For more advice on successful campaigning:
Getting in the media
Getting your campaign covered by newspapers or local TV and radio can really help bring it to people’s attention. Although talking to journalists and setting up interviews may feel daunting, you don’t need to be a communications expert to succeed. You just need a great story, a few tips and a lot of passion.
Grab people’s attention
Your story is going to need an immediate impact if you want people to really notice. A human angle like a road crash victim’s story will make it much more powerful and engaging. Combining a personal account with the latest data on your campaign topic, such as collision rates or air pollution levels, will also give your campaign a much-needed tone of authority. For example, you could use information from the government’s annual reported road casualty statistics.
Children and young people can also be powerful advocates for road safety change. Working with your local primary school can help get you some influential supporters – as well as the chance to share your campaign with the decision-makers of tomorrow!
Write your story
Turning your story into a press release can increase the chances of it being picked up by the media. A good press release will have a strong ‘news hook’ to attract a journalist or editor’s attention. Consider the most powerful, newest or most interesting part of your story and focus your press release around that.
Typically, press releases include have a punchy headline and several quotes from an identified spokesperson. They also have a ‘notes for editors’ section that explains who you are and provides your contact details. Check out Brake’s media centre for a few examples.
Talk to journalists
Once your press release has been written (and proofread carefully), it’s time to email it out to local journalists. Most newspapers and magazines give contact details on their websites. Make sure you think about all media opportunities when sending out your press release.
It’s helpful to get to know your local journalists, particularly when you have a strong story to tell. Journalists may tell you they are busy or can’t talk, but don’t be put off if they say this – instead ask them when would be a better time to call and try and arrange a time to talk to them.
However, you should avoid ringing your contacts every day. Journalists are busy people, so only contact them when you have something important to say that you think they might want to hear.
Interviews
If you’re invited to take part in a radio or television interview, prepare well for it. Make sure you know all the facts about your story. Find out where the interview will take place, when and how it will be broadcast, and whether anyone else is being interviewed as well.
Be clear about what your headline messages are. Think of your top three points and practise saying them out loud. Have your facts and figures prepared, and take notes with you.
Making the most of social media
The internet offers incredible potential for raising awareness about and gaining support for your campaign. You don’t need to be an expert – often, simplicity is key.
Pick your platform
Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter…
How do you decide which platform to use?
Different social media sites have their own specific purposes and users. When choosing which platform(s) to use, consider carefully who you are trying to reach, which social media platform they are most likely to engage with, and your objectives. You can then adapt your message to reach that audience. You also need to match the tone of your message to the platform you’re using: for example, Twitter posts should be active, incorporating links and hashtags, while Facebook posts should be more personalised and Instagram posts should show a snapshot of a moment on your campaign.
Build your profile
It’s important to update your profiles regularly with news and requests for action and help. If your followers receive regular messages and notifications, they are more likely to remain engaged with your campaign.
Start building a network of contacts through your social media pages. Interact with other profiles relevant to local road safety. On Twitter or Instagram, start following similar local pages and message the owners directly.
On Facebook, post on other Facebook groups that are local to your area or focus on a related topic, asking people to join. Invite all your Facebook friends to join your campaign and post about it on their feeds. You can also post on the Brake Facebook page to get your campaign noticed by people who are concerned about road safety throughout the country.
Engaging messages
A successful social media campaign needs to keep its followers interested. Be engaging and friendly with your followers and respond quickly and honestly to any questions they ask.
It’s also important to give your posts a human element – people want to see the team behind posts and get a sense of your campaign group’s culture. However, it’s also important to keep focused on your campaign and make sure your posts are relevant to your audience.
Videos and images
Video content is key on social media, and attracts much higher rates of user engagement than pictures or text. Any videos you upload need to follow a few rules if they are going to be as effective as possible:
- Keep it short. People tend to not watch videos if they are too long, so try to avoid uploading anything that lasts more than a minute at max.
- Add subtitles. If possible, add subtitles to your video, so people can watch it without the sound on.
- Orientation. Video orientation is also important, and footage should generally be filmed portrait for Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and landscape for YouTube or general websites.
The images you post online need to match your campaign’s branding. If you’ve created a logo, it should feature prominently on your social media pages. Try to use the same colour scheme for any other pictures you upload.
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Identify road safety concerns
It’s important to know your facts. You might want to find out what local people think about the volume and speed of traffic on your roads, or ask officials for information about the number of road deaths and injuries in your community.
Carry out a survey to find out local people’s opinions then analyse their responses and use these to help your committee set campaign goals. You could write a short report about your survey results, explaining the main concerns and suggesting some solutions.
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Organise a petition
Petitions can be powerful campaign tools. The key to their success is marketing your petition widely and persuasively.
Keep your petition short and make sure your campaign subject is clearly explained. Take the time to edit and proofread carefully – your petition will be taken more seriously if it is professionally written and free of errors.
You can collect signatures for your petition online or in person. Using two different approaches will help you get the widest possible support for your cause.
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Hold a demonstration
Holding a demonstration is a great idea once you’ve decided a subject for your campaign. You’ll need to plan it well in advance, and prepare everyone for where and when you’ll meet. Support your demonstration by making placards carrying short and simple messages in big, black letters so the media can easily photograph and film them.
Make sure you tell your local police force about your demonstration, and ask your MP, other officials and the media to come along and support you. Make sure you have approval or authorisation to hold your demonstration before it takes place.
Use your demonstration to raise awareness of your main campaign messages. For example, you could work with local police to measure local traffic speeds or hand out leaflets written by local children about the need for slow traffic in places where people live, work and play.
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Keep going
It sometimes takes a long time for changes that make roads safer to happen. For example, introducing lower speed limits or building new crossings, might need approval from a number of different officials. Don’t give up though – achieving safe roads can take time and continued pressure.
Keep copies of all correspondence, keep writing and keep talking — you could set up an email or social networking group of supporters. That way, you will be able to swap views and information and pass on your experiences to others in your group