On Digital Advocacy

"Everything I wish I knew when I started out as a digital campaigner."A deep dive on digital advocacy for campaigners, communicators, and strategists. In five parts:1) Digital Communications Strategy2) Email Strategy3) Action Page Strategy4) List Building & Segmentation5) Pro TipsNow more than ever, the world needs more people whose expertise is to change the world. And if those skills aren't already specialised enough, to fuel a cause in 2020 you also need to magically be an expert in online giving, digital advocacy and engagement.While there's no shortage of digital strategy advice, how much of it should non-profits pay attention to? Which ideas that sound intuitive could actually be hurting your long-term engagement? What is leading millions of potential donors and online activists to tune out over time? At Animals Australia, we put a lot of theories to the test and busted plenty of myths. This book outlines what worked for us in practice.And here's the truth. A decade of trial and error, research, and pushing boundaries has revealed one universal insight. The real key to building digital power has less to do with tech than it does people. It's about relationships -- forged and nurtured at scale. Tap into the power that exists when communication, design, and tech meet empathy, respect, and a supporter-centric mindset.

Whether you hike, bike, camp, climb, hunt, ride, paddle, paint, garden—whatever way you get out and enjoy nature, you leave an impact on the outdoors every time you step out your front door. Every step your boots take down dusty trails, every bolt your clip draws into, every time you cruise down a dirt road, till the soil, you leave an impact. Outdoor recreation inherently leaves an impact on the land, but we can work to offset that impact by advocating for earth in our own circles, online and in our neighborhoods. The question is, can we use the digital space to protect the outdoors while still protecting our human spirit? We all share a responsibility to protect our planet––especially those of us in the outdoor industry––and in the digital age, access to advocacy is abundant. Social media hands us the tools to get educated, gather resources, organize and empower ourselves on whatever slice of the "save the planet" pie tickles your appetite to do good. The opportunity and potential for digital advocacy is dizzying––but what happens when we begin to tangle our personal identities with our pursuit of saving a dying earth? As users of public lands, we have an ethical responsibility to the planet. As inhabitants of our identities, we have an ethical responsibility to ourselves, too. Inside, the book covers topics like: The two types of advocacy Becoming an advocate for the outdoor industry Voting for the outdoor spaces you love the most The advocacy retention cycle Online bullying and stalking

Outdoor recreation inherently leaves an impact on the land, but we can work to offset that impact by advocating for the earth in our own circles, online, and in our neighborhoods. The question is, can we use the digital space to protect the outdoors while still protecting our human spirit? Whether you hike, bike, camp, climb, hunt, ride, paddle, paint, garden-- whatever way you get out and enjoy nature, you leave an impact on the outdoors every time you step out your front door. Every step your boots take down dusty trails, every bolt your clip draws into, every time you cruise down a dirt road, till the soil, you leave an impact. This toolkit, accompanied by On Digital Advocacy: Saving the Planet While Preserving our Humanity, is meant to be written in, doodled on, and loved as you take it along with you on your advocacy journey.

Transnational Advocacy in the Digital Era explores the role of digital advocacy organizations, a major new addition to the international arena. Organizations such as MoveOn, GetUp, and Campact derive power and influence from their ability to rapidly mobilize members on-line and off-line and are shaping public opinion on many issues including climate change, trade, and refugees. Research in international relations (IR) has highlighted the influence of non-governmental organizations, which wield power through their expertise and long-term, moral commitment to an issue. However, no IR scholars have explored the spread and power of digital advocacy organizations. Nina Hall provides a detailed investigation of how these organizations have harnessed digitally networked power and can quickly respond to the most salient issues of the day, and mobilize large memberships, to put pressure on politicians. She finds that these organizations operate in a globalized world but tackle transnational problems by focusing on national targets. This new generation of activists have formed a strong transnational network, but still see the state as the locus of power.

This book considers the radical effects the emergence of social media and digital politics have had on the way that advocacy organisations mobilise and organise citizens into political participation. It argues that these changes are due not only to technological advancement but are also underpinned by hybrid media systems, new political narratives, and a new networked generation of political actors. The author empirically analyses the emergence and consolidation within advanced democracies of online campaigning organisations, such as MoveOn, 38 Degrees, Getup and AVAAZ. Vromen shows that they have become leading political advocates, and influential on both national and international level governance. The book critically engages with this digital disruption of traditional patterns of political mobilisation and organisation, and highlights the challenges in embracing new ideas such as entrepreneurialism and issue-driven politics. It will be of interest to advanced students and scholars in political participation and citizen politics, interest groups, civil society organisations, e-government and politics and social media.

This title explores the role of digital advocacy organizations, a major new addition to the international arena. It provides a detailed investigation of the power that these organizations have, the ways in which they differ from traditional NGOs, their memberships and networks, and how their campaigns are launched and distributed.