In July we held our first ‘Lunch and Learn’ event with a session hosted by For Purpose Director, Kristin Gillies and NZEI Te Riu Roa Online to Offline Organiser, Chennoah Walford.
Between the two of them Kristin and Chennoah have stacks of campaigning experience. They’ve seen what works, and what doesn’t. In this session they shared five key insights into what makes for an effective advocacy campaign.
1. Meet People Where They Are
Campaigning today means understanding that people are online more than ever, but they’re scattered across different platforms. We’ve learned the importance of tailoring our approach—like using SMS to engage younger audiences who may not respond to traditional calls. Get to know your audiences, how to reach them and how to understand what content and messaging is working.
Resources
We love this visualisation of Aotearoa social media platform data produced by Social Good, which show rapidly social platforms and audience behaviour changes (based on the Digital 2024 report from Datareportal).
2. Strategy Before Tactics
A successful campaign is built on a solid strategy, not just a series of tactics. Defining clear goals and understanding power dynamics are crucial before choosing actions like petitions or rallies. In social change or advocacy campaigns your strategy needs to include analysis of power and capacity. Build your strategy around knowledge of who you need to influence, how you can do that and what resources you need to carry out your plan.
Resources
Some of the tools frequently used to analyse power in order to build a solid strategy include:
3. Planning is Crucial
Every goal needs a clear plan. We've seen the importance of structured pathways for supporters, from initial contact to leadership roles, ensuring that each step builds momentum.
Each goal needs its own plan/journey with steps. For example:
Leads journey
→ Build a contact list for your campaign.
Onboarding journey
→ Connect with people and determine their key issues and involvement interests to segment them after they sign up.
Volunteer or donor journey
→ Encourage your supporters to take action.
Leadership journey
→ Escalate the level of actions you are asking volunteers or donors to take (don’t forget training).
4. Measure Everything
Tracking progress is essential. Whether it's the number of people engaged or leaders identified, we've learned that measuring each step ensures we stay on course and make necessary adjustments.
5. Online Campaigning is Still Campaigning
The principles of campaigning apply online just as they do offline. We've learned that a methodical approach—starting with a stocktake and setting clear goals—remains key, even in the digital space.
Dive into more insights like these and hone your advocacy and campaigning skills through hands-on learning in a safe and supportive environment - explore our trainings.
