Digital Advocacy is the use of certain technological tools like the internet to implore people towards a cause. It requires influencing the public’s opinion towards a cause and increasing participation and support. It is a conscious and organized effort to make a positive change.
A good digital advocacy strategy involves convincing the public for support by targeting to reach the right audience. It assists in policy reform to push change and make the world a better place.
At the core of digital advocacy lies social media, with enough power to seek change if utilized right. In recent years we have seen the public exercise the power of social media to shine light and spark interest in conversations that would normally not receive enough attention. This has succeeded in helping people and saving lives.
Types of digital advocacy
- Petitions
A petition is a formal request for action that is written to a government authority or a public office holder. Organizations seek to gain signatures from individuals in order to push forward a motion.
- Online Auction
Most of the time, auctions aim to raise money for a particular cause. As an organization, you can raise money online through virtual auctions.
- Crowd funding
This is a form of fundraising that aims to receive small amounts of money from a large number of people to fund a project.
- Peer to Peer Fundraising
This takes advantage of the individual network, in order to raise money.
Most of the time, it involves volunteers or supporters reaching out to their immediate networks and convincing them to make a donation.
The role of social media in digital advocacy
Public opinion has been a great deciding factor in the things we do as individuals, from reading reviews of products before purchasing to the trends we follow.
This goes to show how much the world cares about other individuals, so also the opinions of digital users.
There have been cases of injustice where the pressures of the media, pulled favors for the wrongly accused. This has to be one of the greatest shows of power that social media has, which is the power of public opinion.
One reason why its popularity has grown is because of its features. It’s easy to use and information can be shared with a click of a button, unlike print media where a considerable amount of work has to be done in other to publish information. It also possesses the ability to reach millions of people around the world thus expanding the network at no cost.
Many organizations use social media in 100% of their campaign action; from recruiting volunteers to sourcing form funds. Every charity should consider their goals and how they plan to utilize social media to achieve that goal. For example, an organization seeking funds might have to be more strategic with social media than one that is merely looking to recruit volunteers.
Every advocacy campaign should be taking advantage of social media, knowing how best to use it will allow for more implosive results. There are a few basic strategies that can help you get started.
- Choose the right platform
Some social media platforms are better suited for certain operations, so ensure you pick the right ones that will make you achieve your goals. For example, e-mails are best for direct mail campaigns and platforms like Twitter and Facebook are best for crowdfunding efforts and will achieve the most results.
- Create exciting contents
People want to see your organization within its working abilities; this includes what you do, what drives your organization, and what type of cause you are committed to. Allow the public to follow you on your journey of growth and share your inspiring stories.
- Follow up
It is extremely important to follow up on your campaign, so ensure you are monitoring it.
This way you can learn what works and improve your strategies.
Additionally, ensure you are engaging with people, it is as simple as replying to comments.
- Take action
Encourage people to start a movement and fight for what they believe in but note that people will not support a movement that is not properly rooted, so you and your volunteers need to apply the pressure so they can see how serious and committed you are.
Tools for digital advocacy
There are a few things that can help improve the success of your campaign although it is not mandatory to have a few of these, they can be helpful.
- Blog
It is a great idea for an organization to establish a domicile on a website. This helps for recognition and information search.
You don’t need to pay a lot of money for a website as there are custom, drag and drop websites for you to get started with.
A few good ones are WordPress, Squarespace, blogger etc.
- Social media platforms
It is impossible to run a social media campaign without social media. There are so many platforms to choose from, a few of the popular ones are Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and recently TikTok.
As previously established, these are not mandatory requirements, but combined with a good strategy will prove useful for your advocacy campaigns
Examples of successful digital advocacy
This is a social movement against sexual abuse and harassment where people publicize allegations of sex crimes. The movement was created to make survivors of sexual violence feel loved and accepted, that way they don’t feel alone.
Stand to end rape or STER is a youth-led social enterprise that advocates against gender-based violence or sexual violence and provides preventive mechanisms and support to survivors especially those that are unable to speak for themselves all in the bid to combat it.
Digital advocacy has numerous pros but also has its cons such as not reaching its desired audience and having way too many competitors but as long as you are genuine in your quest for good then it will be alright.
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