This is Step 4 in our 5-part Election Readiness Guide for advocacy organisations. Read Step 1: Strategy | Read Step 2: Build alignment and share power | Read Step 3: Connect grassroots, grasstops, and digital tools
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Digital tools have transformed how advocacy organisations work. Email lists, social media, online petitions, databases are all essential parts of modern campaigning.
But digital tools are only as effective as the human connection and strategic thinking behind them. The campaigns that actually shift hearts, minds, and votes don't rely on digital alone. They use it strategically to support and scale relational work.
In this step, we look at how to connect grassroots organising, grasstops lobbying, and digital tools in ways that deepen engagement rather than replace it.
Election Readiness Step 4:
Communicate constructively
Election periods can reward outrage and point-scoring, but effective advocacy is rarely built on short-term attention alone. To maintain access, broaden support, and influence decision-makers over time, your communication should be constructive, values-led, and focused on solutions — not personalities or party politics.
Constructive communication does not mean avoiding hard issues. It means clearly naming problems, focusing criticism on actions, policies, and impacts, and putting forward practical, credible solutions and a clear vision for change. This approach helps keep doors open with current and future governments, regardless of who wins the election.
Lead with shared values
Frame your messaging around the values that underpin your work — fairness, dignity, collective wellbeing — rather than focusing only on what your supporters might gain from a particular policy. Values-based communication is more likely to resonate across political lines and build common ground.
When you lead with values, you invite people to connect with the deeper "why" behind your campaign, not just the transactional "what's in it for me." This approach helps bridge divides and makes your message more persuasive to people who may not initially agree with you.
Common Cause is an excellent resource for understanding how values shape public attitudes and how to communicate in ways that activate shared values rather than divisive ones. Their research and practical tools can help you craft messages that resonate more broadly and build the common ground needed for lasting change.
Choose conversation over combat
Combative or “shouty” rhetoric may generate attention in the moment, but it often limits who will listen — including decision-makers, potential allies, and undecided members of the public. Choose language that invites engagement rather than shuts it down.
Lead with empathy and curiosity: you may not change someone's point of view, but you can deepen understanding and learn from their perspective. Research on deep canvassing — a relational organising approach focused on open-ended conversations and genuine listening — shows that this kind of engagement can actually shift attitudes on contentious issues, even when people start from very different positions. The key is creating space for people to reflect on their own experiences and values, rather than trying to win an argument.
Collaborate
Working with other organisations that share your goals signals that an issue is bigger than any one group. Collaboration can increase legitimacy, broaden reach, and make it harder for decision-makers to dismiss your concerns as partisan or niche. For a deep dive on building coalitions for change, start here.
Ready to dive deeper?
Download this step as a PDF, including reflection questions to help assess your organisation's strategic readiness for Election 2026.
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