Digital Advocacy: The good, the bad and the UGLY
Digital advocacy is the use of technology to galvanize people towards a cause, whether it’s a policy or a product. It’s an organized effort to influence public perception. When we think of digital advocacy in this way, we can see how groundbreaking it can be in exercising our civic muscle, pushing for policy reform and making the world a better place through a more informed and active citizenry. At it’s core, it can be one of the strongest forces of civic technology.
The key steps to a successful digital campaign include 5 main steps:
1. Decide on your goal
What are you trying to accomplish? It’s not just about your Twitter reach on your hashtag, but the actual outcome from the exposure. Fundraising? Sensitization? Changing perceptions? Influencing policy?
2. Figure out your target audience
Oftentimes when we ask this question, the answer is “everyone”. Realistically, it’s best to have a target audience because it improves your reach, allows you to better tailor your content and use your resources more effectively. You are more likely to achieve your goals by focusing on this aspect of your strategy.
3. Choose your social channel
Website? Blogs? Newsletters? Twitter? Facebook? Instagram? Snapchat? This is where #2 comes handy. By better understanding your chosen demographic, you can appropriately pick the channel you’re most likely to reach them on.
4. Create catchy content
This is what it finally comes down to. How engaging is your content? Be sure to use visuals and pictures. Some of our favourite platforms for create visuals are Canva and Pablo. Come up with a catchy hashtag. Keep a coherent message. And most importantly, remember to include your call to action. To donate, share, volunteer, act etc.
5. Measure and Iterate
Measure your reach and adjust your strategy based on the results. Google Analytics provides information on websites and each social media platform has in-built analytics such as Facebook Ads or third-party tools such as Tweetbinder, Keyhole etc.
A solid digital strategy utilizes a broad range of tools and content to engage more deeply with their audience. It’s not just limited to well-funded, large social media campaigners, but also presents another way to offer support when time and money are scarce. After all, Slacktivism is still activism.
THE GOOD
Here in Uganda, social media has often been used to champion human rights. Last year, Connecting Voices, a Hivos funded project promoted the adoption of digital advocacy through blogging and social media campaigns to promote democratic governance, protect civic spaces, demand government accountability, safeguard freedom of expression and champion social justice. In their social media campaign, they used the hashtag #MyVoiceOurPower to share and encourage as many people to raise their voices to get the policymakers to hear them out.
Uganda also has well-staffed social media accounts for government services such as the Kampala Capital City Authority and utility services such as Umeme (electricity) and NWSC (water), providing timely responses to queries, complaints and feedback while at the same providing information back to citizens and consumers.
Another example of a successful digital advocacy strategy is that of Bobi Wine alias Robert Kyagulanyi Sentamu, a local musician contested for a parliamentary seat attracting huge numbers of support online. Twitter was abuzz with the events and activities surrounding his journey into politics and finally to the tenth Parliament of Uganda.
Some of the most successful online fundraising campaigns in Uganda are run by 40 days over 40 smiles. Through social media, events and networks, the organization has raised over Ushs 100 Million and invested it in the lives of over 500 children.
THE BAD
But wait. There’s always another side to the story. With the uprising of fake news, growing nationalistic sentiments and just casual villainy, digital advocacy can serve to be incendiary, sparking citizens to take negative actions and this has taken place across the globe, from Kenya to India.
In Myanmar, social media has been used to spread hate speech and violence against the minority Muslim Rohingya. The vast majority of hate speech has been found on social media, particularly Facebook rather than in print media, according to the Institute for War and Peace Reporting. The posts seemed insidious and organized, and over time evolved to be more targeted and militaristic. Since late August 2017, more than 600,000 Rohingya have left Myanmar, fleeing a state-led campaign of violence against them.
THE UGLY
Kenya’s 2017 presidential election was as contested online as it was in the streets, albeit from the safety of one’s computer. One notorious campaign was called “The Real Raila” which was a negative smear campaign against presidential candidate Raila Odinga, whereas the second viral campaign was called “Uhuru for Us”, painting Uhuru Kenyatta in a positive light by displaying his accomplishments as the incumbent. According to Privacy International, the two online campaigns were created by Harris Media LLC, a far-right American digital media company, on behalf of President Kenyatta’s re-election campaign. You could say that Harris Media is your usual run-off-the-mill digital media company using analytics, customer segmentation, advertisement optimization and so on. One might argue that there’s nothing wrong in hiring such a company to run a political campaign. Privacy International goes on to say, “However, data-driven campaigning is nothing new. For decades, campaigns have been using and refining targeting, looking at past voting histories, demographic and other information to understand voters’ issues and values, mirroring tactics long used by marketers and commercial advertisers.”
But still, we have to admit, it is ugly.
WHERE ARE WE NOW?
If there’s one area where Uganda and Africa at large has continued to shine, it’s on technology adoption. Participation is easier than ever. Information is at our finger tips. Which brings us back to the topic of civic technology. How can we harness this almost free and endless resources to champion for real issues on the ground. Improved budgeting. Lowered corruption. Increased public safety. Higher transparency.
Next month, together with the New Union, we will be working with young activists to better understand what works in our context and how to connect our work here with same passion in other countries, but more importantly, how to quickly launch a campaign with minimal technology skills. Civify, implemented by New Union, is a digital democracy project that gives young people a platform to campaign on civic issues that are important to them and look to hold the people who make decisions on their behalf more accountable. They provide support by way of creating content, providing equipment, seeking relevant policy makers and launching the campaigns online.
We’re excited to see what this recipe looks like in Uganda and to learn from Civify campaigns, some of which have been viral and high-impact in the UK.
Stay tuned!
Written by Pius Enywaru and Neema Iyer
