You may have noticed last month that Aristotle tweeted a variety of ‘do-it-yourself’ (DIY) tools that can assist government relations professionals with presentations and other communication efforts, such as developing infographics, newsletters, Web videos and managing social media accounts.
Perhaps lesser known is the way in which social ‘tools’ can help you support an advocacy campaign, mobilize supporters and inform your audience. In this post, I’ll mention a few of my favorites, and briefly outline how to use social platforms efficiently to maximize their benefit.
Do you need to create a sleek, informative video conveying the importance of your issue? I’ve found Moovly to be an intuitive platform to get a message across via multimedia. Piktochart is especially useful if needing to build an infographic about proposals and successes.
Both Moovly and Pitktochart are great but, here is the catch: do you have the time to develop a vision for your project, learn how to use the tool and/or adequately promote what you have built? This is the challenge for every project, particularly one that is working with a tool you might not be accustom to using.
These tools are effective when your message is clear and simple. As your project’s goals grow, as does the likelihood that the design may be detracting from your message. Soon the ‘free’ template might not adequately convey your message. Even worse, you are spending more time trying to align content then you are on the overall message.
How can you ensure you are balancing time spent creating a project vs. time spent conveying the benefits of your proposal?
- Set a clear, concise vision: Identify your goals and audience, and then keep your project within these boundaries.
- Experiment: Play with the platform and understand its workflow.
- Get feedback: Share your example with colleagues to obtain different points of view.
- Enjoy the process: If you don’t find the presentation that you have prepared enjoyable, the chances are that your audience won’t either.
So, how do you get started? Block out 20 minutes within the next day to research a social platform for your issue and sign up for a free trial. It’s that simple; just begin.
Don’t have the time? Don’t know where to start? We’re happy to help!
Adam Melis
Director, Grassroots Consulting
[email protected]
