Using Social Media Copy
Using Social Media can prove immensely beneficial for advocacy tactics. While the real protest takes place in the streets, populating and creating digital traffic in the digital world can be just as important. It can ensure the safety of participants, allow for better real-time coordination of efforts, and expand the conversation.
Sometimes a protest is taking place and people might not fully know why it is happening, or what the demands are in the context of the struggle. Social media can provide content for all of this that can support the effort for systemic change. Here are some suggestions on how to use social media for your advocacy tactics:
Advocacy Strategy for Digital Campaigns
Category | Strategy | Tools/Platforms |
|---|---|---|
Organization and Mobilization | – Create private event pages with details about location, time, goals – Develop and use unique hashtags – Reach wider audiences through targeted ads and influencer partnerships | Instant Messaging, Discord, Mastodon, |
Communication and Coordination | – Offer testimonials to contextualise the protests, DO NOT record the protesters, or make sure to blur their faces – Disseminate safety guidelines and legal information – Create secure communication channels for organizers | WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, SecureDrop, Element (Matrix) |
Awareness and Education | – Share educational infographics and videos – Encourage the sharing of personal stories | Instagram, TikTok, PeerTube, Mastodon |
Amplification | – Broadcast the event after it happened and with keeping participant’s safety as a priority – Make sure the CTA of the protest and movement are clear | Facebook Live, YouTube, Twitch |
Solidarity | – Create and share profile badges/frames – Initiate social media challenges and tagging campaigns | All platforms, GIMP for design |
Fundraising | – Organize donation drives online – Sell cause-related merchandise and promote on social media | GoFundMe, Patreon, Liberapay |
Post-Event Engagement | – Share a debrief outlining the outcomes and next steps – Maintain momentum through continued dialogue and media coverage | Medium, WordPress |
Advocacy and Policy Change | – Circulate petitions and calls to action for policy influence | Change.org, CivicCRM |
Networking and Community Building | – Build networks for support and assistance | Discord, Element (Matrix) |
Tools for face blurring and metadata scrubbing
Obscura Cam (Android)
Anonymus Camera (IOS)
Photo Blurring + Metadata Scrubbing (Signal)