Using Social Media for Digital Advocacy

What is digital advocacy?• Digital advocacy is the use of digital technology to contact, inform, and

mobilize a group of concerned people around an issue or cause.

• The purpose of digital advocacy is to galvanize supporters to take action.

• Common digital advocacy tools include:

Blogs Social networking Video sharing

Why should you use social media for digital advocacy?

Social media:•Costs little or nothing to set-up•Has a potentially wide reach•Allows you to share messages instantly •Offers new opportunities to listen, engage, and monitor your progress•The Social Media Revolution is a video that explores how social media is changing the world

When might you use social media?

• You can join and participate in social media networks at any time

• But when you post messages and other communications, be sure to consider who your audience is, and when they are most likely to be on social networking sites, to maximize the number of people who see your updates

• You might want to develop a content plan or editorial calendar of topics to post, which will include the timing of advocacy requests and key dates for desired outcomes.

– This will help ensure that your social media presence is consistent.

– Be sure to allow enough flexibility to react to current events.

• You’ll also want to integrate any online efforts with your offline efforts (printed materials, public relations, media outreach) to maximize success. Make sure you include social media reference points on printed materials, and promote content from printed materials online.

When might you use social media?

How do you use social media for digital advocacy?

1. Conduct a brief strategic reviewa. Clarify your goals and social media objectives

i. What kind of direct action are you trying to prompt?

b. Research and evaluate where your supporters are most likely to be online

c. Evaluate the time and resources available to you and your team to devote to social media

d. Determine how you will measure successi. Monitoring sites such as Google Analytics, Technorati, Hootsuite, etc.,

might be helpful

How do you use social media for digital advocacy? (continued)

2. Sign up for social media accounts

a. Select one central platform (most likely a website, blog, or Facebook Causes page)

b. Choose a combination of social media tools that will be most likely to help you communicate with and engage supporters

i. Facebook and Twitter are currently the two most used social networking sites, and a great place to start

ii. Easy-to-use websites include Weebly and Squarespace

iii. Some options for blogs are: Wordpress, Moveable Type, Typepad, and Blogger

c. Sign up for accounts and enter your profile information

3. Become familiar with the social media tools you have chosen

a. Learn the common terms and conventions of the tools you are using – “hashtags” on Twitter, tagging other users on Facebook, etc.

b. Listen and monitor activityc. Engage in conversationsd. Develop a voice that is authentic and engaginge. Request the action you are seeking in a clear and direct wayf. Build in metrics for evaluating progress and measuring

success

How do you use social media for digital advocacy? (continued)

4. Develop systems for managing your digital advocacy efforts

a. Develop a single content plan / calendar of topics to post, outlining timing of advocacy requests and desired outcomes

b. Integrate and streamline social media efforts to avoid duplicating your posts and overwhelming your supporters

c. Integrate online and offline efforts

How do you use social media for digital advocacy? (continued)

5. Monitor your efforts and adjust as neededa. Use the metrics you established earlier to measure your

progressb. Listen to your supportersc. Encourage and support your most active participantsd. Review other social media tools that could support your cause,

and if you have the resources, begin using them as welle. If you stop using a social media tool, take the content down or

redirect visitors to an area where there is active engagementf. Evaluate and revise strategies as necessary

How do you use social media for digital advocacy? (continued)