This document provides guidance on creating an effective online strategy for community organizing and advocacy using social media. It discusses understanding social media and identifying objectives, audiences, and key messages. Popular social media tools are categorized as conversation starters, collaboration tools, and social networks. Steps for developing an online strategy include identifying objectives and audiences, crafting messages, and evaluating impact. Guidance is provided on engaging target audiences, conducting online surveys, and selecting appropriate metrics to measure success.

1. MojganAhbabi
Garrison Hack
Caitlin Jarrett
JoelTorres

2.  Introduction
 Understanding Social Media
 Creating an Online Strategy for Community Organization
 Identify Objectives
 AssessingYour Audience andYour Environment
 IdentifyYour Message
 EvaluatingYour Impact andYour Strategy
 EngagingYour Audience Using Social Media
 Popular InternetTools andTheir Effective Use
 Online Advocacy and Activism
 Closing the Digital Divide
 Collaborating Agencies Responding to Disasters: A case
Study
 Conclusion

3.  Online interaction are such a pervasive part of
our society
 Internet landscape is infinitely dynamic
 Social media use for Obama’s 2008
presidential campaign
 Social media use (facebook groups) played
critical role in ousting Egyptian president

4.  The question facing community organizers
today is not whether they should use social
media for community building and advocacy it
is:
When and how they should
 How to establish consistent, sustainable, and
easily recognizable and enhance both online
and real world activities
 Potential of using the internet for community
organizing
 Steps for creating an online strategy

5.  “Social media powers social networks for social
change” Beth Kanter and Allison Fine.
 Internet organizers:
 target social network through individuals.
Idea and issues spread faster through online social
network.
 Social media:
Is tools for community organizers
Aids to find the right people to connect with, then
keep the relationship fresh.

6.  Social media in 3
categories:
1. Conversation starters like
weblogs, news feeds,
YouTube, andTwitter .
2. Collaboration tools such
asWiki and Google apps.
3. Social network builders
like Facebook, LinkedIn,
andTwitter.
 first create an online
strategy that will dictate
how, why, and which
tools to use

7.  Developing an effective online presence help
further the mission of most organizing .
 Before creating:
• know what you want to accomplish
• Then match the appropriate tools to achieve those
goals.
 Successful organizing through internet
engagement requires building a dedicated
internal team who understand the strategy and
purpose of doing this

8.  Steps to devising the strategy:
1. Identify objectives
2. Assessing your audience and environment
3. Identity your message
4. Evaluating your online activities

9.  Steps to devising the strategy:
1. Identify objectives
2. Assessing your audience and environment
3. Identity your message
4. Evaluating your online activities

10. DEFINING WHO
ARETHE
‘TARGETS’
Organizations and individuals who exhibit credibility
or who drive conversations so that others take notice
of the topic or the idea.
[e.g., An outreach could be made to bloggers to
discuss topics that align with an organization’s
priorities] (Heldman, Schindelar, &Weaver, 2013)
o Generally employed at the state level, or by local
health districts;
o Link with media outlets or directly with community
organizations or citizens;
o Assist health department personnel in increasing
public awareness of issues that affect community
health and wellness
Key Partners
Public Health
Influencers
Public Health
Information Officers
(PIOs) and Risk
Communicators (RCs)

11. DEFINING WHO
ARETHE
‘TARGETS’ (CONT)
o They assist news organizations in obtaining needed information
for stories on public health-related issues (Golding & Rubin, 2010).
“The National Public Health Information Coalition (NPHIC) is
an independent organization of professionals sought after to
improve America's health through public health
communications. NPHIC senior public health information
officers:
“Participate with the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) and other public and private agencies to
promote health and prevent disease;
“Identify methods to improve communications among
members
“Communicate with and through the news media to promote
greater understanding and awareness of public health issues.”
(National Public Health Information Coalition. (n.d.) (n.p))
Public Health
Information Officers
(PIOs) and Risk
Communicators (RCs)

12. A Brief Word about the California Department of Public Health :
“Local Health Departments (LHDs) in California
…are increasingly embracing media work to help
address the public health issues of the 21st century:
chronic disease, global warming, emerging diseases,
access to health care, and health disparities and the
inequities that cause them, as well as the core
responsibilities of disease control.”(Brunner, Fowlie, &
Freestone, 2011, p.1)

13. DEFINING WHO
ARETHE
‘TARGETS’ (CONT)
o Defined by how they use social media;
o Age and demographics which can affect their
ability to influence policymakers (Hackworth &
Kunz, 2011)
o Members of the community who define specific
needs or requires specialized interactions (Bik,
Goldstein, 2013)
Virtual Community
akaTargetAudience
Real Community

14. DEFINING WHO
ARETHE
‘TARGETS’ (CONT)
o Individuals who –influenced by community
organizers and community builders—represent
critical avenues for improving the public’s health
(Minkler, 2012).
“The Internet continues to help shape and influence
policy: Sixty percent of staffers have gone online to
learn about an important policy issue for the first
time. And 33 percent have admitted to changing their
opinion based on what they have read online – a
nearly 200 percent change from 2009” (Bush, 2011,
n.p.) .
Policymakers

