Elected officials love their social media! Whether they are promoting a piece of legislation they recently introduced, posting a photo they took with constituents, or posting memes (yes… they post memes too!) lawmakers stay active on social media. In 2022 alone, federal lawmakers posted on social media more than 909,000 times. With those numbers its easy to see that legislators value using social media as a megaphone for their purposes, but can individual advocates harness the power of social media to persuade lawmakers on key issues? The answer is an emphatic “yes”.
The proof is in the numbers. Members of Congress use social media to gauge how their constituents feel about important policy issues. The question is how can organizations empower their stakeholders to make their voices heard on social media? There is a difference between simply “making noise” on a policy topic and getting an elected official’s attention. How can your stakeholders cut through the clutter?
Enter “Influencer” Programs:
Finding ways for your stakeholders to consistently engage lawmakers and the general public on issues important to your organization doesn’t have to be difficult. Many organizations have begun developing “Influencer” Programs to ensure that their advocates are making their voices heard on social media on a regular basis.
There have been various ways that these programs have been structured, but Aristotle’s team of advocacy experts recommend the following method for social media advocacy success:
- Create Your “Program” – Develop your branding, marketing materials, and any other collateral to promote your new Influencer Program to your stakeholders. People can’t join if they don’t know it exists!
- Recruit Advocates to become “Influencers” – Once you’ve started to market your new program, its important to begin getting advocates to actively participate in the program.
- Craft Monthly Content “Packages” – Now that you have your initial group of Influencers, we want them to start making their voices heard on social media! Draft content for your Influencers to post on their social channels: policy-related content, market upcoming advocacy initiatives or activities, and highlight legislative wins.
- Analyze Results and Optimize – Once you’ve begun to send out “content packages” and see what your Influencers are interacting with, you will be able to adjust your content, adjust the frequency with which you send out content, and how you market your program to your stakeholders.
Social media isn’t just about making noise. It can be used to make a real impact on important policy issues as they arise. Aristotle has built and managed Influencer Programs for organizations across the country and can help your organization build a formidable presence on social media. Learn more about Aristotle’s advocacy consulting capabilities today.
