From the February, 2008 Milo Public Affairs Enews.
The term “netroots” has joined grassroots and grasstops in most issue campaign vocabularies. But how to best find, organize and take advantage of online activists remains a challenge for many organizations.
Marc Laitin, a Principal at Wired for Change, one of the leading online strategy firms in DC, offers three simple keys to online organizing:
1 – Start by picking small battles that you can win to build your reputation.
2 – Ask people to join you, don’t just tell them what to do.
3 – Make sure every page of your website has a prominent form for people to provide you their email address and ZIP code.
Online organizing, like any other organizing, is about relationships. This requires ongoing engagement, building and maintaining trust, and a demonstrated commitment to the success of both the organization or issue and the people asked to support it.
Learn more about Wired for Change and how their tools can help your organization succeed at www.WiredForChange.com.