How do you create online advocacy campaigns?

1 Define your goals

The first step in creating an online advocacy campaign is to define your goals. What are you trying to achieve? Who are you trying to influence? How will you measure your success? Your goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). For example, instead of saying "I want to stop climate change", you could say "I want to persuade 10 local businesses to commit to reducing their carbon emissions by 20% by the end of the year".

2 Know your audience

The next step is to know your audience. Who are the people you want to reach, inspire, and mobilize? What are their interests, values, and pain points? How do they use online platforms and channels? What are the best ways to communicate with them? You can use tools like surveys, interviews, social media analytics, and online forums to gather insights about your audience. You can also segment your audience into different groups based on their characteristics, behaviors, and needs.

3 Craft your message

The third step is to craft your message. What are the key points you want to convey to your audience? What are the benefits of joining your campaign? What are the risks of not taking action? How can you appeal to their emotions, logic, and values? Your message should be clear, concise, and compelling. It should also be consistent across all your online platforms and channels. You can use storytelling, testimonials, facts, and visuals to enhance your message.

4 Choose your tools

The fourth step is to choose your tools. What are the online platforms and channels you will use to deliver your message and engage your audience? You can use a combination of websites, blogs, social media, email, podcasts, videos, webinars, and more. Each tool has its own advantages and disadvantages, so you need to consider your goals, audience, message, and budget. You also need to integrate your tools and create a coherent online presence.

5 Plan your actions

The fifth step is to plan your actions. What are the specific activities you will do to implement your campaign? How will you distribute your message and reach your audience? How will you invite them to join your campaign and take action? How will you create a sense of urgency and momentum? You need to create a timeline and a calendar for your actions. You also need to assign roles and responsibilities to your team members and volunteers.

6 Evaluate your results

The last step is to evaluate your results. How will you track and measure your progress and impact? How will you collect and analyze data and feedback from your audience and stakeholders? How will you report and celebrate your achievements and challenges? How will you learn from your experience and improve your campaign? You need to use tools like Google Analytics, social media metrics, surveys, and testimonials to evaluate your results. You also need to thank and acknowledge your supporters and partners.

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?