Examples of Successful Digital Advocacy Campaigns

As people increasingly turn to the internet to advocate for their causes, digital advocacy campaigns have become increasingly popular. And it makes sense, from promoting social justice issues to advocating for environmental sustainability, digital advocacy has proven to be a powerful tool for supporting social change.

However, modern advocacy campaigns face numerous challenges they must overcome to be effective. For example, online campaigns may not effectively reach their intended audience, given the noise any message is up against. Another challenge online campaigns face is the question of how to create a personal and authentic experience that will motivate people to take action.

Ultimately, making an advocacy campaign successful depends on a range of factors, including the nature of the issue, the effectiveness of the messaging, and the ability to engage and mobilize supporters both online and offline.

In this post, we'll dive into successful digital advocacy campaigns of recent years and explore the strategies that made them effective. 

Unifying Climate Action Groups

NooWorld is an advocacy organization that was formed by climate advocates in order to organize and inspire climate activism, spearhead worldwide campaigns, and inspire global change through a unified platform. NooWorld strives to make a difference in public policy by making the voices of activists heard by everyone, from local officials to congresspeople.

Empowering Users to Take Action

Using Countable's advocacy platform, NooWorld empowered its advocates to take a stand on important issues, notably, the wrongful incarceration of environmental lawyer Steven Donzinger. Armed with a platform for bringing together a community of activists, NooWorld mobilized thousands of members to take action ranging from signing online petitions to sending direct messages to elected officials. The platform's features enabled users to participate in multiple campaigns and amplify their voices on key environmental issues.

The platform's advocacy tools enabled NooWorld users to actively participate in multiple grassroots advocacy campaigns by signing petitions and sending messages to elected officials, with a particular focus on the House of Representatives and key offices like the Attorney General's office.

Successful Engagement Metrics

The campaigns launched by NooWorld were highly successful in garnering public support and engagement from the public. Within the first weekend of the Steven Dozinger campaign, nearly 1000 messages were sent by users from 39 states. The platform's initiatives effectively mobilized individuals to take action, with many individuals RSVPing for in-person rallies to further demonstrate their support.

The campaign saw over 250 lawmakers being contacted by users. The partnership between NooWorld and Countable serves as an example of the power of civic engagement in shaping important issues and amplifying the voices of those who are fighting for change. The campaign was successful, and ultimately played a part in Donzinger's release.

Key Takeaways: 

• Empower advocates: Give advocates the tools and resources they need to take action, such as signing petitions and sending messages to elected officials.

• Use effective advocacy tools: Utilize advocacy platforms to enable users to participate in multiple campaigns and amplify their voices on key issues.

•  Measure engagement metrics: Track engagement metrics to understand the impact of campaigns and make data-driven decisions.

• Spark a conversation: Successful campaigns can spark a nationwide conversation on the issue, leading to changes in public policy by amplifying the voices of those fighting for change.

Engaging Customers With Mission-Based Advocacy

JUST Egg produces eco-friendly plant-based egg products that can decrease the negative environmental impact of traditional egg production and provide a convenient option for individuals to choose a more sustainable food alternative. In 2022 the company launched the campaign Egging On Congress with the goal of lobbying Congress to incorporate strong climate provisions into the 2022 reconciliation package.

The "Egging On Congress" campaign required a simple method to allow JUST Egg's customers to easily send messages to lawmakers.

Countable's Quickstart Advocacy Enables Effortless Lawmaker Contact for JUST Egg's Climate Change Campaign

Advocacy Quickstart provided an efficient solution for JUST Egg's campaign by enabling the company to embed a lawmaker contact flow directly onto their own website. This allowed users to easily send messages and videos to their congresspeople with just a few clicks, without having to navigate external websites or contact forms.

Countable’s user-friendly interface made it accessible to people on any device, whether they were on a desktop computer, tablet, or smartphone. This ensured that everyone could engage with the campaign, regardless of their location or technological expertise. 

By making it easy for people to voice their concerns and urge lawmakers to take action on climate change, JUST Egg's "Egging On Congress" campaign was able to mobilize over 2,000 messages to Congress in just three weeks urging lawmakers to include robust climate provisions in the 2022 reconciliation package.

