Emphasize messengers over message

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Here's one way to re-think your communications strategy: focus on messengers, not just messages. The specifics of a particular messaging strategy are often less important than the predisposition of your audience towards receiving your message. Elevating the voices of highly motivated messengers in your communication strategy helps open up new audiences to hear your message, and adds critical color and depth to your communication strategy to build the quality relationships needed to encourage bold action.

Here are a few examples:

• Tar Sands Action Launch. This short term mass-mobilization campaign to stop the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline began with an invitation to action signed by author and activist Bill McKibben, and 10 other environmental activists, scientists, indigenous leaders, and public figures. The people who signed weren't just figure heads; they were ambassadors to different audiences that would be critical to making the action successful.
• Highlighting participant stories. As the action picked up steam, and signups began coming in, Tar Sands Action organizers asked participants to share their stories about why they chose to take part in the action. Organizers then worked with a handful of participants to write blog posts and emails explaining their stories in more depth. Sharing these stories was the bread-and-butter of the Action's social media organizing strategy, and many participants pointed to these personal narratives as a key part of their reason for participating.
• Make it personal. We also made sure to humanize our organizing team. Emails used 'I' and spoke in a personal voice, and we took every opportunity to introduce our entire organizing team (Bill, Daniel, Duncan, Jamie, Joshua, Linda, Matt, and Rae) online and in trainings.

It's not just what you say, or even how you say it -- remember to think about WHO is saying your message when developing your communications strategy.

Interested in more lessons from the Tar Sands Action? Join the New Organizing Forum on January 26 (in person or live stream) to participate in a debrief of this impressive mobilization campaign!

Duncan Meisel is Online Coordinator for Tar Sands Action, and an NOI community member (and, you can reach him at duncan@tarsandsaction.org or on Twitter at @duncanwrites)