Social media is powerful advocacy tool because it allows you to connect with others who might have shared experiences, or to raise public awareness about the issue. It’s also a way to contact decision-makers because they often have a social media presence. If you don’t have a way to contact a decision-maker privately, reaching them in a more public way can be tempting. However, effective advocates consider when is it most effective to use social media and the best way to do it.
When social media is effective
Like any tool, there are situations when social media will be helpful to your advocacy efforts, and times when it may not be the right choice. Here’s a breakdown of what to consider before using social media.
- If your goal is to raise awareness about an issue or find allies…
- Try connecting with others who have shared interests is an excellent use of social media for advocacy.
- Find popular hashtags that relate to your issue so others can more easily find your content.
- If you want to speak with a specific decision-maker about an issue and you have their direct contact information or an existing relationship…
- In this case, social media probably isn’t the best option.
- Reach out to the decision-maker directly and privately via email or phone.
- If you want to speak with a specific decision-maker about an issue, but either don’t know who the right person to contact is, or don’t have their contact information…
- In this case, try sending a private message or direct message on social media, asking for an email address to send correspondence.
- If you want to update your community on progress in your advocacy…
- This is a great use of social media to stay connected to your community and share wins.
- You can thank a decision-maker publicly if they have taken a positive action.
- If you’re having ongoing discussions with the decision-maker, or it’s about a sensitive matter, you probably want to avoid using social media at this point.
- If you’re not seeing any progress in your advocacy with a decision-maker or a decision-maker is ignoring you…
- Try to avoid using social media to publicly shame a decision-maker. This should never be your first step, otherwise they are unlikely to want to engage with you.
- In certain situations, where you feel you have exhausted all other options, you can consider using social media to express your disappointment in a decision-maker. Sometimes, public exposure can get their attention if they have a lot of competing priorities.
- Make sure you keep your tone respectful and collaborative to get you the result you want.
