What are the steps to create a powerful advocacy message?

1 Identify your goal

Before you start writing your message, you need to have a clear and specific goal in mind. What do you want to achieve with your advocacy? Who are you trying to influence and why? How will you measure your success? Having a goal will help you focus your message and tailor it to your target audience.

2 Research your issue

To create a credible and compelling message, you need to research your issue thoroughly. You need to understand the facts, the arguments, the stakeholders, and the context of your issue. You also need to anticipate and address any potential objections or counter-arguments that your audience may have. Researching your issue will help you build your case and support it with evidence.

3 Choose your medium

Depending on your goal and audience, you may choose different mediums to deliver your message. You may use written, verbal, visual, or digital formats, or a combination of them. For example, you may write a letter, a report, an op-ed, a blog post, or a social media post. You may also speak at a meeting, a rally, a podcast, or a video. You may use images, graphs, charts, or infographics to illustrate your points. Choose the medium that best suits your purpose, style, and resources.

4 Craft your message

Once you have chosen your medium, you need to craft your message in an engaging and attention-grabbing way. You should appeal to your audience's emotions and values, and call them to action. To organize your message, explain the problem, why it matters, and who is affected by it. Then, propose the solution, how it can be implemented, and who can benefit from it. Finally, ask your audience to take a specific action such as signing a petition, contacting a representative, donating money, or joining a campaign.

5 Test and refine your message

Before you launch your message, you need to test and refine it. You can do this by getting feedback from people who represent your target audience, such as your colleagues, clients, friends, or family. You can also use online tools, such as surveys, polls, or analytics, to measure the response and impact of your message. Based on the feedback and data, you can adjust your message to make it more effective and persuasive.

6 Share and follow up your message

Finally, you need to share and follow up your message. You need to distribute your message through the appropriate channels, such as email, social media, websites, newsletters, or media outlets. You also need to follow up with your audience and stakeholders, such as thanking them for their support, updating them on the progress, or inviting them to further actions. Sharing and following up your message will help you build relationships and sustain your advocacy.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?