Host an advocacy event to empower your association members and create meaningful change. Learn the step-by-step process to ensure your event's success.
Nothing can be more empowering for your association members and create meaningful change like hosting an impactful advocacy event.
In this guide, we'll walk you through the step-by-step process of creating an event that connects your members with elected officials. From strategy and planning to execution and follow-up.
The first step in hosting a successful advocacy event is to develop a clear strategy around the event's purpose. Whether you aim to host a panel discussion, a Q&A session between members and legislators, or focus on specific policy issues, clarity is key.
A well-defined agenda will help members understand the event's goals and encourage their active participation. Also, explore what type of event you want to host for your members. (In-person, Virtual, Roundtable, Panel, etc.)
Creativity also plays a vital role in making the event more enticing. Branding the meeting with a unique name or theme can capture the interest of your members. Think outside the box to create an experience that stands out and resonates with your audience.
Here are some examples of creative names to serve as inspiration for your advocacy event:
Tie it into your industry to make it stick. Here are even more examples:
Effective engagement starts with ensuring that legislators are meeting with association members who live or work in their district. Segment your member list accordingly to facilitate meaningful connections and discussions. This targeted approach not only increases the relevance of the conversations but also maximizes the impact of the advocacy efforts.
An Advocacy CRM: Muster's one-of-a-kind Advocacy CRM lets your association staff segment and map your members by legislative districts. You can even dive deeper and segment those members by their profession, member type, or other custom data that is essential to your member management.
Imagine you're a healthcare association hosting an advocacy event for a subset of your member base. You want to host an event specifically for doctors where they'll meet with lawmakers across multiple districts. Sounds complex, right? Not with Muster. Easily create the list you need and reach out to the right members.
Setting up a sign-up process for the event is essential. This helps you capture attendee information and manage logistics more efficiently. Use this data to tailor the event content to the needs and interests of your members.
With Muster's Advocacy CRM, you can create customized sign-up forms for each event you host to track your members and verify that they are in participating districts.
Marketing your advocacy event effectively is crucial to drawing attention and encouraging member participation. Use various communication channels, such as:
You want to launch your marketing campaign for your advocacy events at least 60 days in advance. Allow your members to see and digest the information over time.
Provide updates in a slow drip of information as the event approaches. Around two weeks in advance, increase the pace of communication until the day before or day of, if you're hosting a virtual event.
Providing clear reasons for participation will help boost attendance. It will also ensure you have a successful event with highly engaged members.
After the event, capture feedback and relationship data to help measure success and plan future events. Send out a survey to gather insights from attendees. Ask about their experiences, the quality of conversations with legislators, and any suggestions for improvement.
Collecting this data not only helps in refining future events but also strengthens your association's relationship with its members. Understanding their perspectives and experiences can guide your advocacy strategies and make them more effective.
The work doesn't end once the event is over. Follow up with attendees to sustain engagement and build on the momentum gained. Share any outcomes or progress made as a result of the event, and keep members informed about ongoing advocacy efforts.
Regular communication helps maintain interest in your association's activities. By keeping the conversation going, you ensure that your members remain invested in the advocacy process and the goals of your association.
Writing compelling messaging for an advocacy campaign requires strategy. We've outlined the steps to take to ensure you create goal-oriented content.
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