Launching A Campaign

Tactics

• This exercise will help you think of the advantages and disadvantages of tactics but don’t discount the crazier ideas straight away, sometimes these are the ones with the most potential.

  • Get a large piece of paper

  • On the left, write down the problem you are wanting to tackle

  • In the column next to it, list the actions you might take (look back at your campaign goal and aims).

  • Next to them write down the benefits, limitations and consequences of each action.

  • For example:

• Timeline

  • You don’t need to map out every detail in advance, but your advocacy campaign needs a timeline that outlines your end goal and the major events, challenges, and opportunities along the way that you will need to either capitalize on or overcome.

  • Start with specific deadlines, decision dates, or other time-specific events, then add other key events and "benchmark dates."

  • As you continue to fill out the timeline, this will guide your decisions about what tactics and strategies will be most helpful.

  • You might not know what you will need to communicate with your network of supporters yet, but you’ll probably want to share critical information along the way. Add a general timeline of communication with your supporters. You can adjust as you go, but having a schedule helps ensure it gets done on time and helps your campaign.

  • Feel free to draw out the table below to help plot your actions, or alternatively map out your own timeline with the information you feel is relevant to your campaign’s success…

• Raise awareness (brand, content, promotion)

  • To get your campaign out there, good publicity and outreach are essential for communicating your campaign message and getting people involved to take actions. Successful campaigners are constantly reaching out and ensuring their presence is known to people.

  • Below are some top tips for raising the profile of your campaign:

Create a Brand

• When creating a brand, try and create material ahead of time so when you are in the middle of your campaign you have everything prepared and ready to go.

• Make sure you have some consistency in your brand, including the language you use, pictures, colours and font type.

• The tone can be causal, funny or serious, just make sure you choose a tone that matches your target audience!

• Think of clear messages that you want to send out. People won't read messages that are too long or wordy, but they need to be informative so that it grabs their interest. You could draft a communication plan with scripts, launch day announcements and any updates you have planned.

TOP TIP!

• Canva is a free online tool that can help you design graphics and advertising materials for your campaign.

Create Engaging Content

• Content can be used to raise awareness of your campaign. When creating content consider who your target audience is and where they find their information sources:

  • Blog posts

  • Facebook/Instagram/Twitter updates

  • eBooks

  • Guest posts from a YouTuber or Alumni who has a big following

  • Tutorials on ‘how to’

  • Videos with a ‘call to action’

  • Student specific sites (The Tab, Palatinate)          

Promotion Tactics

• Good promotion can help you effectively raise the awareness of your campaign.

• Some popular options to consider are:

  • Facebook advertisements

  • Tweets

  • Instagram (specifically stories & reels!)

  • Student radio/newspaper ads

  • Display boards

  • Leaflets

  • Hashtags

  • Hosting an event or workshop

TOP TIP!

• You can contact our campaigns coordinator at the SU to help promote your campaigns.

If you are using social media channels to promote your campaign, consider scheduling in posts before your campaign launches to save you time during busy periods.