Friending the Finish Line: Why Social Media for Child Advocacy? November 9, 2011

Children in the Budget: Why Did First Focus Get Involved?

FRIENDING THE FINISH LINE: SOCIAL MEDIA NONPROFIT BEST PRACTICES Attention in An Age of Media Overload Traditional Tradigital Owned Social Media Source: Steve Rubel Source: Beth Kanter

Children in the Budget: Kids’ Programs Are Voters’ Priority Lake Research Partners: 82-10% support for SCHIP reauthorization –93-3% among Democrats –76-11% among Independents –73-18% among Republicans –92-4% among Obama voters –71-18% among McCain voters –83-10% among born-again Christians –80-13% among voters in the South –81-14% among rural voters

Kids’ Programs are Voters’ Priority

Leaders Say the Right Things But… Speaker Nancy Peolsi: “…what are the three most important issues facing Congress? Our children, our children, our children” (Washington Post, Dec. 21, 2009) “Democratic Sen. Max Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said the expansion of the Children's Health Insurance Program was the most significant development of the past 10 years” (Great Falls Tribune, Jan. 3, 2010)

Share of Total Federal Spending

Activation Point: Achieving Policy Change Four Key Steps Increase Knowledge: Data/Reports Building Will: Overcoming barriers Speak with a unified voice/working across silos Creating a positive campaign Stronger and coordinated communications Create Policy Agenda: Legislative, administrative/community change Take Action: Identifying/creating windows of opportunity

The Road Ahead: Why Social Media? Increase Knowledge –Reports: Children’s Budget/KIDS COUNT –Letters/Testimony/Fact Sheets Build Will –Create Community/Speaking With Unified Voice –Improving Our Communications/Messaging Create Policy Agenda Take Action –Identify/Create Windows of Opportunity –Engage Allies/Key Stakeholders

Social Media: Helping Us Attain Our Advocacy Goals Increase Knowledge –Draw Traffic/Attention to Your Content –Control Message/You Are Your Own Media Channel –Reach New Audiences (other groups, individuals, bloggers) –Reach “Elites” (e.g, Rep. Doggett, Charles Blow, Jimmy Wayne) Build Will –Create Campaigns (e.g., #dontcutkids) & Community –Issue Concise/Action-Oriented Messages –Costs Nothing (…okay, there is the cost of time) Take Action –Identify/Create Windows of Opportunity –Engage Allies/Key Stakeholders/Decision-Makers

Social Media: Helping Us Attain Our Advocacy Goals Increase Knowledge –Draw Traffic/Attention to Your Own Content –Control Message/You Are Your Own Media Channel –Reach New Audiences (other groups, individuals, bloggers) –Reach “Elites” (e.g, Rep. Doggett, Charles Blow, Jimmy Wayne)

Creating Buzz: Driving Traffic/Attention to Content Release of “Children’s Budget 2001” Largest Single Day of Traffic to First Focus Website…Ever Large Amount of Traffic From Facebook and Twitter Costs Us Nothing When People Download Content

Controlling Content: Creating Own Media Channel Publicize your own content Frame issue using your own talking points, hashtags

Social Media: Reaching “Media Elites” A report released this month by Jane Waldfogel of Columbia University and the London School of Economics paints a fascinating portrait of how smart policies and targeted investments in that country have produced stellar results.report released this month

Social Media: Reaching “Other Elites”

Social Media: Helping Us Attain Our Advocacy Goals Build Will –Create Campaigns (e.g., #dontcutkids) & Community –Issue Concise/Action- Oriented Messages –Costs Nothing (…okay, there is the cost of time)

Speak with One Voice Children at the Federal Level: Children Children’s Health Education Head Start Child Care Juvenile Justice Foster Care Home Visiting Child Safety Seats Infant Mortality Childhood Obesity Substance Abuse Bullying Even Start Healthy Start Child Abuse & Neglect Immunizations No Child Left Behind Adoption Maternal & Child Health Childhood Research Autism Child Development Pre-K Missing & Exploited Children Smoking Prevention Child Tax Credit Service Child Nutrition Build Will: Creating a Campaign and Speaking With One Voice

Social Media: Building Will with “Twitter Bombs”

Social Media: Helping Us Attain Our Advocacy Goals Take Action –Engage Allies/Stakeholders Different From Sign-On Letters, Which Are One Big Hit But Much More Passive “Rule of Six” –Identify/Create Windows of Opportunity Listening/Injecting Self Into the Conversation Opening Windows Creating Accountability

Ladder of Love on Social Media FRIENDING THE FINISH LINE: SOCIAL MEDIA NONPROFIT BEST PRACTICES Attention Engagement Action Love Source: Beth Kanter Why it is a good idea to get started

Have A Strategy: Content Curation FRIENDING THE FINISH LINE: SOCIAL MEDIA NONPROFIT BEST PRACTICES Source: Gartner Technology Hype Cycles

Controlling Content: Creating Own Media Channel Publicize your own content Frame issue using your own talking points, hashtags

Spreadsheet: Who is Posting What, Where, When Recycle, Repurpose, Reimagine Report Release

Children in the Budget: Contact Information Children in the Budget: Bruce Lesley President, First Focus Bruce Lesley President, First Focus