Social media tools could be two separate things. The first set of social media tools are the kind that will never change the world. They are just the link buttons that allow you to share something online, straight to your social media source. They make life easier, but not better.

The other set of social media tools, the figurative set, are those that you have at your disposal so that you can reach the right people, and possibly see a difference wrought in the world. But why would you attempt to better the world using something like social media sharing tools? What good can a Twitter feed or a Facebook post do? Quite a lot, actually, with just a little persistence.

First of all, just think about how broad a scope social media has. Think about the size of the footprint that it can reach. When polled, nearly 90% of all adults over the age of 18 admit to using at least one form of social media. Now think of those who use ALL forms of social media. The interconnectedness is astounding. Particularly when you consider that even if one person has Facebook but no Twitter, but their friend has both, all it takes is their friend to share a tweet that they see on Facebook and then a whole new audience is opened up.

Where is this all going? What difference can just a single drop of water like you make in the ocean that is social media? All it takes is the right timing and the right exposure, and you can get anything done. Now, more than ever, social change is all about having the right connections.

Say you make a Facebook post about the horrible conditions that you are dealing with at school. Your friend likes it and reposts it. Your friend just so happens to know a prominent local news reporter, who sees the post and decides to report on it. Your story gets broadcast, and the school saves face by fixing the problem that was ignored for so long.

Now think of it on a grander scale. Remember Kony 2012? No one had any idea who this war criminal was until some people put up a YouTube video. Instant exposure, and every celebrity jumped on the band wagon to try and make a change. All it takes is that one post. Recognize what your social media can do for you. Then use it for that.