The Secret to Effective Messaging
No matter where you organize or what you set out to accomplish, there’s one more thing you need to know (even if you don’t quite believe it yet): you are the most effective messenger for why it’s so important to get involved right now, information about your local elections, and the issues that matter most to you.
Extremists are counting on you to decide you aren’t ready to talk about an issue, to be overwhelmed by the firehose of terrible news, to wash your hands of it all, and mostly, to stay quiet. That’s because they know that you are the key to stopping them — all by talking to your own communities.
Who to Talk to
Remember, you are in the majority. Most people you talk to will agree with you generally but may not realize there’s work to be done urgently in your community or may be scared to speak up. These are the people we want to talk to most — do not waste your time and energy trying to change an extremist’s mind. Focus on your neighbors who never really “get political” and your family members who are just too busy to keep up with everything. They are who you need to reach.
How to Talk to Them
When you have those conversations, remember:
- Talk like a person! Avoid acronyms, bill numbers, overly complicated explanations, and statistics. Citing facts might win a debate, but you’re having a conversation. Listen to the person you’re talking to, ask questions, and share your own personal experiences.
- Find common ground. Acknowledging the feelings or perspective of the person you’re talking to can be a great way to get that person to open up to your thinking. Use phrases like “I can tell you’re concerned about safety…,” “I can tell you care about your kids….” or “I hear you….” as a start, then pivot to your own experience more gently.
“Convincing without curiosity or connection is just control.”
- Don’t accidentally spread bad information. When responding to false information, stick to your positive message and don’t repeat the negative. (think “We just want common-sense background checks” instead of “No one is taking anyone’s guns.”) If you really need to respond to a false attack, just say “that’s not true,” or “there’s so much bad info out there.” Even “that isn’t my experience” is plenty — then move on to what you want to say.
- Call out the motivation behind disinformation. Instead of trying to debate or refute a piece of bad information, talk about why people might be spreading false information about an issue: “Some politicians and outside groups are trying to scare and confuse parents in order to score partisan points and gain political power.”
- Celebrate the wins! If our elected leaders do things that benefit the community, especially if your group had a hand in making it happen, get loud! Let people know that organizing works.
Here’s an excellent guide to help you have these conversations.
Need additional help? Check out RWB messaging guidance on these critical issues:
The Importance of Storytelling
The truth is not “enough.” Most folks won’t slog through detailed explanations and many already have a frame of reference in place that prevents any new information (even if factual!) from getting through. Instead, we must connect on common values and rely on storytelling as much as possible. People can argue with facts, but it’s a lot harder to argue with someone’s lived experience!
“The human mind is a story processor, not a logic processor.”
Connect extremist policies to values by sharing compelling stories that resonate with people’s experiences, such as:
- How a Medicare cut is a story about a grandmother choosing between medicine and food
- How each veteran senselessly fired by Elon Musk is a story of betrayal and cruelty
- How every rollback on environmental protections is a story about a child developing asthma from polluted air
The Story of Self, Us, Now is a great framework for learning how to tell stories and shape narratives. If you aren’t sure what these stories sound like, here’s a great example that showcases the power of storytelling.
Communicate Online and Offline
- ACTION: Communicate Online.
- Have a presence on social media networks like Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and Substack. Use it to keep members informed and attract new ones.
- Learn how to be more effective on social media by checking out this training on How to be a Social Media Rockstar.
- ACTION: Communicate In Real Life.
- Bring your group (and your t-shirts, sunglasses, and stickers!) out in the neighborhood. Show up at town halls, school board meetings, protests, and community events.
- Build relationships with the influential people and platforms in your community (PTA members, Instagram town meme accounts, local elected officials who are active on social media and in the community, bloggers, and outlets that cover local news).
- Collaborate with leaders in your local community and ask them to share your messaging.
- ACTION: Learn how to fight mis/disinformation locally in a strategic way.
This training will show you how.
- ACTION: Communicate In the News.
- As a group project, create a media resource list that contains media contact info for local newspapers, online sites, magazines, TV, and radio, so that when you have an event you know who to contact.
- Write op-eds, letters to the editor, and suggest stories to journalists (either by talking to them directly or by sending press releases with the information they need and quotes from your organization). This training will get you started.
- Build media relationships and learn how to write a press release or press advisory to notify the media of “newsworthy” events (including your activities). This “How to Be A Media Rockstar Training” will show you how.