How Do You Spread a Message When Your Team Is Small?

Last year, the United Nations turned 80. To mark the milestone, the UN Information Centre (UNIC) in Manama, which covers Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, launched UN80, a three-month social media campaign. But UNIC Manama wanted more than likes and shares: it wanted people to actually pause and reflect on what the UN does, and why it matters. The challenge wasn’t the message. It was the reach. A small team can only take an idea so far on its own. So UNIC Manama turned to Online Volunteers through the United Nations Volunteers (UNV), proving that a small team doesn't have to think small. The result, says Ahmed Ben Lassoued, Director of UNIC Manama, far exceeded anything they thought possible.

“The challenge was clear: how do we expand our message in a meaningful way without overextending the team?” 

Running a high-frequency campaign across multiple social media platforms for three months takes time, consistency and sustained effort. “Our goals were ambitious. We wanted to educate, raise awareness, convince and inspire people about the United Nations. But our resources were limited,” shared Ahmed Ben Lassoued. Organic reach on social media is hard to scale, especially with such a diverse audience. 

Turning to Online Volunteers

UNV’s Online Volunteering service connects organizations with volunteers around the world who contribute their time and skills online, from any device, anywhere. For UNIC Manama, they offered something a small team could not replicate on its own: scale, combined with genuine involvement. With the right structure and guidance, the volunteers could work independently while still contributing to one unified campaign. Ahmed Ben Lassoued explained.

“These were individuals who believed in the UN’s mission and wanted to be part of it. They weren’t just spreading content, they were sharing it with purpose, within their own networks and communities.” 

Building Momentum with Online Volunteers

UNV helped UNIC Manama put in place clear onboarding, guidance and communication channels, so volunteers knew exactly what was expected of them. Once that structure was in place, their role was straightforward but powerful: they circulated UN80 posts across platforms and shared content within their own circles, reaching audiences the campaign could never have accessed alone. “That steady, collective effort created momentum that would have been impossible to achieve otherwise,” explained Ahmed Ben Lassoued.  

A Sense of Community

Compared with earlier campaigns, the involvement generated through Online Volunteers was on a completely different scale, dramatically expanding both reach and participation. Over 12 weeks, almost 1,000 Online Volunteers helped the campaign reach thousands of people, with a focus on the Gulf Cooperation Countries. But the numbers only tell part of the story. Many volunteers said they felt proud to contribute, picked up new digital skills, and learned more about the UN’s work along the way. “There was a real sense of community,” reflected Ahmed Ben Lassoued. 

A Model for the Future

The real victory wasn't the campaign—it was proving that a small team can think big. What began as an experiment is now a model. Future UN80-style campaigns at UNIC Manama will rely on the same ingredients—clear direction, strong collaboration, and a growing network of digital volunteers ready to turn messages into movements. The concluding testimonial from Ahmed Ben Lassoued says it best:

“This campaign showed us that when volunteer involvement is well structured, it doesn’t create extra work, it actually multiplies results.”