To make a decision about what technology to use in your campaign, you should first answer these seven strategic questions. You can remember them with the following phrase:

Step 1.

What is the long-term goal of your organization or cause? The mission—“achieve equal rights for women,” “protect the environment”—will take years to achieve, but is essential to keep in mind. If you ever wonder about a particular tactic or strategic choice, ask yourself, “Is this getting us closer to our long-term goal?”

Step 2. 

What is the short-term goal of this particular campaign? This is the goal you plan to achieve in your campaign—“convince Parliament to pass an equal rights law” or “convince my school to recycle its trash.” All decisions you make should get you closer to achieving this goal.

Tip!

A good short-term goal is SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-Framed.

Step 3.

Who is your audience? In order to use new tools of communication effectively you need to first know who you are trying to communicate with.

Your audience is the person or group that needs to take action in order for you to achieve the goal of your campaign.

Tip!

Remember that in some cases—particularly when dealing with governments—you may need to do research to find out who has the power to make your goal happen.

Step 4.

What action does the audience need to take to achieve the campaign goal? Get specific about this. Do you want your audience to introduce a law? To vote for an existing law? To put recycling into the school budget? The clearer you are about the exact action they should take, the more successful your campaign is likely to be.

Step 5. 

What message should you use to convince the audience to take action?

The message should make your action appealing to your audience. When crafting it, think first about what will motivate your audience to act. Don't forget that each audience may need a different message and that some audiences will need multiple messages.

Tip! 

Be direct with your message. For example, even if your goal is to introduce recycling to your school to help the environment, the administration may not care about the environment, but they do care about costs. In this case, your message to administrators should focus on how recycling can create income for your school.

Step 6. 

What media should you use to bring your message to your audience? 

Sometimes the right media will be a digital technology like a website or SMS, but it may also be a printed flyer or community radio program.  

Step 7.

Do you have access to the media you would like to use? 

The good news about digital media is that, unless a platform is blocked in your country, it is often free and easy to use.

The bad news? Often the audience for online media is limited. Your audience does not pay attention to it or have access to it. For example, in some countries only people in the middle class or in urban areas are frequent internet users. If this is your audience, then that’s great. If not, consider using mobile phones, which more people have access to, or an offline medium like a house meeting or flyers.

Step 8. 

What are the resources of your campaign? Do you have the financial, time, and skill resources to use the media platforms you just identified?  

This is a “reality check” for your media use. For each platform will need someone to create content (blog posts, for example). Often people will volunteer to do these tasks and, as mentioned previously, most digital media is free to use.  

Tip! 

Create a work plan with specific tasks for specific members of your campaign to verify that you have the resources to accomplish your media goals. This will also clarify everyone’s responsibilities to make sure things actually get done.

Step 9.

Remember that a campaign is a repetitive process. Go through these steps, take action, and then evaluate your success. Based on that evaluation you may continue on your current path or (more likely) make changes. A successful campaign is one that not only plans well, but one that reacts effectively to the unforeseen.

Looking for more detailed advice on getting the word out and compelling people to take actions? Check out our advanced guide to making the right choices in a digital activism campaign. 

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