When was the last time you clicked on a meme, info-graphic, or gif on Facebook or Twitter? Probably a couple minutes ago, to be honest. Visual messages have made sharing issues and ideas pretty simple, and there’s gotta be a science to it. Are there specific themes that are more popular than others? Do small details like font style or size matter? Take the tips you learn from this panel to ensure your image pushes your issue forward.

1. ISSUE ADVOCATE - USING VISUAL
MESSAGING TO DRIVE ADVOCACY
4.10.2014

2. ISSUE ADVOCATE - USING VISUAL MESSAGING TO DRIVE ADVOCACY 4.10.2014
Meet the Panel
Ericka Anderson
Heritage Foundation
@ErickaAndersen
Ember Farber
American Alliance
of Museums
@AAMers
Samantha Osborne
The Prosper Group
@SamanthaO
Adrienne Royer
FederationforAmerican
ImmigrationReform
@AdrienneRoyer
Adam Peck
ThinkProgress
@AdamReports

3. ISSUE ADVOCATE - USING VISUAL MESSAGING TO DRIVE ADVOCACY 4.10.2014
Tools and Tactics
• What are some best styling practices?
• How does copy relate to the visual?
• How do you measure success?

4. ISSUE ADVOCATE - USING VISUAL MESSAGING TO DRIVE ADVOCACY 4.10.2014

5. ISSUE ADVOCATE - USING VISUAL MESSAGING TO DRIVE ADVOCACY 4.10.2014

6. ISSUE ADVOCATE - USING VISUAL MESSAGING TO DRIVE ADVOCACY 4.10.2014
Free Tools for Great Visuals

7. ISSUE ADVOCATE - USING VISUAL MESSAGING TO DRIVE ADVOCACY 4.10.2014
Free Tools for Great Visuals

8. ISSUE ADVOCATE - USING VISUAL MESSAGING TO DRIVE ADVOCACY 4.10.2014
Free Tools for Great Visuals

9. ISSUE ADVOCATE - USING VISUAL MESSAGING TO DRIVE ADVOCACY 4.10.2014
Free Tools for Great Visuals

10. ISSUE ADVOCATE - USING VISUAL MESSAGING TO DRIVE ADVOCACY 4.10.2014
Style Guide
http://socialmediatoday.com/pamdyer/2005276/social-
media-image-dimensions-ultimate-guide

11. ISSUE ADVOCATE - USING VISUAL MESSAGING TO DRIVE ADVOCACY 4.10.2014
Additional Resources
• Infographics:
– Piktochart: Nonprofits can apply for an annual
subscription for $39.99.
– Google Docs: Best tool for making maps of the
U.S. and other charts

12. ISSUE ADVOCATE - USING VISUAL MESSAGING TO DRIVE ADVOCACY 4.10.2014
Additional Resources
• Graphic and Image Generators:
– PicMonkey: online photo editor & collage maker
– Canva: users can purchase stock photos for $1
each and design graphics for any social media size
– Creative Commons Search: Source for photos &
images that are licensed to be reused

13. ISSUE ADVOCATE - USING VISUAL MESSAGING TO DRIVE ADVOCACY 4.10.2014
Visual Content on Social Media
Networks
• How does each network differ?
• How do you determine what/where to post
content?
• How do you repurpose graphics?

14. ISSUE ADVOCATE - USING VISUAL MESSAGING TO DRIVE ADVOCACY 4.10.2014

15. ISSUE ADVOCATE - USING VISUAL MESSAGING TO DRIVE ADVOCACY 4.10.2014

16. ISSUE ADVOCATE - USING VISUAL MESSAGING TO DRIVE ADVOCACY 4.10.2014

17. ISSUE ADVOCATE - USING VISUAL MESSAGING TO DRIVE ADVOCACY 4.10.2014
Typical infographic with a 4:1
ratio.
Designed on Piktochart.

18. ISSUE ADVOCATE - USING VISUAL MESSAGING TO DRIVE ADVOCACY 4.10.2014
After FAIR learned
that activists were
printing off
infographics and
using them as fliers,
we started designing
infographics to fit on
8.5x11 paper.
8.5x11 infographic
designed on
Piktochart

19. ISSUE ADVOCATE - USING VISUAL MESSAGING TO DRIVE ADVOCACY 4.10.2014
Creating Visual Content
• How do you handle user generated content?
• Do you need a graphic designer on staff?
• How do you create content with a limited
budget?
• Designing for your audience-how do you
factor in culture and demographics?

20. ISSUE ADVOCATE - USING VISUAL MESSAGING TO DRIVE ADVOCACY 4.10.2014
What we
do well:
• Dynamic use of
graphics and
visuals from news
coverage and
museums.
• Ask questions
and link to key
material in posts.
•Participate in
timely trending
topics
(#AprilFools)

21. ISSUE ADVOCATE - USING VISUAL MESSAGING TO DRIVE ADVOCACY 4.10.2014

22. ISSUE ADVOCATE - USING VISUAL MESSAGING TO DRIVE ADVOCACY 4.10.2014
Room for
Improvement:
• Our CFM blog
posts generate an
automatic FB post,
and we post our
Advocacy Alerts
• The basic
templates provide
visuals for posting,
but we could
develop much
stronger ones for
this purpose

23. ISSUE ADVOCATE - USING VISUAL MESSAGING TO DRIVE ADVOCACY 4.10.2014

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26. ISSUE ADVOCATE - USING VISUAL MESSAGING TO DRIVE ADVOCACY 4.10.2014
The Process of Creating Content
Step1
Step2
Step3
Content
Strategy
Content
Creation
Content
Dissemination

27. ISSUE ADVOCATE - USING VISUAL MESSAGING TO DRIVE ADVOCACY 4.10.2014
Design for Your Audience:
Know the heroes (and “enemies”) of
your supporters & activists!

28. ISSUE ADVOCATE - USING VISUAL MESSAGING TO DRIVE ADVOCACY 4.10.2014
Design for Your Audience:
Create a series of graphics to
reinforce key messaging.
No Amnesty.
No Deal.
No Conference.
Ran from Sept. – Nov. 2013
Series of 16 graphics + a
Facebook cover photo.
Ended when Speaker Boehner
gave press conference repeating
campaign almost word for
word.

29. ISSUE ADVOCATE - USING VISUAL MESSAGING TO DRIVE ADVOCACY 4.10.2014
Design for Your Audience:
Hook key messages to seasonal themes and news hooks.

30. ISSUE ADVOCATE - USING VISUAL MESSAGING TO DRIVE ADVOCACY 4.10.2014
Design for Your Audience:
Understand cultural benchmarks,
interests, online patterns &
behaviors of your supporters in
addition to demographics.

31. ISSUE ADVOCATE - USING VISUAL MESSAGING TO DRIVE ADVOCACY 4.10.2014
Questions?