One
Voice
Tweet Tweet:
Advocacy in a Social Media Age
S
ocial media has changed the way people connect, communicate and get
information. Everyone knows that.
What not everyone may realize is that this is true for legislators, policy makers and
the media – almost as much as it’s true for teenagers and millennials.
More and more policy debates and grassroots advocacy campaigns are being
waged on Facebook and Twitter.
Ami Schnauber
If you wanted to engage in a debate in the old days, you went to the public
square because that’s where your audience was. Today that means social media,
particularly if we’re trying to reach lawmakers, regulators and political figures. If
we don’t effectively utilize social media platforms to connect, start conversations
and advance advocacy messages, then we’re missing a big opportunity.
There is no better example of the effectiveness of a social media advocacy
campaign than #bFair2DirectCare. The human services field had been fighting
for a living wage for their direct care workers for years. This year, after feeling
the impact of the increased minimum wage, non-profits who serve persons with
autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and other developmental disabilities
joined forces under the banner of the #bFair2DirectCare campaign.
Please note that even the coalition’s title is a hashtag. That was by design.
#bFair2DirectCare garnered 8,500 Facebook followers and 750 Twitter followers.
The Facebook and Twitter platforms gave a voice and a vehicle to their grassroots
advocates and mobilized the power of the many people involved in this issue –
direct care workers, families and self-advocates Those are all people about whom
elected officials care.
Local agencies and, very importantly, individuals, were incredibly active in both
telling their local stories and magnifying stories being told by others from across
the state. That had strong resonance with lawmakers in their districts, where they
care most.
There is no better example of
Social media was one aspect of a comprehensive campaign plan that included a
very active media relations component, with rallies and
more across the state. Interestingly – and importantly –
not one dollar was spent on paid advertising such as radio,
the effectiveness
TV, billboards or on-line banner ads.
of a social media advocacy campaign than
#bFair2DirectCare.
The key lesson from #bFair2DirectCare is that you
need real people telling moving personal stories in a
coordinated effort so that legislators become educated to
the issue and the cause, and find themselves in a position
where they can’t/don’t want to s ay “no.”
For the past three years, LeadingAge New York has utilized an online advocacy
platform that allows texting, Facebook posting, and emailing directly from your
cell phone. Unfortunately, the social media components of the platform have
(See Tweet Tweet on page 17)
15
Adviser a publication of LeadingAge New York | Summer 2017