In this chapter we will discuss how to keep in touch with your fellow activists, how to formulate a message for your target audience and how to reach out to the press.

Communication strategy #

• 📣 Audiences

• ✊ Engagement flow

• 💬 Language (include Inclusive language, and Communicating science)

• 🎨 Visual identity: Read this guide on how to create a brand kit.

• 🆘 Crisis communication

Platforms #

Where do you want to share your message?

• Social media: Stop mindlessly feeding the algorithm and start using social media effectively for your movement.

• Chat apps: Learn how to use chat apps such as WhatsApp to broadcast messages to members of your community.

• SMS campaigns: Spread your message and call people to action using text messages.

• Phone banking: Have effective conversations over the phone on a large scale.

• News media: Learn how to write press releases

• Public speaking (not yet created): Learn how to give a speech during a protest.

Content creation #

• 🎥 Videos: Learn how to record videos of your actions.

• 📸 Photos: Become a professional photographer at protests.

• 🔴 Livestream: Learn how to organise a livestream.

• 🏡 Action back-office: Every action needs people who stay at home or in the office to edit and share media online.

Big-budget communication #

• A/B testing your messaging

• Advertising (needs to be created)

Global Climate Strike in London – Global Climate Strike in London. Tens of thousands turned out in central London to call for radical change to climate policies. The day included speeches and a march through central London. (350org, 2019)

Improve this page #

Answer these questions:

• How to make your voice heard

• What are the most effective communication channels for reaching our target audience?

• How can we develop a messaging strategy that resonates with our audience and achieves our objectives?

• What are some creative ways to promote our cause and get our message out there?

• How can we use social media to reach more people and engage them in our campaign?

• How can we make our website and online communications more user-friendly and effective?

• What kinds of events and activities can we organize to raise awareness and engage people in our cause?

• How can we work with the media to get our story out there?

• How can we get more people to sign up for our e-newsletter and follow us on social media?

• How can we evaluate our communication efforts to ensure that we are achieving our goals?

• Who can we partner with to help us reach more people and spread our message?

Search keywords #

We have not found many keywords yet that have a high search volume and are also very relevant to Activist Handbook. Generic searches such has ‘how to get more likes on instagram’ are hard to compete with, since there are already many articles about this topic. These are not necessarily of high quality, but they are all very much optimised for search engines (often promoting some sort of service or product).

*According to Semrush

Related articles #

• Chat apps

• Social media

• Newsletters

External resources #

Creative Commons #

• Communications to Promote Interest by Community Tool Box

• Developing a Plan for Communication by Community Tool Box

• Using Principles of Persuasion by Community Tool Box

• Developing Creative Promotions by Community Tool Box

• Creating Fact Sheets on Local Issues by Community Tool Box

• Handling Crises in Communication by Community Tool Box

• Collection: Communication for queer activists by ILGA-Europe Hub

• 5 Questions to Ask Yourself When Planning a Communications Campaign by ILGA-Europe Hub (2021)

• Framing for LGBTI activists by ILGA-Europe Hub (2020)

Copyright resources #

• Activist and Protest Media by Action Skills

• Dealing with disinformation by Blueprints for Change

• How to Take Quality Photographs by 350.org

• Online organiseren en vergaderen [Dutch] by Tractie (2020)

• Nonprofit marketing courses by NonProfitReady

• Narrative Initiative

• Naming an Advocacy Campaign by Tim Singleton North

Social marketing #

• Implementing Social Marketing

• Understanding Social Marketing: Encouraging Adoption and Use of Valued Products and Practices

• Conducting a Social Marketing Campaign

• Listening to Those Whose Behavior Matters

• Segmenting the Market to Reach the Targeted Population

• Promoting Awareness and Interest Through Communication

• Promoting Behavior Changes by Making It Easier and More Rewarding: Benefits and Costs

• Supporting and Maintaining Behavior Change

• Monitoring Progress and Making Adjustments in the Social Marketing Campaign