15.  Demographics profile;
 Does not define motivation, but can be used as a launching point for
engagement
 Pressing issues, Problems, Desires;
 Gains insight into the audience’s interest in the topic
 Provides an opportunity to experiences regarding a commonly shared subject
 Which sites are being used for information ;
 Do they read blogs? Do they subscribe to listserv? Do they download
podcasts?
 Choosing the appropriate channels for online communication can effect
readership
 What purpose does your message serve;
 Is there sincerity between you and your audience;
 Are you considered trustworthy (DeMers, 2013)
(Source: DeMers, 2013)

16. Search for keywords that identify your
community
Listen to conversations online
(To the right is a tweet made by Los
Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti from
his privateTwitter account. He
makes a condolence statement and
it received a reply from a member
of the LosAngeles Police
Department).
#NorthridgeHospital, #underserved,
#California
On Mayor Garcetti’s privateTwitter
account https://twitter.com/ericgarcetti
 Eric Garcetti @ericgarcetti Mar 7
 Heartbroken to mourn passing of
one of our brave @LAPD officers
this am. Please pray for his family
and for his partner's recovery.
 Chief Charlie Beck
@LAPDChiefBeck Mar 7
 #LAPD Police Officer III Nicholas
Lee, Serial No. 34980. A man of
greatness and selflessness. Nick
was…
http://instagram.com/p/lQ0F1CzNsq
/
(Source: Satariano &Wong, 2012) (Source: Garcetti, 2014, n.p.).

17. Look for topics related to your
intended populations by using:
RSS (Rich Site Summary)
aka (Really Simple Syndication),
News Feeds,
Aggregators,
Feed Readers
 Software terminology for the
presentation of data to users which is
either web-based, desktop-based, or
mobile-device based.
 “…distributes recent news and other
frequently updated content appearing
on a website” (Dictionary.com, 2014).
 These formats are frequently used for
blogs, news headlines, audio, and video.
(e.g., From the Digg Reader website
[https://digg.com/reader/search/Public%20H
ealth] , typing ‘Public Health’ into the
BROWSE CATEGORIES search area will
populate the page with current data from
the Public Health Newswire)

18. Some of these newsfeeds make a
provision at the end of the report,
message, or data for commentary by
subscribing readers.
These online articles also have icons
available so that the article can be
transferred to a subscriber’s Facebook or
Twitter account.
Hillary Clinton Leads Jeb Bush, Chris Christie,
Ted Cruz By Wide Margins In Presidential Poll
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (D)
would best former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R),
were they to run against each other in the 2016
presidential election, a new poll finds.The poll,
conducted by Fox News from March 2-4, shows
Clinton leading Bush 51 percent to 38 percent.
The margin between…
Huffington Post
 Politics
 Elections
 Hillary Rodham Clinton
 Chris Christie
 Ted Cruz
341 people are discussing this article with
616 comments
(Source: Lachman, 2014)

19. Idealware, a Portland-based software consulting firm,
advises that, “…online survey tools can be a very cost-
effective way for delivering surveys and collecting and
analyzing results through one system” (Leland, 2011, n.p.).
SurveyMonkey($16.99/month) Offers a free version for 10
questions and 100 responses per survey.
Zoomerang offers more extensive reporting
SurveyGizmo ($19.00/month) integrates well into websites
and blogs
Moodle offers survey and test taking tools. Geared
towards gathering feedback from students.
(Source: Leland, 2011).

20. When creating a survey tool :
Be as specific as possible for what you seek.
Regarding your intended audience
Determine preferred internet surfing sites;
Know the groups to which your audience belongs ;
Regarding staff members of the organization or community:
Know how they communicate with friends and
supporters;
Do they keep in touch with photo sites
(Source: Satariano & Wong, 2012)

21.  Messages should be created to the audience.
 In cases of key partners or public health influencers, a
personal mailing might be appropriate as well as a
continuation of the online communication
 Different goals require different messages (messages
addressed to volunteers would be different than messages
to policymakers)
When conducting online communication
Be sure that potential misunderstandings have been
clarified.
(Source: Satariano & Wong, 2012)

22.  Creating an Online Strategy to Enhance
EffectiveCommunity Building and Organizing

23.  Picking the right metrics
 Most online activity can be measured
 Setting up indicators and other measurement
tools

24. Google Analytics
Reader growth, subscribers vs visitors, to and from,
what they’re doing.
Hootsuite
Measures reader engagement (Interaction), sharing
content onTwitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and others.
Socialbrite
Updates, monitors, manage, and maintain
communication outlets at once

25.  Facebook page likes may increase attendance at
events.
 However, signed petitions may not correlate
with # of likes
 Poll your donors, event attendees, and
volunteers about how they heard of
organization or cause.
 Use surveys from
 SurveyMonkey, Zoomerang, and Google Forms.

