#MenEndFGM

I have worked in the social advocacy space for years, from working with influencers to training NGO teams on digital advocacy. One thing this experience continues to teach me is that visibility is not the same as impact. A campaign can trend on X. A video can attract thousands of views. A hashtag can generate hundreds of conversations. A report can receive impressive media coverage. — But what happens after that? — Did someone access a service they previously did not know about? —Did a community gain information that helped them make an informed decision? —Did a policymaker take notice? —Did a harmful misconception change? —Did the people at the centre of the issue have a chance to be heard? These are the questions I want us to ask more often. I am not dismissing reach, impressions or engagement. They are useful indicators. But they are not the whole story. Especially when communicating about health, social justice and development, we need to look beyond the numbers that make reports look impressive. Communication should help us understand what changed, for whom, and why. And sometimes, that change may not be immediately visible in a dashboard. My belief is that the best communication campaigns are not necessarily the loudest. They are the ones that help move people, conversations, decisions or systems in a meaningful direction.