Social media serves as a powerful conduit for sharing stories, mobilizing supporters, and fostering a united community. The best platforms will depend on your local community, but here are a few to get started.
General Best Practices:
Consistent Posting: Regular updates keep your community engaged and informed.
Visual Content: Utilize images and videos to convey compelling stories.
Community Interaction: Respond to comments and messages to build trust and foster meaningful connections.
These established platforms are useful for sharing updates, but consider using an aggreagation service for posting (see below).
Incorporating NextDoor into your social media strategy can significantly enhance local engagement.
Authentic Engagement: Interact with neighbors in a genuine, neighborly tone, sharing relevant updates and responding to comments to foster trust and collaboration. citeturn0search4
Regular Updates: Maintain an active presence by posting at least 3-4 times per week, sharing information on upcoming events, safety tips, and local cycling news to keep the community informed and engaged. citeturn0search4
Utilize Groups: Create or join groups within Nextdoor focused on cycling, safety, or community events to connect with like-minded individuals and promote your initiatives effectively. citeturn0search14
If you have an active local subreddit in your area, it can be a useful tool for promoting events and recruiting community members to participate in local government surveys, sign petitions, and attend meetings.
Community Engagement: Participate in relevant subreddits to share information and foster discussions about cycling advocacy.
Authentic Interaction: Engage genuinely with users to build trust and credibility within the community.
A communication platform offering voice, video, and text channels, ideal for building dedicated communities.
Create a Server: Establish a dedicated server for your organization to facilitate real-time discussions and updates.
Organize Channels: Set up specific channels for different topics, such as event planning, general discussions, and resource sharing.
A platform that streamlines your social media scheduling across multiple channels.
Pricing: Free plan available; paid plans start at $6 per month per social channel.
Non-Profit Discount: Buffer offers a 50% discount for non-profit organizations.
Scheduled Posting: Maintain a consistent presence by planning and scheduling your posts.
Analytics: Leverage analytics to understand what resonates with your audience and refine your strategy.
A visual planner and scheduler, especially powerful for Instagram.
Pricing: Free plan available; paid plans start at $12.50 per month.
Non-Profit Discount: Later offers discounts for non-profits upon request.
Visual Planning: Use the visual content calendar to craft a cohesive and appealing feed.
Hashtag Suggestions: Expand your reach by utilizing effective hashtags.
Direct communication through email remains a cornerstone for engaging supporters and driving action.
An email marketing platform offering customizable templates and automation features.
Pricing: Free for up to 500 subscribers; paid plans start at $13 per month.
Non-Profit Discount: Mailchimp offers a 15% discount for non-profit organizations.
Segmentation: Organize your audience based on interests to send targeted content.
Automation: Set up automated welcome emails for new subscribers.
An intuitive email marketing service with robust features.
Pricing: Free for up to 1,000 subscribers; paid plans start at $10 per month.
Non-Profit Discount: MailerLite offers a 30% discount for non-profits.
A/B Testing: Experiment with different subject lines to optimize open rates.
Landing Pages: Create dedicated pages to capture new subscribers.
A platform combining email marketing, automation, and customer relationship management (CRM).
Pricing: Plans start at $9 per month.
Non-Profit Discount: Offers a 20% discount for non-profit organizations.
Personalization: Use CRM data to craft personalized messages that resonate with individual supporters.
A/B Testing: Experiment with different email elements to determine what drives the best engagement.
Canva is a user-friendly graphic design platform that enables users to create a wide array of visual content, including social media graphics, presentations, posters, and more.
Adobe Express, formerly known as Adobe Spark, is a web-based design tool that offers a range of templates and design elements suitable for creating marketing materials.
Piktochart is an easy-to-use design tool focused on creating infographics, presentations, and reports, making complex data more accessible and engaging.
Pricing: Free plan available with basic features; premium plans offer advanced functionalities.
Non-Profit Discount: Piktochart offers discounts for nonprofit organizations upon application.
Data Visualization: Utilize Piktochart to transform statistics and information into visually appealing infographics that effectively communicate your message.
Customizable Templates: Select from a variety of templates and customize them to fit your organization's branding and the specific data you wish to present.
Events are the heartbeat of your community development, bringing people together to celebrate, educate, and mobilize.
A straightforward way to create and promote events to your followers. Free to use.
Invitations: Personally invite your followers and encourage them to spread the word.
Updates: Keep attendees engaged with regular updates and reminders.
An open-source platform focused on privacy for organizing events and managing groups. Free to use.
Event Creation: Set up detailed events and share them within your community.
Privacy Focused: Engage with members in a space that respects their data and autonomy.
Federated Networking: Connect with other Mobilizon instances to expand your event's reach.
A modern invitation platform designed for organizing social events with ease. Free to use.
Mixily offers a user-friendly platform designed to simplify event creation, promotion, and ticketing, making it an excellent choice for both virtual and in-person gatherings.
Intuitive Event Creation: Set up events swiftly with customizable templates, allowing you to add images, detailed descriptions, and integrate seamlessly with platforms like Zoom for virtual meetups.
Efficient Ticketing System: Manage ticket sales directly through Mixily, offering various pricing tiers and promotional codes to accommodate different attendee needs.
Automated Communication: Keep your attendees informed with scheduled reminders and updates, ensuring they have all necessary information leading up to the event.
Engaging Invitations: Utilize Mixily's customizable templates to create visually appealing invitations that capture the essence of your event.
Streamlined RSVPs: Simplify the RSVP process, allowing attendees to confirm their participation with ease, enhancing overall event attendance.
Data-Driven Planning: Leverage Mixily's analytics to gain insights into attendee engagement and ticket sales, informing future event strategies.
A compelling online presence is essential for outreach and engagement. The following platforms can help you build and manage an effective website:
Google Sites offers a user-friendly, free website builder that integrates seamlessly with other Google services.
Known for its design capabilities, Canva also offers a free website builder.
A user-friendly website builder offering a wide range of templates and customization options.
Pricing: Plans start at $16 per month.
Non-Profit Discount: Wix offers discounts for non-profit organizations upon application.
Drag-and-Drop Interface: Easily design your website with intuitive tools, no coding required.
SEO Tools: Enhance your site's visibility with built-in search engine optimization features.
A platform known for its design flexibility and professional templates.
Template Selection: Choose templates that reflect your organization's mission and are easy to navigate.
SEO Optimization: Utilize built-in tools to improve search engine visibility.
Effective collaboration is the cornerstone of successful advocacy. Utilizing tools that allow multiple contributors to edit and refine documents in real-time ensures that your press releases, letters to council, and other vital communications are polished and impactful.
A widely-used platform that enables real-time collaboration on documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.
Real-Time Editing: Collaborate simultaneously with team members, ensuring immediate input and feedback.
Commenting and Suggesting: Utilize these features to propose changes and discuss edits without altering the original text.
Offers robust document editing with seamless integration across Microsoft applications.
An all-in-one workspace combining note-taking, project management, and collaborative document editing.
Centralized Information: Create a centralized hub for all organizational documents, ensuring easy access and collaboration.
Templates: Utilize customizable templates for consistent document formatting and structure.
An open-source, web-based collaborative real-time editor, ideal for teams seeking a straightforward, no-frills editing experience. Free and open-source.
Simplicity: Use Etherpad for quick, real-time collaboration without the need for complex features.
Customization: Host your own instance to maintain control over data and tailor the platform to your needs.