Why WhatsApp Matters for Organizing
- SoSha Staff
- Oct 1
- 5 min read
Updated: Oct 14
When most organizers think about social media strategy, they focus on the platforms where people post and followers consume. But one of the most powerful tools for organic sharing isn’t a traditional “social” platform — it’s WhatsApp, the messaging app that billions use every day.
At SoSha, we focus on organic social media: the real, human-to-human messages that spread through trusted networks. Paid ads and branded channels have their place, but with rising ad costs and shifting algorithms, the real leverage comes from enabling people to share content with one another.
On September 30th, we hosted a webinar with partners to explore why WhatsApp matters for mobilization — and to share practical strategies for reaching audiences.
The Scale of Whatsapp
WhatsApp isn’t just another messaging platform — it’s a global infrastructure for connection. With 2.3 billion daily users, roughly 30% of the world’s population relies on WhatsApp to stay in touch. And a key feature that sets it apart is the ability to forward messages quickly — from one person to another, or from a person to a group. This creates a powerful network effect, allowing messages to travel quickly across communities.
While forwarding can sometimes amplify misinformation, organizations that use WhatsApp intentionally can harness it to spread important messages, key dates, and upcoming events.
The relevance of WhatsApp extends beyond global audiences. In the U.S., WhatsApp is the fourth most installed app, with 105 million users, trailing only TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. According to Pew Research, 30% of 18- to 29-year-olds and 40% of 30- to 49-year-olds use WhatsApp. Among voters, 22% of white voters, 36% of Black voters, 39% of Asian voters and 56% of Hispanic voters use it to stay informed. These groups are precisely the communities where political campaigns and movements have been focusing and where trust networks and peer-to-peer forwarding can have the greatest impact.
WhatsApp and Diaspora Communities
At our event, guest speaker Sylvia Salazar from Tono Latino described WhatsApp as a “control center” for herself and many immigrants. She highlighted the ease of communicating with friends and family regardless of what phone they have, sending important documents securely through encrypted chats, and using disappearing messages for added privacy.
What makes WhatsApp different — and powerful — is the way content moves. People don’t just follow pages or scroll through feeds. Instead, they are part of family chats, school groups, carpools, and sports teams. For many immigrant communities, WhatsApp is the primary way to stay connected across borders.
Sylvia shared that just within her own family, she’s part of over 100 group chats. Some are used to stay organized, while others connect different sets of family members — some larger, some smaller — with varying levels of closeness and purposes.
The key is entering these trusted conversations with guidance, not control. Messages work when they flow naturally through these communities, but they won’t be effective if an organization tries to enter and impose them.
How to Use Whatsapp for Organizing
As these groups grow and messages spread, organizers can connect their existing communities to networks on WhatsApp, reaching people who aren’t yet on email lists or other traditional channels.
But how do you share content in spaces that may not trust large organizations? How can you engage without seeming transactional? The key isn’t in organizations speaking directly — it’s empowering individuals to join daily conversations. By providing supporters with clear, shareable messages, communication comes from trusted peers rather than an institutional voice, making it far more effective.
David Csepregi, Senior Campaign Advisor at the European Center for Digital Action (ECDA) — a European hub of organizers and trainers working with progressive parties and NGOs — emphasized the importance of going hyperlocal. “Focus on neighborhoods, the agora, and mix practical with political information,” he advised, highlighting the power of combining daily life with larger civic engagement.
Organizations can leverage WhatsApp in several strategic ways:
Persuasion: Share content framed as “Did you see this?” that peers naturally pass along.
Advocacy: Encourage user-generated content, like branded selfies for a certain campaign, that resonates within personal networks.
Acquisition: Offer low-barrier actions such as signing a petition or confirming voter registration.
Mobilization: Drive participation in events and get-out-the-vote actions, using nudges like “I’m going — come with me” to spark curiosity and FOMO.
Globally, movements have already embraced WhatsApp as a critical organizing tool. Benedek Takács, a consultant for ECDA, described the process as encouraging megavolunteers to share messages with family, friends, and neighbors, who then pass them along further. This continued forwarding creates a network effect, building reach and trust — after all, people are far more likely to read and act on messages that come from friends and family.
In the U.S., groups can experiment by creating content designed to flow through personal networks — short, authentic messages that encourage action through trust. When getting started, try adding a post optimized for Whatsapp to confirmation emails so people can share directly. Then, use analytics and link tracking to identify your top sharers and build a small Whatsapp team to help amplify your content.
To succeed on Whatsapp, your messaging needs to:
Focus on authenticity: Write as if you’re talking to a friend or family member.
Keep it short and engaging: Long texts are rarely forwarded. Short videos, memes, and concise messages travel further.
Be clear with your call to action: Messages should be easy to share and naturally encourage action, e.g., “There’s this event next week - let’s go together.”
Encourage sharing: Remind your community to forward messages to amplify your content.
Adapt content for the platform: No hashtags or tagging organizations or people - not everything that works on Instagram or X will resonate in WhatsApp chats.
Watch trends: Messages that get forwarded multiple times indicate traction and viral potential.
The Bottom Line
The organizations that thrive here won’t be the ones shouting the loudest. They’ll be the ones whose content people trust enough to send to their closest circles.
WhatsApp is one of the largest, most trusted spaces for digital communication in the world. For campaigns and organizations serious about organic social sharing, it represents both a challenge and an enormous opportunity.
At SoSha, we believe the future of digital organizing won’t be driven by who can spend the most on ads. It will be built by communities — and by the messages people choose to share with one another.
Written by Areti Livanos, Social Content Lead.