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

DISTRIBUTION