In The Know

If you create an advocacy group centered around an important cause, people will flock to your organization to offer their support, time, and resources, right? While a great cause will attract a handful of passionate members, most people probably aren’t even aware that your organization exists unless you market it.

What Is Advocacy Marketing?

Advocacy marketing refers to all of the various efforts needed to bring attention to your cause and group. It’s about turning constituents into volunteers, donors, and supporters. 

Unlike traditional marketing, which often feels impersonal, advocacy marketing is based on genuine relationships and authentic recommendations. You want to encourage others to support your cause and share your good works with the world. 

7 Tips for Building an Effective Advocacy Marketing Strategy

If you are lucky, you’ll be able to post a few well-designed videos on social media, and your cause will go viral. However, you can’t rely solely on luck to ensure the success of your advocacy group. Instead, you’ll need to leverage proven strategies to gain traction in your community and transform your group into a powerful driver of change. 

With that in mind, here are seven tips to help you build an effective advocacy group:

Identify Your Audience

Start by identifying who your potential advocates are. This could be local community leaders or everyday people who are passionate about the same things that you are. Begin by speaking to people in your personal circle, including friends and family members. Let them know what you’re doing and encourage them to share the news with people they know.

 Make a list of the characteristics of someone who would like to support your cause. For instance, if your advocacy group is fighting to provide resources for homeless animals, most people who support your cause will likely be pet owners.  

Build Relationships

After you’ve identified neighborhoods, communities, or groups that are likely to support your cause, work to build relationships with those entities. This represents one of the toughest stages of advocacy marketing, as it involves a lot of leg work and one-on-one conversations. However, you’ll need to lean on these relationships during the later stages of your journey, so make sure not to cut any corners here.

Early supporters of your group will share your social media content and help expand your digital footprint. You need them to be in your corner if you hope to build a strong organic presence online. 

Create Engaging Content

Your supporters need valuable content to share with their networks. Create content that is informative, entertaining, and relevant to your audience. This could include blog posts, infographics, videos, and even case studies.

No matter what type of content you create, make sure it’s easy to share. Your assets should be mobile and social media friendly to maximize their reach. If you’ve got the budget to do so, consider outsourcing some of the content creation process to a digital marketing firm. They can help you create more engaging posts and videos that resonate with your target audience. 

Use Social Media

Social media is every advocacy group’s best friend. Roughly 72% of Americans are active on at least one social media platform, meaning you can reach a huge audience by incorporating a few channels into your outreach strategy. 

It provides a free tool for sharing what your group is doing and connecting with others in your sphere of influence. Encourage your handful of early supporters to share your content on their social media pages, including Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn.

Use branded hashtags to track and curate content. Engage with posts by liking, commenting, and sharing to show appreciation and keep the conversation going. Consistency is key here. Create a publishing schedule and stick to it. 

Encourage Users to Share Your Posts

User-generated content (UGC) is a powerful tool in advocacy marketing. Encourage your supporters to share your content and create their own posts related to your brand. These could include photos and videos from events they participated in, testimonials about your work, or their opinion on the value of your cause.

UGC adds an authentic touch to your marketing efforts and can significantly boost your reach. However, it’s vital that their content is genuine and not forced. 

Create a Community

Build a community around your organization to support your marketing efforts. Create groups, which are forms where Advocates and supporters can connect, share ideas, and collaborate. The sense of community can foster loyalty and encourage more active participation. Social media platforms are a great tool for creating these communities. 

Don’t rely solely on your supporters to keep these groups going. You need to be active in them as well. Log into these channels at least a few days per week and get involved in the conversation. 

Track and Measure Your Success

Identify what counts as a “win” for your advocacy marketing campaign. Track several relevant metrics to monitor engagement rates, reach, and website traffic. Each of these data points provides a piece of the puzzle.

By combining insights from multiple metrics, you can determine whether your efforts are making an impact on your target audience and adequately supporting your cause. If your campaigns are falling short of expectations, make adjustments to maximize your reach. 

How Aristotle Can Fuel Your Marketing Efforts

For over 40 years, Aristotle has been a leader in data and campaign technology. However, our solutions aren’t just for political parties. We also offer expert consulting services, unmatched data, and a breadth of digital technology that will help you create more impactful marketing campaigns and mobilize your audience to action.

Visit us online to learn more about everything Aristotle can offer your advocacy group.

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