Key Takeaways: 

• Efficient lawmaker contact: Use an efficient solution, like embedding a lawmaker contact flow directly into your website, to make it easy for advocates to take action.

• User-friendly accessibility: Ensure that the advocacy platform is user-friendly and accessible on any device to enable anyone to engage with the campaign, regardless of their location or technological expertise.

• Mobilize messages: Mobilize messages to lawmakers by making it easy for people to voice their concerns and urge lawmakers to take action on the issue at hand.

• Empower individuals: Empower individuals to take direct action in the fight for change by providing them with the tools and resources they need to engage with the campaign and make a difference.

Amplifying the Voices of Those Affected by Legislation

Uber faced a potential legislative challenge from California Assembly Bill 5 (AB5), which aimed to classify gig workers, including all of Uber's drivers, as full-time employees. This reclassification would have resulted in significant increases in operating costs for Uber and limited the flexibility of its drivers. Although Uber and its drivers were aligned in their opposition to the bill, they lacked an effective means to collaborate and organize their efforts to oppose it.

Uber Leverages Countable's Video Testimonial Features to Power Advocacy Campaign for Independent Workers

Uber recognized the importance of understanding the needs and perspectives of its independent workforce in order to address any potential legislative threats. To power its advocacy campaign the company partnered with Countable to launch an engagement hub and gather personal stories and feedback from its top drivers.

Countable's video capture features played a critical role in this initiative. The ability to collect video testimonials from drivers provided a compelling and human element to the campaign. The drivers were able to share their unique experiences and perspectives on independent employment, highlighting the benefits and drawbacks of gig work.

In a matter of days Uber was receiving messages. Hundreds of Drivers shared video and written testimonials expressing their wish to maintain flexible schedules.

Key Takeaways: 

• Power of personal stories: Personal stories and feedback from individuals affected by legislation can be a powerful tool for advocacy campaigns.
  
  
• The value of user-generated content: Utilizing video testimonials adds a compelling human element to a campaign and can become valuable assets for organizations to continue advocating for their cause.
  
  
• Easy engagement increases participation: Providing a means for individuals to easily and efficiently engage with the campaign can significantly increase engagement and participation.
  
  

Mobilizing a Community to Lobby the FCC

Twitch, a popular live streaming platform used primarily for video game streaming, boasts nearly 8.5 million monthly active streamers and over 140 million visitors each month. As a major source of user-generated content, Twitch faced potential financial difficulties from proposed legislation on ending net neutrality, which would allow internet providers to regulate the content its customers could receive and hurt content creators.

In response to this threat, Twitch sought a compelling way to rally support for net neutrality among its web-native user base. 

Creating an Advocacy Site Branded for Twitch Community

The platform partnered with Countable, to create an advocacy site for easy communication with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Together, Twitch and Countable created a fully branded advocacy site optimized for the Twitch community. Users could easily send written and video messages directly to the FCC with a single click. 

Successful Launch and Engagement Metrics

The launch of the advocacy site was a resounding success, with tens of thousands of Twitch users rallying to defend net neutrality within 24 hours. Although the movement to uphold net neutrality ultimately didn't succeed, the campaign saw significant engagement metrics. During the three-day campaign, the site generated 70,453 unique impressions and a 62.1% conversion rate, with 20,126 unique messages sent to the FCC. The campaign also saw a 37.8% engagement rate, and a 6.5% social media share rate, which was 2.5 times the industry average.

The joint effort between Twitch and Countable serves as an example of the power of online communities and civic engagement in shaping important issues. 

Key Takeaways: 

1. Call on your audience: Create a branded advocacy site optimized for your community to make communication easy and efficient. Harness the power of online communities to shape important issues.
   
   
2. Make lawmaker messaging easy: Provide users with the ability to send written and video messages directly to decision-makers with a single click.

Conclusion

By leveraging the capabilities of online action centers, organizations can mobilize their supporters and engage lawmakers on important issues. In today's world, where social media and the internet play a vital role in shaping public opinion, digital advocacy has become an essential tool for making a real impact. 

Successful campaigns must be designed to resonate with the public and mobilize them to take action. They must also be able to engage lawmakers and other decision-makers to bring about meaningful change.