SOCIAL MEDIAAdvocacy Communication in the Digital Age

________________________________________________Del Belcher, Digital & Social Media Strategist

Drew YoungeDyke, Field & Public Relations Manager

Michigan United Conservation Clubs

• Mission: “Uniting citizens to conserve, protect and enhance Michigan’s natural resources and outdoor heritage.”

• Founded in 1937• Over 40,000 members• Over 250 affiliated clubs• Largest state-specific conservation organization in the

country

SOCIAL MEDIA

• Issue• Audience• Message• Means• Distribution

ISSUE

• Define the issue• Example: Scientific Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act• Protecting Hunting Rights• Anti-hunters wanted to uses wolves as a victory in their

national anti-hunting agenda• The SFWCA put the decisions in the hands of biologists,

so it couldn’t be hijacked by out-of-state anti-hunting groups on the ballot

• Anti-hunters wanted to spread the message that the issue was just about hunting wolves, and after the moot ballot vote they wanted to declare victory

AUDIENCE

• Our audience was the hunting/fishing/trapping/conservation community

• The community banded together to collect signatures and encourage their legislators to pass the Scientific Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, and despite constant communication before the vote that it was moot, there was still a lot of confusion as to what it meant

• We wanted to reassure our core audience that the SFWCA was not affected by the vote and that we still won

MESSAGE

• The message had to be simple: “We still won.” • The SFWCA was passed in August, but doesn’t go into

effect until 90 days after sine die (when the legislature adjourns)

• HSUS has threatened a lawsuit, but it’s without legal merit

• The SFWCA will go into effect around March 18, no matter what HSUS did on the ballot, i.e.: “We still won.”

MEANS

• We wanted to reach a lot of people very quickly• Through our established social media presence, we are

able to plug that message in and launch it.• Weekly blog post on website with an established and

growing readership• Conservation Insider e-newsletter • Facebook, Twitter

WHAT DO WE DO? - MUCC leverages social media to:

• Inform• Network• Reach • Drive • Grow

Make the user’s engagement worthwhile.

Answer the question: Why Bother?

WHERE DO WE DO IT?

Youtube.com/MUCCVideo

Linkedin.com/MUCC1937

Twitter.com/MUCC1937

Facebook.com/MUCC1937

Pinterest.com/MichiganUnited

MichiganUnitedConservationClubs.Tumblr.com

Facebook.com/MichiganOutofDoors

WHERE DO WE DO IT?

Facebook• Mostly Everyone• Mainly ages 35-54• Sharing

MUCC Facebook• Policy Focus• Groundswell Catalyst

MOOD Mag Facebook• Outdoor Lifestyle• Lighter News and

EducationTwitter• 30-35• News/Magazines/Organ

izations

Pinterest• 24-55• Women

Tumblr and Instagram• 14-29• Idea and Image Sharing

LinkedIn• Young Professionals• Job Hunters

YouTube• 35-54• Men

WHY DO WE DO IT? - TRUE GRASSROOTS

Self Reported Facebook Data for MUCC:• 5,200,000 individuals on Facebook• 1,120,000 Men Ages 35 - 64• 70% of Fans are Married• 65% use both Desktop and Mobile• 15% use iPhone• 55% own a Home worth 100k-250k• 80% use Credit Card as Primary Payment

• 95% of those cards are Bank Cards• 60% Own a Pickup Truck• 55% Buy Sporting Goods (80% higher than the national

average FB User)• It’s Market Research!• We can connect with all of them!

HOW DO WE DO IT - Structure

MUCC.ORGFacebook

Email

Imag

e an

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essa

ge S

harin

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Image and M

essage Sharing

Search Engine Optimization & Relevant Content

HOW DO WE DO IT? - Method to Relevant ContentAssess

• Goals• Values• Issues• Users

Discover• What do our users want?• What do our users need?• How do users use media?• What motivates the user?• Do goals, values, issues and users

ACTUALLY benefit from this?Engage

• Relevant Content• Timely Messaging• Measurable/Actionable Items

Reassess• Did it Drive Web Traffic?• What are the Takeaways?• Do it Again!

HOW DO WE DO IT? - Creating Relevant ContentWill it work?

• Google Keyword Planner• Facebook Insights - Post Engagement• SEMRush & Spyfu.com

Is it working?• Google Analytics• Facebook Insights• WP Analytics• Hootsuite Analytics

What will work next?• Google Trends• Google AdWords• Facebook Audience Insights