Digital advocacy has transformed how modern advocacy campaigns are run. Today, most advocacy campaigns include an online component that includes a social media advocacy strategy. By doing so, these campaigns can extend their reach to tap into new audiences, strengthen their connections with supporters, and spread awareness about their cause to a greater degree than they could through traditional methods alone.
Of course, putting together a social media advocacy strategy requires knowledge of what platforms to use and how to leverage them for your campaign’s goals. Additionally, an effective social media advocacy campaign can become a serious time commitment, so your advocacy organization should be well prepared before launching one.
Understanding the advantages and challenges of each social media platform will help you better implement your outreach strategy. Consider your organization’s resources and the resources you have available to invest into your social media campaign. Then, you can select the approach that makes the most sense for your specific campaign.
Virtually every movement now relies heavily on digital tools. Websites, blogs, social media platforms, email marketing tools, and SMS are a few of the most popular digital advocacy methods. Literally, hundreds of social media applications exist that could be used for digital advocacy, but to get started, spend your time and resources where your supporters are most likely to be. Then integrate your efforts for better overall results.
Modern advocacy campaigns are being run differently as a result of digital campaigning. Nowadays, social media advocacy strategies are a common part of internet advocacy campaigns. These campaigns can increase their relationships with supporters, broaden their audience reach, and raise awareness of their cause more effectively this way than they could through only using conventional tactics.
- Naturally, developing a media advocacy strategy entails understanding which platforms to use and how to use them for the objectives of your campaign. Your advocacy organization should be well prepared before initiating a social media advocacy campaign because it might require a significant time commitment.
Here are a few strategies for successful campaigns
- Goal setting and Audience Mapping:
Outline your major objectives and your social media goals. The most crucial thing to keep in mind in the chaotic world of social media is to maintain focus on your advocacy aims – what are the actions and results you want to achieve? Avoid getting sucked into using every “bright new tool” or engaging in activities that undermine your objectives (directly or indirectly).
Find out where your fans are most likely to be online by doing some research. With digital advocacy, you should decide who is most likely to support your cause and reach out to them through their social media platforms, wherever they may be.
The SMART approach is also crucial to achieving set goals. Often, nonprofits set themselves up for failure by setting general and unrealistic goals which can be vague, with no sense of direction.
Be realistic about your ability to engage on any specific platform. Determine which platforms your target market is using most, and focus on those. Choose a central channel for online advocacy efforts, and use additional social efforts to point people toward your main channel. Determine how you will measure success at the start of the project. Begin by envisioning “the big picture” outcomes of how you’d like your social media efforts to turn out, then develop specific success metrics that will help you evaluate each platform you plan to use.
- Choose and Use Appropriate Media Channels:
Pick a single, dominant social media network. This is probably going to be your website, blog, or Facebook cause page. Create it if you don’t already have something similar. At first, it will serve as the focal point for your online advocacy efforts.
Then, decide which social media tool combination will help you connect with and engage your fans and potential supporters. To select what you can pursue with the resources you currently have, use the information from your study in step 1 as a guide.
When choosing your platforms, keep in mind who your audience is, then look for platforms they are probably already using and at what times. Not all communication channels are equally beneficial for advocacy. Platforms work better with some content kinds than others. For example, you can post in-depth articles about your efforts on Facebook and utilize Twitter to provide frequent progress updates.
Additionally, nonprofits must use collaboration and scheduling tools like Hootsuite, which enables simultaneous publishing across all channels. There are other programs that perform outstanding advocacy work and are well worth the expense for online activism.
Consider subscribing to a Google alert if you have trouble finding consistent content (like pertinent news articles) to share. The requirement to find pertinent news to distribute can be reduced by having headlines with pre-identified information sent to your inbox.
- Develop Content Strategy To Boost Relevance
Consider subscribing to a Google alert if you have trouble finding consistent content (like pertinent news articles) to share. The requirement to find pertinent news to distribute can be reduced by having headlines with pre-identified information sent to your inbox.
Create a single content strategy or editorial calendar of topics to post, which will include the scheduling of advocacy requests and crucial dates for desired outcomes, to remain on top of your social media objectives. You can always add to this “core” framework as time goes on. Give yourself adequate leeway to respond to newsworthy situations and popular societal issues.
- Design Engaging Visuals
When you combine your messages with engaging visuals you may make your campaign stand out online. In addition to immediately highlighting important aspects of your campaign, well-designed graphics and pictures that reflect your organization’s identity and convey your advocacy viewpoint will draw viewers who are skimming through numerous posts to your page.
Throughout your campaign, keep an eye out for chances to provide effective images. This could entail regularly shooting images or possibly employing a graphic designer. Is there a picture that potential advocates will connect with and use to “like,” “share,” or “retweet” your advocacy-related social media posts?
- Share Action Alerts:
There needs to be a call to action for your audience for every advocacy. Don’t just present information, narratives, or situation reports; go above and beyond by including a call to action.
By connecting your supporters with their legislators and even offering templates for emails, texts, tweets, or any other forms of contact your program supports, Action Alerts urge your supporters to take prompt action. Then, using these templates, your supporters may start writing their notes and telling their elected officials why they personally support your cause.
- Monitor and Analyze Your Results:
As you implement advocacy strategies, make sure you have a system in place for tracking and evaluating your social data. Thanks to tools like Facebook Insights and Twitter Metrics, the majority of social media platforms have their own analytics. The obvious tracking metrics are interactions like likes, shares, and comments. This demonstrates how involved your followers are with the stuff you publish. Focus on URL shares, clicks, and conversions if you want to improve website traffic. For this, Google Analytics is a fantastic tool. Track reactions from your supporters if you want to increase conversions. These will comprise reactions to calls to action like subscribing to your email, giving money, attending an event, or simply following your social media accounts.
Here’s a bonus tip, Social media evolves quickly, therefore it’s best to be proactive in handling your incoming results to increase the likelihood that your campaign will be successful. Engage with the readers of a piece that is getting a lot of comments and shares, then publish more content that is comparable to it to convert your online success into actual support.
This article was written by Corey Vaughn and published on Muster