How to Create an Advocacy Strategy

So, you want to change the world? Maybe you have a great idea — a way to positively impact society — but do you know how to tell everyone about it? Publishing a research paper isn’t enough, you need to actively spread awareness and get your ideas heard.

Barber Communications Director Corey Barber has 13+ years of public relations and affairs experience in Germany and the US. She recently hosted an advocacy workshop with European rule of law experts. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown from her workshop on how to communicate your ideas and maximize the impact of your message. To help you, you know, change the world.

What is advocacy?

Before we dive into the nitty gritty of strategic communication, it’s important to understand what advocacy is and why it matters. 

Advocacy is a fight for social change. It’s about identifying an issue, setting clear objectives, and making a deliberate and organized effort to influence decision-makers and promote change in policies, practices, or public opinion. It involves speaking up on behalf of a cause, often driven by a desire to address social, political, or environmental issues. Advocacy aims to amplify the voices of individuals or communities, empowering them to champion their concerns and drive positive transformation. 

People often ask what the difference is between advocacy and lobbying. Lobbying — asking policymakers to vote a certain way or dedicate funds to a specific issue — can be part of advocacy. But advocacy can also incorporate research, public education and mobilizing people.

Why is it important to spread your message?

Without advocacy, transformative ideas can get lost on busy policymakers. Research and ideas aren’t enough — we need to inform and win over others. Whether advancing for social justice, environmental sustainability, or healthcare reform, effective advocacy strategies are essential to bring about meaningful change. 

The World Bank publishes hundreds of reports a year “to inform public debate or government policy,” but does anyone really read them? It found about 30% of reports were never downloaded, 40% were downloaded fewer than 100 times, and only 13% had >250 downloads over their lifetimes. To most effectively communicate ideas, research must go hand in hand with lobbying, public education, and mobilizing people. And to do this, you need an effective advocacy strategy. 

Through well-crafted advocacy plans, individuals and organizations can strategically navigate the intricacies of public discourse, ensuring that their messages resonate and make a difference.

How to start

Here are 9 key steps to help you create an advocacy strategy: 

1. Identify the issue
2. Set the objectives
3. Identify the targets
4. Develop key messages
5. Consider partnerships
6. Develop an action plan
7. Monitor and evaluate
8. Review and adapt
9. Follow up!

As you follow these steps, keep your goal direct, detailed and meaningful to be as impactful as possible. Set specific objectives, realistic deadlines, and clear identity targets — who are you trying to reach? Finally, continually review your strategy to ensure you’re maximizing message impact. Euromed Rights has a helpful guide to planning an advocacy roadmap.

Looking to develop an advocacy strategy for your message? Barber Communications helps clients implement targeted communication and advocacy strategies. Join one of Corey Barber’s advocacy workshops or hire us to help spread your message. Reach out to learn more!