Building an online advocacy campaign. Social Media 1 - Introduction to Social Media Building an online advocacy campaign

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1 Building an online advocacy campaign Page No. 1 / 32 Social Media 1 - Introduction to Social Media Building an online advocacy campaign

2 In this resource, we will show how social media can be used to advocate for social change, through a case study of the UNHCR s online advocacy work. Page No. 2 / 32 Social Media 1 - Introduction to Social Media Building an online advocacy campaign

3 What is advocacy? Advocacy is any action that speaks in favor of, recommends, or argues for a cause, or that supports, defends, or pleads on behalf of others. Advocacy means actively supporting a cause and trying to get others to support it as well. It is an effective tool to change practices and policies. Who can be an advocate? Anyone who cares about the cause can be an advocate, as can anyone who was mobilized by a campaign. SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE WE ARE TRYING TO CHANGE THE WORLD The main goal of any advocacy campaign is to raise awareness about its cause. Following that a campaign will ask people to contribute: to donate, volunteer, or spread the word, etc. Advocates use their voices to share ideas, persuade people to believe in an issue, and join them in creating change. Advocates are the first candidates to be volunteers. Page No. 3 / 32 Social Media 1 - Introduction to Social Media Building an online advocacy campaign

4 Examples of advocacy campaigns Advocacy takes many forms. It can be about raising awareness about an issue (like education for girls), or mobilizing people around a cause (such as fighting domestic violence). Other examples of advocacy include: defending same sex marriage and asking officials to speak for it, encouraging people to vote in places where they might boycott elections, asking for donations to rebuild a city, asking for the release of prisoners, and proposing changes to national policies affecting a particular group of people. Water For People thanked people on their Facebook page after a fundraising campaign to provide clean water. Page No. 4 / 32 Social Media 1 - Introduction to Social Media Building an online advocacy campaign

5 Examples of advocacy campaigns Live Below the Line is an annual anti-poverty campaign, which challenges participants to feed themselves on the equivalent of an extreme poverty line income for five days. The goal of Live Below the Line is to raise awareness by enabling participants to gain a small insight into some of the hardships faced by those that live in extreme poverty. Live Below the Line also raises money for poverty reduction projects across the globe. Page No. 5 / 32 Social Media 1 - Introduction to Social Media Building an online advocacy campaign

6 Examples of advocacy campaigns This picture taken by Swedish fashion photographer Carl Stolz, is a part of an awareness and fundraising campaign by the Dutch charity organization Cordaid, Mensen in Nood (People in Need) where people in need are posing with the typical attributes of consumer culture. Here, the price of a handbag ( 32) is compared with the price of a whole week of food ( 4). Page No. 6 / 32 Social Media 1 - Introduction to Social Media Building an online advocacy campaign

7 The pillars of an advocacy campaign 1. Decide on the fundamental elements of your campaign You need to decide on your campaign s core before you begin: the goal, the target audience, and the social networks that your audience prefers. The goal of UNICEF s campaign against polio was both to raise awareness about the importance of vaccination against a particular disease and to raise funds for their vaccination effort. This explicit call-to-action prompts users to donate money in addition to liking the campaign s post on Facebook. Page No. 7 / 32 Social Media 1 - Introduction to Social Media Building an online advocacy campaign

8 2. Shed the light on the validity of your cause by using multiple types of content In order to convince people of the validity of your cause and persuade them to advocate for it, you need to share content that answers the question: why is your cause right? This can be figures, facts, personal stories, news, slogans, etc. As already stated, there is no recipe for the most engaging type of content. You have to experiment with content to see what works best, and the best time of day to post your content. 3. Ask for help Advocacy is about convincing people why your cause is right and then asking for their help. You need to be direct and ask your followers to be your advocates by promoting your campaign. Beyond retweeting and sharing your posts, ask them to share their own ideas, opinions and testimonials via different formats: videos, blog posts, or pictures, etc. This will expose your campaign to more people. 4. Include your call to action Every advocacy campaign has a specific call to action: donating, voting, volunteering, signing a petition, and so on. Include your call to action in your posts, and be clear on how your audience can help. Page No. 8 / 32 Social Media 1 - Introduction to Social Media Building an online advocacy campaign

9 5. Try different tones for your posts Examples of tones: Some organisations stick to one voice for their advocacy campaign, in line with their goal, their reputation and their target audience. Their posts can always be formal and informative, or funny and direct. As you start out, you can try different tones to your posts while keeping in mind that you have a reputation to maintain, a goal to achieve, and an audience to target. Humorous: Why buy the cow when you get mama s milk for free is a slogan for breastfeeding advocacy Reasonable: Do you know that your change can make a change? is a slogan used in fundraising campaigns Ambiguous: What a quid got to do with ending poverty? is used by Live Below the Line Blunt: Volunteer! Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can Challenging: Can you spare some time to make a difference? Page No. 9 / 32 Social Media 1 - Introduction to Social Media Building an online advocacy campaign

