Social Media Strategy for Advocacy

e.shor

Guest Blogger

Reporting from Netroots Nation in Providence, RI

Beth Becker and Alan Rosenblatt blasted us through an awesome session on Social Media Strategy and Advocacy yesterday eve. The room was packed and they packed in some of the nitty gritty about how to actually use social media for advocacy in an organization.

Here are some tips:

• Use the Pyramid of Social Media Strategy when conceptualizing any social media campaign (reconstructed below for your viewing delights).
  • Targeted engagement: WHO are you trying to reach…there are too many people in the social media world to reach them all!
  • Authenticity: you should be able to relate with your audience…post things in your social media that are honest and real
  • Integration within the whole organization: YOU cannot do this alone…to launch a good and successful social media campaign your whole org must be on board with the same messaging and plan and actively participating!
  • Quality content: This is in the center for a reason…make it worth your reader’s time…make them want to be SOCIAL with your media and get involved with YOU.

• Anatomy of a Tweet:
  • Include other tweeters in your post by using the @ symbol (example @SHIFTMinnesota). This is a good way to include people and to call people out or call them to action!
  • The # hastag is a way to create a conversation around a certain topic (example #nn12 is the hashtag for Netroots Nation, you can search it on twitter and see ALL the posts about the conference)! Hashtags are tool you can use to create a Twitter Townhall which is a forum for exploring a certain issue and has been used to gauge support, opposition and engagement in campaigns.
  • The LINK: you can link pictures, webpages, or anything really using Twitter…just paste your tiny URL right in there to redirect to a call to action!

• Anatomy of a Facebook Post
  • There are THREE main things to keep in mind when posting on Facebook for your campaigns:
    • Lead Sentence: make it short and memorable
    • Image: FB is all about seeing things, draw people in with a palpable image
    • Call to Action: give people a way to follow up and to ENGAGE

Phew! So much to cover! One more quick thing that Beth said that…if you don’t have Pinterest, GET IT! Pinterest is a virtual push-pin board by subject that you share with your friends where you can post pictures, recipes, and other awesome stuff. Beth demoed a Pinterest Auction and a Pintition (get it? petition!).

Let me know if you have questions,

e.shor