Presented September 25, 2012 as part of the #TABridge webinar series. Learn more at http://tech.transparency-initiative.org

1. To#learn#more#about##TABridge,#the#Transparency#and#Accountability#Ini:a:ve#and#
this#presenta:on,#see:#
#
h=p://tech.transparency@ini:a:ve.org/successful@communica:ons@and@advocacy/#

3. What#are#you#trying#to#accomplish,#not#just#in#your#communica:ons#or#online#work,#
but#in#your#overall#mission?#This#should#drive#your#online#and#offline#outreach.#

5. How#will#the#world#be#different#if#your#mission#and#your#overall#strategy#succeed?#
This#will#guide#your#outreach#choices#and#the#channels#you#choose#to#reach#your#
audience(s).#

7. Who#is#your#audience?#

8. Who#is#your#audience?#

9. Who#is#your#audience?#

11. What#tone#is#best#suited#to#your#audience?#Different#audiences#are#most#comfortable#
with#different#styles#of#communica:ng.#

12. What#tone#is#best#suited#to#your#audience?#Different#audiences#are#most#comfortable#
with#different#styles#of#communica:ng.#

13. Some#audiences#need#a#more#detailed,#academic,#formal#informa:on#presenta:on.#

14. Some#audiences#need#a#more#detailed,#academic,#formal#informa:on#presenta:on.#
Some#prefer#greater#simplicity.#

16. For#each#audience#you#seek#to#persuade,#consider#the#best#message#and#emphasis.#
Different#messages#require#different#tools#of#delivery.#

18. No#ma=er#what#your#message,#it#can#and#should#be#told#in#a#story.#Preferably,#a#story#
that’s#about#not#just#an#issue#or#an#idea#…#

19. …#but#about#people,#and#how#the#issue#affects#those#people’s#lives.#

20. Some:mes,#informa:on#is#most#persuasive.#In#this#example#from#YourBudgIT.com,#
details#of#Nigeria’s#na:onal#budget#are#presented#as#simple#but#informa:on@rich#
charts.#

21. Some:mes#a#picture#is#worth#1,000#words.#This#picture#shows#the#effects#of#
mountaintop#removal,#a#mining#process#with#serious#environmental#costs.#

22. No#ma=er#what#sort#of#story#you#tell#…#

23. …#it#means#more#if#the#story#has#a#hero.#The#hero#can#be#a#person,#a#group,#an#
organiza:on#or#a#whole#country.#

25. Some#people#receive#and#share#informa:on#through#their#phones.#

26. Some#people#prefer#newspapers#and#more#tradi:onal#media#sources.#

27. Some#messages#move#most#efficiently#person#to#person#and#face#to#face.#

28. Some#people,#especially#leaders#and#decision@makers,#are#best#persuaded#in#one@on@
one#conversa:ons#with#someone#they#trust.#
#
This#doesn’t#mean#technology#is#not#vital#to#convincing#leaders#to#make#changes.#The#
key#fact,#or#figure,#or#story#that#persuades#a#decision@maker#may#come#from#a#digital#
source—like#a#web#video—even#if#it#reaches#that#decision@maker#through#someone#
who#viewed#it#or#printed#it#using#the#web.#

30. We#want#to#trust#our#leaders#and#ins:tu:ons.#No#ma=er#how#many#people#get#their#
news#from#social#media#or#their#phones,#“top#down”#informa:on#is#s:ll#important#…#

31. …#but#technology#is#changing#the#role#and#power#of#the#audience.#We#are#no#longer#
only#passive#viewers.#

32. We#are#sharers#of#informa:on.#Some:mes#we#trust#our#neighbors#more#than#our#
leaders#to#tell#us#what’s#important#and#what’s#real.#

33. In#more#tradi:onal#advocacy#communica:ons,#an#ins:tu:on#sends#one#monolithic#
message#outward#to#many#viewers#and#listeners.#

34. In#the#world#of#social#media#and#“peer@to@peer”#informa:on@sharing,#an#ins:tu:on#
may#be#the#origin#of#the#message,#but#people#can#use#social#tools#to#share#and#
redistribute#the#original#message#on#their#own#terms.##
#
People#are#no#longer#only#informa:on#consumers,#they#are#informa:on#sources.#
Ins:tu:ons#can#now#provide#not#only#a#one@size@fits@all#message,#but#also#the#tools#
and#the#encouragement#that#enable#people#to#take#the#original#message#and#make#it#
their#own,#and#spread#the#word#themselves#to#the#people#who#trust#them.#

35. When#an#organiza:on#collects#and#disseminates#stories#from#real#people,#informa:on#
becomes#twice#as#persuasive#because#it#is#authen:c.#
#
In#this#example#from#The#New#York#Times,#stories#from#witnesses#and#vic:ms#of#
Japan’s#Fukushima#nuclear#incident#are#told#in#their#own#voices,#along#with#details,#
photos#and#links#that#help#make#each#report,#and#the#overall#story,#more#
comprehensible#and#more#human#to#news#readers.#

42. So,#an#effec:ve#advocacy#communica:ons#strategy#tailors#its#tools#and#approaches#to#
the#habits#of#the#people#it#seeks#to#persuade.#
#

43. So,#an#effec:ve#advocacy#communica:ons#strategy#tailors#its#tools#and#approaches#to#
the#habits#of#the#people#it#seeks#to#persuade.#

44. When#combined,#strategy,#goals,#audience#preferences#and#the#tools#suited#to#the#
situa:on#can#be#seen#as#a#“shopping#list”#of#the#items#you#need#to#deliver#the#
message#that#you#want#to#get#heard.#

45. As#you#develop#new#tools#for#public#advocacy,#be#aware#that#these#new#ac:vi:es#
require#ongoing#a=en:on,#to#keep#a#flow#of#content#coming#for#publica:on.#

46. A#blog,#or#a#Twi=er#account,#needs#regular#feeding.#

47. Otherwise,#your#new#channel#becomes#“an#empty#disco”#…#that#lonely#spot#with#loud#
music#and#no#one#dancing.#

48. You#may#need#to#add#a#digital#specialist—or#at#least#another#good#writer—to#your#
team,#in#order#to#keep#the#flow#of#content#going.##
#
Try#to#find#someone#who#will#be#around#for#more#than#a#few#months.#(Not#someone#
who#will#set#up#your#Facebook#page#then#leave#suddenly#to#do#graduate#study#in#
another#country.)#

49. It’s#important#to#share#stories#of#both#success#and#failure#in#online#advocacy.#
Remember#to#ask#ques:ons#to#learn#what#your#next—or#first—step#should#be.#No#
ques:on#is#too#simple.##
#
If#you#have#stories#of#lessons#learned,#we#want#to#help#you#tell#them.#Please#consider#
par:cipa:ng#in#the##TABridge#blog#at#tech.transparency@ini:a:ve.org.#