10 6. Engage The main element of any advocacy campaign is interaction. You can be active in the conversation started by your campaign by answering questions, and by sharing or retweeting your followers posts. Initiate conversation yourself by asking questions or soliciting opinions. You can use contests to encourage people to participate, expanding the conversation and the reach of your campaign as a result. An example of a competition as a part of an advocacy campaign from Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs Page No. 10 / 32 Social Media 1 - Introduction to Social Media Building an online advocacy campaign

11 7. Post updates about your progress When your campaign starts to gain momentum, you need to share updates, and/or testimonials (from beneficiaries or volunteers), to keep your followers aware of what you achieve. They have the right to know; they also can be motivated to ask others to join in. 8. Show people why their contribution matters Describe or show your audience what their endorsement means on the ground. You can explain what you hope to achieve, or you can post testimonials from people who benefited from your campaign. Producing and sharing a short video is a great way to show the impact of your campaign on people s lives. An update from the WHO about the Global Tuberculosis response in This is a way to tell your followers that their contribution can make a difference. Page No. 11 / 32 Social Media 1 - Introduction to Social Media Building an online advocacy campaign

12 UNHCR #withrefugees as a case study UNHCR is one of the most active and popular UN organisations on social media, and they are using social networks in a very clever way to mobilize people to stand with refugees. One of their ongoing campaigns is #WithRefugees petition launched in June 2016 to send a message to governments that they must work together and do their fair share for refugees and to show that the world stands #WithRefugees This is the cover photo of UNHCR on Facebook, which is also the main picture of the campaign. The petition asks governments to: Ensure every refugee child gets access to education. Ensure every refugee family has somewhere safe to live. Ensure every refugee can work or learn new skills to make a positive contribution to their community. Page No. 12 / 32 Social Media 1 - Introduction to Social Media Building an online advocacy campaign

13 A. The Goal The goal was to deliver #WithRefugees petition to UN headquarters in New York ahead of a landmark international summit on refugees and migrants, on 16 September That first goal was achieved, and the petition was delivered with over one million signatures. The ultimate goal is to continue the campaign until a global compact for refugees is signed in Indeed, the campaign is still gaining momentum: individuals, organizations, public figures, and celebrities from around the world are endorsing the campaign and spreading the word each in their own way. UNHCR is still sharing content about refugees, about people who are standing with this cause (individuals, volunteers, personalities, organisations) and is still calling on people to sign the petition. In the next slides, we will examine the content that was shared, the format used, the tools, the language, the people that endorsed the campaign, examples of engaging content, and everything that is contributing to the campaign s growth. Page No. 13 / 32 Social Media 1 - Introduction to Social Media Building an online advocacy campaign

14 B. Content types UNHCR used several types of content to ask people to sign the petition like: Videos of people asking others to sign the petition: The petition was launched on 14 June 2016 in a video message where more than 60 global celebrities joined with refugees and aid workers to echo the message, we stand with refugees, please stand with us. View the full video here. Page No. 14 / 32 Social Media 1 - Introduction to Social Media Building an online advocacy campaign

15 Another stunning video was released on 12 September of celebrities reading the poem What They Took With Them written by Jenifer Toksvig. This poem was inspired by stories and first-hand testimonies from refugees forced to flee their homes and items they took with them. The actress Cate Blanchett (UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador) reads the poem alongside fellow actors Keira Knightley, Juliet Stevenson, Peter Capaldi, Stanley Tucci, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kit Harington, Douglas Booth, Jesse Eisenberg, and Neil Gaiman. Notice the language used to share the video, in this pinned tweet from UNHCR twitter account. Watch the full video here: Page No. 15 / 32 Social Media 1 - Introduction to Social Media Building an online advocacy campaign

16 Further examples of content Using a new photo to share the petition Updating the campaign, sharing the same video Page No. 16 / 32 Social Media 1 - Introduction to Social Media Building an online advocacy campaign

17 Celebrity endorsement In addition to the UNHCR s own video, other individuals and celebrities expressed their support and asked people to sign the petition. The Facebook page for the band U2 shared this photo with text stating their support and asking people to sign the petition as well. Page No. 17 / 32 Social Media 1 - Introduction to Social Media Building an online advocacy campaign

18 Thanking people who are endorsing the campaign The UNHCR campaign acknowledged and shared other highprofile endorsements. For example, a video of the Pope speaking of refugee rights was shared by the UNHCR on Facebook. They also commented on a live broadcast of an Obama speech thanking him for standing with refugees. Page No. 18 / 32 Social Media 1 - Introduction to Social Media Building an online advocacy campaign

19 Updates UNHCR social media accounts regularly share content about the progress of the campaign; for example, when the signatures exceeded 1 million and the petition was being delivered. The organization also used the Live option in Facebook to share that moment with its followers both to update them and to share an inspiring event. Page No. 19 / 32 Social Media 1 - Introduction to Social Media Building an online advocacy campaign

