An awareness campaign can be a great way to educate people and get them to take action. It will take effort, but you can carry it out if you go step by step. To get started, define exactly what you want your campaign to look like and gather people to help. Create an Internet presence to get more people and use written media to spread the information.
Steps
Part 1 of 5: Build the Campaign
Step 1. Define your goals
Your main goal is to raise awareness, but you have to limit it to more specific goals. For example, develop specific objectives such as "Influence the people who make policy decisions."
- Your awareness campaign may be smaller, you may want to primarily influence people who have the power to make change, such as school officials or senior managers at a job.
- Other goals may be to find allies, improve public awareness, or try to change what is being discussed on the subject.
Step 2. Demand specific actions
While raising awareness is important, the campaign should also motivate people to take action. When you are thinking about your campaign, define what you want people to do with the knowledge that you are going to provide them.
- For example, if your goal is to raise awareness about inequality in education, what actions do you want people to take? Do you want them to vote for more tax money to be allocated to education? Do you want them to donate to the schools? Do you want them to vote in favor of raising teachers' salaries? Do you want them to contact the local officials?
- You may want people to take several actions, but you need to know which ones in advance.
Step 3. Write your mission
The mission is simply a short statement that expresses what the campaign is about. Usually it is a single long sentence. When you write it, include your main goals and the actions you want to achieve.
- For example, your mission statement could be similar to "Empower yourself! Seeks to raise awareness of the environmental impact of recycling, to encourage people to recycle more, and to call for better recycling programs across the jurisdiction."
- Another mission could be "At Wheels United, our mission is to advocate for people with disabilities by raising awareness, fundraising and convincing our delegates to create better laws."
Step 4. Review the information
Before educating others, you must know the facts yourself. Use reputable websites and books to learn about the problems of your cause on both sides of the medal so that you are prepared for anything.
- Look for websites with the extension ".edu," ".gov," or ".org" to see that they are reputable.
- Always keep in mind who is submitting the information. Do you have any reason to be impartial?
Step 5. Create an identifiable logo
It doesn't have to be a fancy, professionally designed one. However, a logo will help people easily identify your campaign. Create one for your campaign and brand it based on it.
Also choose a set of colors that you are going to use in the campaign, for the same reasons
Part 2 of 5: Gather People to Help
Step 1. See if someone is already doing the work
If there is already a national campaign defending your cause, let them do the hard part of the job. That is, join her and use her materials to raise awareness instead of creating everything yourself.
Step 2. Invite your friends and family to join you
If you want to reach a wide audience, it helps to enlist the help of other people. Ask the people who are in solidarity with your cause if they would like to get involved with the development of the campaign.
Step 3. Find experts and talk to them
Talk to experts to find out what you are doing right and what is wrong. Many of them will help you with your campaign willingly. While you are with them, ask them for a phrase that you can use in your promotional materials, as well as help in its elaboration.
Part 3 of 5: Create an Internet Presence
Step 1. Create a web page
Use one so people have one place to go and where all the information is. You don't need to know how to write code to create a web page. Use a programming program to design it, or choose a predesigned one.
- Include your mission statement in the "About us" tab clearly.
- Include information about your campaign.
- Create an area with up-to-date information on how people can get involved and give them a place where they can get in touch with you.
- Make the website easy to share. If it isn't, people won't. This means that on each page there should be a share button for each of the most important social networks. Then all people have to do is click.
Step 2. Build a presence on social media
These platforms are a great way to connect with people. Build a specific page or account for your cause and use your logo as an image. Include the mission and a link to your website for people to find out more.
Step 3. Invite people to follow you
Ask your friends and family to join the cause. Then ask them to invite their friends too. It will also be useful to use social networks as it will allow you to get in touch with people who are not your followers, so that you can find new people to join your cause.
For example, Instagram and Twitter allow you to add hashtags to your posts. People can search for posts based on a hashtag, so they'll find your campaign that way. The key is to select one that is popular
Step 4. Include fun posts
You can't just go online and wait for the job to get done. You have to connect with your followers. Posting information about the cause is important, but most people get put off by pages that are serious all the time. Also include relevant fun content to motivate your audience to stay and invite others to join.
- For example, you can include quizzes to measure your audience's knowledge of the topic, surveys on the best color or logo, even fun little gifts. You could post memes on the subject, to make you laugh for educational purposes.
- Also connect with your audience. Don't just throw the information at them. Ask them questions and encourage participation. Respond to people when they ask questions about your campaign on social media.
Step 5. Make your message easy to share
This condition is particularly important on social media. People will share your message, but only if you make it easy. Use quotes, short videos, and even memes on your page, and people are likely to share the information on their own page.
Part 4 of 5: Use print media
Step 1. Create posters and flyers with basic information
Put a limit on the information you include in these materials because people only give them 1 to 2 seconds of their time. Get their attention with an important piece of information, and then give them space to connect. Include social media accounts or website at the bottom for more information.
Step 2. Make brochures with more information
This material is something that a person can take with them. Print them on standard sheets of paper. A common technique is to fold them in thirds and put most of the information inside.
Although it is possible to include more information in a pamphlet, it is still not good to overload people. It includes the most important data about the campaign, such as where to connect and what actions they can take
Step 3. To spread the word, distribute print media
One of your main goals is to educate people, so spend some time spreading your message through written media. Hang flyers and posters in your city. Ask if you can hang flyers at local organizations and businesses that support each other.
Part 5 of 5: Organize and promote educational events
Step 1. Ask for donations
Ask for them in order to maintain the website, use printed advertising and organize educational events, for example. You can place a donation area on your website and ask for donations at events to help increase the reach of your campaign.
- Creating a non-governmental organization helps people to have confidence. However, you may not be at that stage yet.
- If you get money from donations, consider running a mail campaign.
Step 2. Speak to local organizations
Once you start making a name for yourself, you can ask to be spoken at local events. Many companies and organizations like to host occasional speakers, so reach out to the ones you think would be relevant.
Step 3. Divide your audience into segments
That is, you must know who you are going to make your presentation to and how those people will or will not perceive the information. For example, if you are creating a campaign to improve education in your local schools, your message to a group of teachers will be different from what you would give to the general public or local officials. Think of each group to which you are going to present your message.
- If you know that a group will support you, make your speech short; for example, explain your main goals and ask for support. Be specific and creative about the variety of things they can do, looking for what is easy or satisfying. If you ask them to pass the message on to others, share arguments they can use, as well as materials, web links, etc.
- If the group you are talking to is neutral or against your message, you will need to present an argument that explains why they should support your organization.
Step 4. Organize educational events
Get local experts to speak about your cause and organize the event. Check with local businesses, your area library, your school, or even your company to see if they want speakers. Since one of your main goals is to educate, having experts speak up on the subject will help.
Step 5. Create fundraising events
Donations will only help you up to a point. At some point you are going to have to fundraise yourself. Organize events that serve both to raise awareness about your cause and to raise money. You can call on your group of supporters to volunteer and organize the event.
For example, if you are raising money for education, you can organize a closed-door event at school for parents and children that includes games, food, and movies. He charges a ticket at the door and sells tickets for some games and the food
Step 6. Promote events
You can use all media to promote events. Flyers or a poster can be used to get people's attention in public places, while social media will help you reach current and new followers of the campaign.