decisions.

The most cutting-edge work involves systems that can function during internet disruptions. Local mesh networks using Bluetooth and WiFi direct technologies allow organizers to maintain communication even if traditional networks go down. AI-enhanced messaging tools are helping organizers personalize mass text campaigns by automatically tailoring messages based on recipient data and engagement history.

Email -- yes, that supposedly dead technology from the ‘90s -- is consistently outperforming social media for actual conversion to action. It lands directly in someone's inbox without algorithmic interference. Most importantly, you own your list outright -- it can't be taken away by a platform policy change or account suspension.

Groups using Action Network for progressive organizing are building sustainable power through careful email strategy. Some are creating decentralized email newsletters through platforms like Substack or Buttondown to maintain direct connections with supporters. Chains with "please forward" requests remain surprisingly effective, especially among older demographics who may not be as active on newer social platforms.

What's particularly interesting is how these email-based approaches are evolving beyond simple broadcasts. I've seen organizers creating segmented conversation paths where different content streams are tailored to supporter interests and engagement levels. Others are developing decentralized decision-making processes through specialized email tools that allow distributed voting and consensus-building without requiring everyone to be on the same platform or even in the same room.

The most innovative organizers are combining these approaches with emerging tools to create multi-layered communication ecosystems. TextIt and RapidPro, originally developed for global health initiatives, are being repurposed by organizers to create SMS workflows that can branch and distribute messages based on recipient responses.

Building Real Organizational Resilience

The harsh reality is that social media can no longer be the foundation of your organizing strategy. It's a tactical tool, not your primary infrastructure. What does this mean in practice?

First, invest in building communication channels you fully control. This means prioritizing email list building, developing SMS networks, and creating systems for rapid information distribution that don't depend on social platform algorithms..

Second, return to relationship-based organizing strategies that technology can support but never replace. The strongest movements are revitalizing door-knocking, phone banking, and in-person community building. They're using digital tools to coordinate these efforts rather than trying to organize primarily through social media interactions. Technology becomes the enabler of human connection rather than its replacement.

Third, develop leadership structures that combine online and offline organizing. This means creating roles specifically focused on digital security, training organizers in privacy protection, and establishing clear protocols for sensitive communications. It means building capacity for rapid response to platform censorship, account lockouts, or targeted harassment.

Fourth, practice platform independence by regularly directing social media followers to your owned channels. Train your community to expect platform disruptions and know where to reconnect if your accounts suddenly disappear.

Fifth, adapt your content strategy to the current reality. This means creating platform-specific content rather than cross-posting the same message everywhere. It means understanding the unique moderation policies of each platform and adapting your messaging accordingly. It means prioritizing shareable content that your community can distribute even if your accounts are limited or suspended.

Most importantly, build organizing capacity that can operate entirely offline if necessary. The movements most vulnerable to digital disruption are those that exist primarily online. The most resilient are those that use digital tools to enhance traditional organizing rather than replace it.

The Power of Adaptation

The most successful movements in these dangerous days are the ones building infrastructure that exists independent of corporate platforms – organizing that continues uninterrupted even if every social account gets shut down tomorrow.

What are you building that could survive that test? How would your organizing continue if your accounts disappeared overnight? The answer matters more now than ever.

You can see a full list of platforms here: 

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