Using Social Media

CPJ's Advocacy Toolkit / Table of Contents

CPJ’s Advocacy Toolkit

Advocacy Toolkit

Public Justice and Advocacy

Getting Started

Developing an Advocacy Strategy

Advocacy How To’s

Additional Resources

Social media is here to stay.

The use of social media in Canada today shows a powerful trend among the population. People of all ages are increasingly using social media daily.

In 2012, according to 6S Marketing:

80% of Canadians (27.4 million people) were connected to the Internet
64% of Canadians had a social network profile
79% of Canadians did not leave home without their mobile device

The value of social media as tool for advocacy should not be ignored in today’s context. However, traditional advocacy tactics are still important. Though ongoing debate about the effectiveness of social media for specific advocacy continues, using social media strategically could amplify advocacy efforts. We can use the power of social media for social good.

Social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs, etc.) can be used to:

Communicate with groups of people about a concern.
Mobilize those groups to take action.

When Using Social Media

(From The Dragonfly Effect)

Focus (single measurable goal)
Grab Attention (make people look)
Engage (personal stories, touch emotions, authenticity)
Take action (and empower others to take action)

Possible Advantages

Instantaneous communication:
communicate to wide range of citizens and politicians.
Innovation: engage people with creative educational tools.
Networking: encourage participation in advocacy activities and coordinate efforts.
Inexpensive: No set-up or membership fees

Possible Disadvantages

Less personal: social media can never replace a valuable face-to-face conversation.
Slacktivism (slacker + activism): Becoming too dependent on clicking “like” and “share” and not engaging in other advocacy activities.
Overload of information:
The instantaneous messaging may be too much for politicians and citizens to respond to.

Go Deeper: For more information and ideas on using social media in advocacy, check out The Dragonfly Effect by Jennifer Aaker & Andy Smith.

Choosing Social Media Tools

SOCIAL MEDIA TOOL	WHAT IS IT?	POTENTIAL OUTCOMES?
Facebook	Set up a Facebook page for your organization or campaign. Invite your networks to ‘like’ your page. Then they will see your posts on their own “newsfeed.” You can share news, stories, blog posts, videos, and pictures from events on the page. Tip: Keep posts short and conversational, and post about every other day.	Helps create better public awareness. Helps improve networking and capacity. Facebook groups, events, and pages can help others find information about your cause and join advocacy activities. Increases group capacity
Twitter	Users (both individuals and organizations) can create posts of 140 characters or less. You can also post links, images, and videos. Follow politicians, organizations, and media sources on Twitter to stay in the loop. “Retweet” others’ Twitter posts that will help educate people about your issue. Use relevant hashtags (Ex. #cdnpoli, #poverty, etc.) to engage in a conversation. Tweet directly to elected representatives with actions you want them to take.	Helps keep you informed and you can help educate others. Helps improve networking and capacity for political advocacy. Adds to public dialogue and puts pressure on elected representatives.
YouTube	Add videos to inspire change. Videos can be helpful campaigns tools. Organizations can use video to help others understand their work.	Helps educate and engage citizens.
Blog	A website where you post your own content. Posts can be as long as you want, though shorter (less than 500 words) is better for online engagement. Easy, efficient, and authentic way to circulate the message. You can also do longer posts and explain your ideas and concerns. You can include your personal perspective on an issue. Organize your blog posts into separate groups of posts about different issues.	If your blog is widely circulated, you could gain the attention of people in positions of influence. Your blog can help educate and inspire others. Tips Keep blogs concise and focused on one or two specific issues. Share stories and use an engaging writing style If you are writing about a particular group, try to include the voices of these individuals in your blog.

Keep in Mind: Link Your Tools!
Facebook is one of the most popular social media sites. Link any Twitter, YouTube, and blog posts to your Facebook page.

Go Deeper: Start Blogging.
There are many different blogging websites. Here are two to help you get started:
blogger.com
wordpress.com

Go Deeper: Social Media Terms.
For definitions of social media terms, visit Constant Contact.

Go Deeper: Resource for Organizations.
For organizations and groups, social media can be an effective tool for networking, communications, and seeking feedback from members. Visit Nonprofit Tech for Good at nptechforgood.com for helpful ideas on how to best use social media.

Keep in Mind: Other Social Media Tools. There are many other social media tools that can be used for education and advocacy. Here are some others you could include in your strategy:

Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn,
and Google+.

Share this page

Posted in

Uncategorized

Take Action