26.  Smart Chart 3.0 for online communications
strategy.
 CommunityTool Box
 Case studies, worksheets.

27.  Netiquette
 Recognizing and Rewarding
▪ Retweets
▪ Sharing their link on your site
▪ Mentioning their even or cause on your blog

28.  Tweets and Facebook
 Insert you presence
 Give direction to conversation
 Re-direct to your own website or event

29.  Online resources
 Website
 Electronic educational literature
 Searchable database

30.  Inexpensive
 Time and dedication

31.  Organizational profile, post updates, photos,
videos, links, polls, and collect donations.
 Non-profits found FB useful for feedback on
activities, start discussions, and direct to
website.
 2.5 hours a week (Idealware 2010b).

32.  Microblogging example
 140 character limit
 To the point
 Read quickly
 Quickly post links to articles or other media
 To manage, use HootSuite orTweetDeck
 Use “hashtag” symbol to search your cause dialogue
 Simultaneously link Facebook “Status Update” andTwitter account.
 Survey shows used by older population (Yarow, 2010).
 Similar organizations, media attention, asking questions, and real
time events (Idealware 2010a).
 Small percentage engaged (Idealware 2010a)

33.  Static content updated fairly frequently
 Has personality and information
 Good for thoughtful conversation
 But time intensive
Engaged supporters?
If blogger was a skilled writer and unique expert in
the field (Idealware 2010)

34.  YouTube
 Largest video-sharing site
 Test different types video
 Embed videos onto other sites FB,Twitter.
 Control conversation
 SlideShare
 Share PowerPoint presentations
 For colleagues and potential partners
 Flickr
 Photo-sharing site.Tag your photos and albums for
“searchability.”

35.  Build community and give purpose for policy
change
 3 types of Internet mobilizations:
 1. offline actions (rally) 2. offline/online actions (email
policy makers) 3. only online (Facebook).
Flash campaigns
bra-color example
Twitter great for real time because of smart phones and
texts.
MoveOn.org

36.  The “digital divide” between those who have
access to the Internet and those who don’t is
created by:
 Technology access
 Generational gaps
 Literacy
 Geographic location
 Mental and physical disabilities
 Socioeconomic barriers

37.  It’s estimated that 93% of teens and 80% of
adults in the US use the Internet.
 High income and being able bodied are the
strongest predictors of Internet access and
usage.
 There are racial disparities in Internet access.

38.  In 2005, theWhite House released a report to
tackle the widening digital divide.
 Subsequent programs have showed success
in providing computers and training to key
households in underserved communities.
 Cell phones have become an alternative way
to reach an audience.

39.  “Democratic Divide”- refers to those already
online and the gap between those who are
willing and know how to use the Internet for civil
or health engagement and those who don’t
know.
 Loosely translated to the “1 percent rule”-for
every 100 people online, 89 red content, 10
comment and 1 person actually created the
content.
 The goal is to close the gap by changing passive
readers to more working on- and off-line.

40.  Created by local nonprofit agencies after the
1989 earthquake in Loma Prieta, California.
 Used the internet to fill the gap and provide
emergency preparedness and disaster response
resources.
 From 1989-1999, CARD used landlines, print
newspapers and in person meetings to
communicate their resources.
 In 2000, the new executive director shifted to
the Internet, using e-mails, a website and later
social media.

41.  Searched other nonprofits on social media to
find their target market.
 At Conferences, they had a live feed of
incomingTweets to share what people were
expressing about the presentations.
 Through feedback fromTwitter, CARD
learned what their audience needed:
addressing their concerns and simplified
activities to illustrate critical everyday
disaster preparedness.

42.  HootSuite- as it’s management system to post
information to social media.
 LinkedIn- to connect with colleagues and partners in
the nonprofit emergency management and
philanthropy.
 Status Updates- inform stakeholders on activities
 Facebook- for everyday updates, posting and
opportunities, thanking and highlighting the agency’s
efforts and sharing information with partners.
 Twitter- information retrieval, evaluating trends and
sharing posts and links to website

43.  Social Media keeps longtime clients engaged
and creates new clients.
 Promotion of funder’s events provided
financial support.
 Overall, through social media, CARD
increased its effectiveness in reaching their
target audience and strengthened its
partnerships.

44.  Grassroots and nonprofit organizations can
benefit from “harnessing the power of the
Internet” by engaging the public and work
partners.
 Both On- and offline communication efforts
are key.
 Flexibility is important. The organization
needs to adapt their online strategies to meet
the needs of their supporters and the
mission.

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Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2013/08/27/6-steps-to-decoding-your-target-
audience/
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Garcetti, E. (2014, March 07). Eric Garcetti onTwitter: Private Account. LosAngeles, CA, USA. Retrieved from
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doi:10.1177/1524839909344185

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