Digital Advocacy Trends We Saw in 2015

It’s no secret that social media and engaging video content have both comfortably settled into their important roles in political advocacy campaigns over the last year.

From Facebook and Twitter to Snapchat, YouTube and Instagram, social media platforms are creating communities for direct engagement with a wide range of stakeholders. And political advocacy groups, nonprofits and businesses alike have all started to become part of this new digital “chapter,” whether they like it or not.

Looking back, many social media experts predicted at the end of 2014 that video content would quickly become a vital advocacy campaign element –to date, they’ve been right.

If your political advocacy group has not already considered adding video content to your overall digital and social media plan, it is definitely time to get started. Here are a few considerations to help you along the way:

Images alone simply aren’t enough.

Over the last year, social media users have proved that video is the content of choice. After all, video has the ability to efficiently and effectively deliver a key message and context, as well as strike an emotional chord that can lead to a more personal, memorable and engaging experience for viewers. What has evolved over the last year, however, is the actual number of platforms where video can be shared and how easily it can be done by almost anyone. YouTube still reigns as king for video views across all devices, but according to recent reports, Facebook took the lead in the last year in video views via desktop.

Sharing video content has never been easier

Some other good news in 2015: A production crew, high-end equipment and a studio are no longer necessities in order to develop meaningful video content. This comes in handy for organizations with smaller-size budgets. In fact, it’s never been easier to share video content; and real-time videos taken directly from a smartphone can be often be more relevant to viewers as they tend to be more personal and “real.”

Now is the time for political advocacy groups to set up their video content game plan if they want to succeed. Lincoln Strategy Group’s team of professionals can provide political advocacy groups with the tools they need to accomplish the job.