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Today:
Millions online
Tomorrow:
Billions online
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Information wants to be free.
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Volume 1, Number 7
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Managing Your Online Advocacy Program
To be truly effective, an online advocacy program
needs to be fully integrated into your government affairs strategy. A well designed
Web site and state-of-the-art advocacy software are merely tools, but true success
will only result from effectively managing your online advocacy program. Developing
new content for the Web site, alerting grassroots networks to impending policy
actions, and orchestrating a campaign to affect policy are some of the many
ongoing activities required to get the most impact out of your online advocacy
program.
Ultimately, issue managers must be responsible
for this program. Yet, when it comes to online advocacy, the technical details
associated with building and managing an online presence are often outside the
training and comfort zone of many issue managers. Even if they are comfortable
with the technology, without a well-designed process for managing the online
component of the issue management program, issue managers may find themselves
doing too much technical work at the expense of their primary duties.
While turning the management of the site over to
a "Webmaster" may appear to provide the solution to this management
quandary, a technical expert is unlikely to understand the strategic vision
or the appropriate tactics and messaging essential for an effective issue management
engagement. Further, online advocacy content must be changed on very short notice
as some policy actions emerge without warning and technical staff may have other
responsibilities that preclude them from meeting the issue management timetable.
To integrate issue management and online technology, it is necessary to take
full advantage of the technical expertise available (in-house and external)
to build a platform and troubleshoot problems as they occur, but to leave the
day-to-day management of the online communication in the hands of issue managers.
One very effective solution is to build a robust database platform that can
be updated with minimal technical expertise. There must then be a process that
allows issue managers to effectively produce online content that furthers the
overall issue management strategy and is consistent with the overall mission
and messages.
Such a robust online platform includes a Web site
that allows issue managers to craft documents using the familiar processes they
use for writing press releases, testimony, and other communications. A database-driven
system makes it easy to copy these documents into the database and add them
to the Web site with a simple mouse click. These "backend" systems
can be designed so that the most recently added documents are fully displayed
and older documents are listed below in a hyperlinked archive menu. This allows
several issue managers to add content while maintaining a format consistent
with the rest of the Web site.
Similar automating tools exist for managing mailing
lists and tracking the activities of a grassroots organization. While these
systems also require sophisticated programming skills to design and develop,
once implemented, the day-to-day management is almost entirely free of the need
for technical experts. The ability to employ these online resources rests squarely
with the issue managers.
Once the online advocacy platform is in place,
you will need an effective process to coordinate your online issue management
program. This process should also assure that your online program is fully integrated
into your overall issue management program. In organizations where more than
one department is involved in your advocacy efforts, the process should ensure
coordination of the online content. This process may include representatives
from state GR, federal GR, legal, public relations, and marketing departments.
This process must assure that the online program fits the overall issue management
strategy and is consistent with the offline issue messages. Additionally, there
must be a system to troubleshoot minor problems, estimate how long computer
tasks will take, and effectively communicate with any computer consultants that
might be brought in to fix major problems or add new capabilities to your online
program.
When all is said and done, you want to have in
place an online advocacy program that allows your organization to communicate
with its audiences as quickly and effectively as possible. These communications
should be designed to facilitate action online (as well as offline) in order
to maximize the impact of your program on the policy process. Online technology
can deliver enormous impact if it is used properly and the benefits reaped from
your online program will quickly justify the initial planning and resources
devoted to its setup by increasing both the speed and reach of your advocacy
efforts.
Online Advocacy Tips:
Managing Your Online Advocacy Program
1. Fully integrate online
advocacy into your issue management program.
2. Build a platform (Web site, email list, etc.) that minimizes technical
management.
3. Create process for developing online content that reinforces organization's
overall issue management strategy.
4. Ensure that your online and offline advocacy messages are consistent and
coordinated.
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