A. Social Media - Missouri Coalition for the Environment

A. Social Media

Here are some general tips for effectively using social media:

At a minimum, create a Facebook group (open or closed; a closed group requires an Admin to approve any new members) to organize your members, interested outsiders, and allies; a Facebook group is a great way to facilitate discussion of your issue and any relevant news, as well as to plan, organize, and execute public events. It can also be used to raise money from your supporters and share your mission and message.
Twitter is useful for commenting on relevant current events; in some cases for raising money and broadening your base of donors; for sharing video content; and for following and engaging with key reporters and members of the media.
Always try to provide your own original commentary on any news articles you share, or at least include a relevant short quotation that speaks to why your group shared it.
Try to post or say something once per day, or a handful of posts every week, to keep your followers engaged.
Closed Facebook groups are easier to manage and can have more candid discussion, but open groups are useful for building large membership.
In-person events should always have a Facebook event to accompany any other methods to increase attendance.

Social media can also be a tool for political advertising. See Section C for more information on using social media in the context of advertising and effectively portraying your message.

Organizing Without Social Media

Organizing Without Social Media

While social media is a great tool to spread your message, it is not the only way to organize. If you live in a community with limited internet access or your community is not familiar with this method of organizing, you may determine that social media should not be the primary method for community organizing. Instead, you may notice that your community gathers in certain areas, such as churches, P.O. Boxes, or others, that could be places to spread your message. Utilize local contacts and leaders who may already have well-established methods of connecting with community members.

You may decide to organize in person meetings, which can allow community members to come together to discuss the issues you are working to address. The Western Organization of Resource Councils (WORC) provides a helpful resource with steps and tips on holding a house meeting, which may be accessed here.

If you decide to organize without social media, consider partnering with other organizations that are more familiar with using social media to organize. Online platforms are a great way to amplify your message, and can spread your advocacy message to additional members in your own community, as well as to other communities doing similar work.