The human brain is hardwired for certainty in a highly uncertain world.
This dissonance can feel particularly heightened in advocacy efforts: you want to ensure a given outcome in a policy environment with ever-changing variables that seem vastly out of your control.
Tariffs are the most recent example of turbulent policy tides. Whether your issue involves tariffs, tax cuts, shrinking federal agencies and budgets, or something else, your advocacy program needs to be able to ride the waves.
We’ve compiled a shortlist of tips to guide you toward smooth(er) sailing:
Flexibility
Policies change on a dime. It’s important your advocacy program can, too.
Here’s what that looks like in practice:
- Having a strong base of support you can activate immediately in the event your policy priorities become front-page news.
- Having the infrastructure in place to quickly activate that base of support and drive meaningful action among decisionmakers.
Speak4’s intuitive platform allows you to stay nimble during policy storms. It takes less than 10 minutes to set up a new campaign and only seconds to switch targeting, make adjustments to messaging, add redirects and more.
Mobilizing Allies
Uncertainty around your issue’s future can feel destabilizing, but you’re never alone. Your allies can provide a powerful source of support and reinforcement.
Consider how to engage likeminded groups around your issue through social media, partnered email sends, influencer partnerships or other collaborations to ground your mission in proximity to others.
Specify Your Targets
Worried you won’t be heard over the roar of conversation? Consider widening your targeting net.
Think about all of the decisionmakers who could be relevant to your issue. Leveraging Message Variants and Speak4’s targeting features, it’s possible to build support with the executive branch while simultaneously reaching out to influential members of Congress.
Tell Your Story
In addition to certainty, human brains love stories.
Consider adding your advocates’ voices to your campaign to demonstrate the real impact of your policy priorities. StoryTeller Mode, Speak4’s testimonial feature, allows your advocates to record personalized videos that can be banked, built out into a gallery on your organization’s website, layered into advertising or sent directly to lawmakers. These videos are captured at advocates’ highest moment of intent – directly after sending a letter – and the feature includes content moderation and manual review to ensure lawmakers only receive the stories you find most persuasive.
Conclusion
By relying on best practices, you can avoid some of the headline headrush and focus on staying responsive to your advocacy environment.
Got a question on how Speak4 can help you keep your head above water? Email us at [email protected].