Eric Wilson - 2013
In addition to leaders, any movement obviously needs followers. A crowd is a group of people, but the key is they do not follow. A movement needs people who don’t just show up or don’t just follow, but are eager to follow and become activists.
In addition to leaders, any movement obviously needs followers. A crowd is a group of people, but the key is they do not follow. A movement needs people who don’t just show up or don’t just follow, but are eager to follow and become activists.
The exact size of a movement is almost impossible to determine because membership is usually informal which places a premium on faith and loyalty to the collective identity. Since no legal obligation is assumed by becoming a member, conformance to the movement's norms to remain a member is nearly impossible to track or enforce. Thus, commitment to the movement and its values becomes one of the most important sources of control. I think it is a mistake to believe that your best members are blind sheep.
Some students of social movements have suggested that the fanaticism of dedicated members results from the social movement becoming a reference group that provides the member with a new and deviant view of social reality.
Some social movements – lasting many decades – may enlist hundreds of thousands of members. Some movements take place within the boundaries of a specific secondary group (such as a religious association or a local community), and may include only a few people or a few hundred members. As membership grows, it obviously becomes more diverse and broad, bringing new elements and characteristics into the movement. It is these smaller groups that form, though, that may determine different strands and independent groups that have the capability to evolve separately at different rates.
The real win, though, is not numbers but turning members into fans, turning “likes” into advocates. Fans will invite three friends and promote your mission, and a fan will repost what you send out and blog about the movement. It is key to remember you are not there and operating for the majority of public opinion, but your fans and those that share the vision are. Too many organizations judge themselves and the success of their groups by numbers not fans. They care about hits on a website or members that hit “like” on their page. What they are overlooking is the depth of commitment and interconnection that true activists or fans deliver. Instead of being on the hunt for anyone that fogs a mirror, good social movements have learned that to win is to turn casual spectators into passionate activists.
Activists – true activists – the 20% of the 20% of your membership (or 4% for the mathematically challenged) are hard to find and precious to any organization. Just a few is all you really need (and all will likely have) but should be the goal if you want to succeed.