20 Interaction UNHCR regularly interacts with its followers on social media. They reply to comments, help people facing difficulties on their pages, and use comment threads to remind users of their campaign goals (for example, to sign the petition). Page No. 20 / 32 Social Media 1 - Introduction to Social Media Building an online advocacy campaign

21 C. Content types Pictures Pictures can combine a call-to-action with an inspiring story. For example, the UNHCR featured a photo of Yusra Mardini, the Syrian swimmer who was a member of the Refugee Olympic Athletes Team and who swam in the Aegean sea to help push a refugee boat to safety. Yusra s story is prominent enough to allow her feature in the picture alone without any explanatory text. Page No. 21 / 32 Social Media 1 - Introduction to Social Media Building an online advocacy campaign

22 Link + headline UNHCR website is full of stories about refugees that can be used to help promote the campaign. Photos, text, and links from the website combine with a clear headline and a call to action form the basis of this campaign. Page No. 22 / 32 Social Media 1 - Introduction to Social Media Building an online advocacy campaign

23 Videos & Infographics As already stated, the petition was launched with a video of celebrities. The UNHCR uses this content format regularly to tell refugees stories, to solicit more signatures for the petition, but also to share condensed pieces of data as in this tweet. Page No. 23 / 32 Social Media 1 - Introduction to Social Media Building an online advocacy campaign

24 Live (Facebook) UNHCR uses the Live feature on Facebook to promote its campaign, and holds live discussions between their followers and guests such as its goodwill ambassador Cate Blanchett and her fellow actor Chris Hemsworth. The organisation used the feature also to cover its #WithRefugees Facebook Live World Tour. Page No. 24 / 32 Social Media 1 - Introduction to Social Media Building an online advocacy campaign

25 D. Supporting content Testimonials of volunteers or stories about them UNHCR continues to share content that does not link back to their petition, such as testimonials of volunteers or stories about refugees. One of them is a 71-yearold Sudanese man named Alnur who has lived in an Ethiopian refugee camp since 2011, and who has started a small school for fellow refugees. This post links to the UNHCR website. Page No. 25 / 32 Social Media 1 - Introduction to Social Media Building an online advocacy campaign

26 Inspiring stories of refugees Esther is a South Sudanese refugee who lives in Kakuma refugee camp and who is a top student at the camp s only high school for girls. UNHCR shared her story in a video, accompanied by text that directs readers to the longer version of the story - complete with photos - on its website. Page No. 26 / 32 Social Media 1 - Introduction to Social Media Building an online advocacy campaign

27 Viral stories about people offering help for refugees UNHCR shared the story of an American 6-year-old boy who wrote to US President Barack Obama, offering a home to the Syrian boy Omran who was pulled alive from the rubble and was pictured sitting in an ambulance dazed and covered in blood. By sharing content posted by another user, the UNHCR demonstrates it is part of the Facebook community. Page No. 27 / 32 Social Media 1 - Introduction to Social Media Building an online advocacy campaign

28 Asking people to share their experiences with refugees The UNHCR partnered with the Guardian newspaper to publish testimonials of people helping refugees. They announced this joint effort in a post that asked Facebook users to share their stories of working with refugees. As with other posts, this includes a link to the UNHCR website, and a short video promoting the initiative. Page No. 28 / 32 Social Media 1 - Introduction to Social Media Building an online advocacy campaign

29 Insights UNHCR #withrefugees campaign used several types of content that help promote itself. Videos and photos were the most used formats and they turned to be the most engaging. Posts that were not personal stories also prompted engagement. Some of the engaging content was re-shared many times and is still gaining attention. Personal success stories and figures were the most shared types of content and also the most engaging. Page No. 29 / 32 Social Media 1 - Introduction to Social Media Building an online advocacy campaign

30 Insights Most of the videos shared by UNHCR were produced by the organization: they are videos of testimonials, of personal stories, of celebrities asking for support, figures, and updates. There wasn t a discernable pattern on Facebook concerning the time of publishing content, while on Twitter they publish or retweet every hour and sometimes twice per hour. The campaign used the Live feature heavily on Facebook and it proved to be a very engaging tool. It was used for live coverage of events related directly to the campaign, or for live discussions also related to the campaign. The campaign used mainly Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, to promote itself. Facebook was more engaging. Page No. 30 / 32 Social Media 1 - Introduction to Social Media Building an online advocacy campaign

31 Conclusions Advocacy means actively supporting a cause and trying to get others to support it as well. So you need to: Decide on the fundamental elements of your campaign Try to convince people of the validity of your cause Ask your followers to be your advocates Interact with your followers Post updates about your progress Show people why their contribution matters Ask for help Page No. 31 / 32 Social Media 1 - Introduction to Social Media Building an online advocacy campaign

32 Thank you for taking this online course, in the next section you can test your knowledge with an evaluation based on the topics we have explored. Page No. 32 / 32 Social Media 1 - Introduction to Social Media Building an online advocacy campaign