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Microfinance platforms have popularized the idea that ordinary people can become bankers to the poor. Communities of lenders get together every day to crowdfund microloans to disadvantaged micro-entrepreneurs by investing small sums of around only 25 dollars.
A new study digs into the universe of these microloan platforms to investigate how they manage to attract investors and perpetuate their enthusiasm for responding to social problems such as poverty.
Firstly, the platforms assemble resources that function as an "apparatus of affirmation"—providing first-hand evidence of impact that help consumers imagine the benefits of their actions, thereby creating a sense of empowerment.
Secondly, the platforms translate complex and distant social problems, such as poverty, into personal encounters between lenders and borrowers—creating a sense of connection and familiarity via photographs, stories and loan updates. This set of techniques is theorized as the "apparatus of relatability."Supplementing the power of ideas and knowledge with personal stories that inspire hope and aspiration, affinity and connection are powerful techniques that could be useful in inspiring consumers to more actively participate in efforts to tackle social and environmental problems, such as climate change."
Through storytelling, imagery, platform design and communication, the researchers note that online microlending platforms nurture a feeling that genuine change is possible through affordable actions. They also develop a sense of affinity and empathy among potential investors with aspiring micro-entrepreneurs, particularly those from Low-and Middle-income Countries (LMIC).