2nd Annual Social Media Day in Tunisia a Resounding Success

Members of the Tunisian blogosphere, prominent Facebook figures, and social media aficionados gathered at Le Plug in the northern Tunis suburb of La Marsa yesterday to celebrate the second annual celebration of International Social Media Day in Tunisia.

The event, which was part of a worldwide social media celebration organized by Mashable, was meant to gather bloggers, Tweeters, and Facebook users in order to provide them with the opportunity to discuss and connect with like-minded Tunisians.

What started out as a meeting of about thirty people in Barista Cafe last year transformed into an event attended by more than sixty people,  made popular through social media discussions and word of mouth.

This year, event organizers received sponsorship from Tunivisions. According to Nizar Chaari of Tunivisions, “This is an annual event. Our aim is to share, create buzz, and be in the heart of the conversation about social media. We are interested in all forms of social media. This event is meant just to connect, and to know what other people are doing. Social media can be used for fun, business, and to share information.”

The highlight of the second-annual Tunisian celebration of social media this year was an online competition meant to promote responsible use of social media. Awards were given for the Best Use of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Foursquare. In addition, there was prize for King (or Queen) of Social Media. The criteria for each category was based on content, number of followers, quality and quantity of posts, and number of “likes.”

The competition was a new event for this year, and was meant to “reward people for using social media for good,” according to Abdelkarim Benabdallah, one of the founders and organizers of this event.

Another organizer of the event, Bahia Nar, a digital consultant, was excited to see the publicity, support, and attention the initiative received, and is looking forward to developing the program in the future. After hosting last year’s event, she sought to make a “fun event to connect with others.”

As the event grows and Tunisians are receptive to such gatherings, the organizers hope to expand and to reach out to the southern regions of Tunisia.

“Maybe next year we will have people all around Tunisia involved with this effort, with a Livestream. We have started discussing next year’s event, and we want it to be even bigger,” Nar added.

Marouan Rejeb, a student of engineering who was involved in the event’s planning, was happy with the turnout and excited to challenge the perceptions that people have of those involved with social media. “We [social media activists] are not a minority. We are active, we are everywhere, and we reach across society.”

Not everyone in attendance was a prominent blogger. Instead, other Tunisians showed up to receive advice about how to use social media in a more meaningful way.

According to Nader Mechergua, a telecommunications engineer, the event is particularly important due to the shifting role of social media since the revolution. “Facebook used to be fun, but now people just speak about politics. It is not [just] a fun thing anymore. This event is meant to change the future of social networking,” he explained. Fittingly, Mechergua heard about the event through Facebook and Twitter chatter.

In the aftermath of the Tunisian revolution, social media has taken on a deeper meaning in Tunisia. It has served as a source of news, a means of debate, and a way to enable various elements throughout the country to have conversations about the future of Tunisia during its transitional period.

As Tunisians become even more interconnected and linked to the web, events like yesterday’s take greater prominence. Benabdallah was proud of the event and impressed by the level of conversation. “The goal for this event was to gather with friends and meet new people. It wass to share, and to promote good use of social networks. This event was a success because of the amount of people [in attendance], support, and fun.”