December 9th, 2008
by Josh McJannett
We wrote a while back about social media and what it means for government relations. While there are no shortage of those who think Facebook’s utilty ends when you graduate university and your source of inebriated frat party photos dry up–others are understanding social media is a tool to connect people, policy issues and action.
Read a great post over at the New PR highlighting a not-so-new trend in advocacy circles; namely, making use of the vast potential of what a soon-to-be former President of the United States once famously coined ‘the Internets’.
In case you haven’t heard, rallies aren’t just for the streets anymore.
Arm-chair democrats have more opportunities to make their voices heard than ever before by making use nearly unlimited online portals for expression.
So, what does that mean for you? (A lot, actually.)
With literally millions of Canadians using social media like Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn, there’s never been a greater opportunity for advocates to connect the dots between latent supporters of a given public policy issue, the right message and a channel through which to funnel that support so it gets before the right eyes and ears.
Understanding how to take your issue and reach out to a community of supporters to empower them to take some simple action and voice their support is an important strategy to consider in your GR and communications efforts.
There are a lot of organizations, campaigns and others out there who have been doing it for a long time, with great success.
The best ones do it by going beyond a simply spewing out content; they create a community. Space for people who believe in a cause or issue to discuss, disagree, organize and promote a position. Perhaps most importantly, by using tools to share online content supporters of your issue can share ideas and grow a network of awareness in ways and at speeds never imagined even just a few years ago.
You know when political parties and the Prime Minister start using social media tools that they’re no longer new anymore.
So remember, Facebook: it’s not just a place for your son’s frat party photos anymore. Who are the people who care about your issue and how can you wake them up and get them active?
How can social media bolster your GR efforts?
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December 10th, 2008 at 3:54 am
Thanks for the link and the kind words, and you’re right – social media is having a major influence on GR efforts. Average users now have a voice, and if we can influence our vocal supporters to use those voices, our traditional efforts will be amplified.
It will be interesting to see what GR efforts come out in the next year. My prediction is that we’ll have an equal share of amazing and embarassing efforts.