The Three Ds

There are three approaches to digital campaigning – The Three Ds.

1. Digital petitions:

One way to engage potential supporters and spread your message is to launch a digital petition. This is an effective strategy because you’re not asking much of the participants, and it can be used to quickly share information. When creating a digital petition, consider these tips:

• Decide which digital petition website to use. Change.org and ipetitions.com are popular petition platforms.
• Draft a catchy title and persuasive story. Include images to move people to sign the petition.
• Be clear about your petition’s purpose.
• Create a plan to share and promote the petition. Encourage signers to share with others.
• Use a petition thermometer to showcase how close the petition is to its target number of signatures.

2. Digital open letters and blogs:

If you want to share your opinion or personal connection to an issue in a way that moves others, an open letter or blog is a good option. Open letters are sometimes addressed to someone specifically (e.g., policymakers or individuals) or are just written with anyone in mind. While open letters take a specific letter form, blogs can generally be in whatever writing style you want. Both follow a similar set of tips:

• Decide on the platform to host your writing. Open letters are sometimes shared on social media, like TikTok or Instagram. Other popular sites, like Medium, are an option too.
• Consider your audience. Who will be most influenced or moved by your message?
• Be concise with your writing but also try to be powerful. Tell a story that will resonate with others.
• Make your purpose clear and list potential strategies or steps for readers to follow or take action on.

3. Digital fundraising campaigns:

If you’re trying to raise money for an issue, then digital fundraising can be essential as it can engage large groups of people online. Here are some tips:

• Determine a platform. There are many popular crowdfunding platforms, like GoFundMe.
• Create a catchy title and draft a story or message that will move people to donate.
• Be clear about the purpose of the funds and how they will be spent.
• Share updates as people donate.
• Provide donation tiers for people who donate large sums of money.
• Use a donation thermometer to show how close you are to the fundraising goal.
• Create a marketing plan for your fundraising campaign.