No personal network? 5 tips to mobilise online

“I have a small network, I have little chance of getting enough signatures to reach my goal.” This is a remark that our author support team often hears. However, with a few good tips, anyone can successfully create an online petition and mobilise. Here’s how!

Ask your inner circle

Even if you don’t have a large network, you surely have friends or family members who are willing to help you. They can act as intermediaries who can leverage their own personal networks, which in turn can amplify your cause. This is how a snowball effect will be created, allowing your petition to reach a wider audience.

Reach out to them directly by discussing your cause, explain what motivated you to launch your petition, and be as specific as possible about the goal you are trying to achieve. With all these elements, they can become true ambassadors for your cause.

This inner circle will also allow you to practice, develop your argumentation, and successfully present your cause effectively. The more you embody the fight you are leading, the more likely you are to rally support around you and access a broader network: share your story with your family, friends, and neighbours who may be sensitive to the cause you are defending, and encourage them to do the same to create a word-of-mouth effect.

By sharing this story with those around you, you will also understand which arguments need refining or what objections some people may raise: all these elements will help make you an unwavering ambassador for the cause you defend.

Share your petition on social media

Social media is a very effective way to share your petition and amplify your cause. These tools provide the opportunity to create a personal network around the topic you are addressing: the people you reach may not know you, but they can be sensitive to your cause and thus offer their support.

Directly share the link to your petition so that your contacts can sign it quickly. Be sure to accompany it with a message that reminds them of the context of your petition and invites them to sign and share it in turn. On Twitter, don’t hesitate to directly mention the recipients of your petition using the @ function. You may already receive a first response or reaction from the recipient of your petition at this stage.

You can also use hashtags that will allow your post to be categorized as addressing the topic.

For example, if you were launching a petition to call for stronger legislation on bullfighting in France, you could tweet mentioning the Minister for Ecological Transition:

“I just launched a petition to demand more control over the organisation of #bullfights in France. The protection of bulls must be a priority! @barbarapompili we demand a clear position on the subject! Help me be heard by signing! #StopBullfighting #AnimalRights”

Find Facebook groups on your topic

There are groups on Facebook covering a multitude of topics. It is very likely that you will find some that relate to your cause. Are you trying to seek justice for an animal victim of abuse? Does a law currently under discussion seem unjust to you?With Facebook's search engine and by using the right keywords, you can find groups with thousands, or even tens of thousands of internet users ready to listen to you and support your petition.

If the fight you are leading is local, there are likely groups of residents to mobilise in the same city or region. It is often easier to attract the attention of political leaders on local issues. Imagine you are fighting to prevent a class from closing in your town; beyond addressing the town hall and the relevant authorities, don’t hesitate to search on Facebook for local groups. Then share the petition and engage in dialogue with these residents to maximise your chances of success!

Find associations or collectives to relay your cause

Associations and collectives can be real supporters of your cause. Depending on their size, they are often well-organised and present on social media. It may be worthwhile to get in touch with these organisations to leverage their “impact force”.

Imagine you are carrying a petition related to research on a rare disease; there are likely patient associations and researchers on this topic. Explain your approach to them and try to benefit from their reach: let them share your petition, comment on it, or even send it to their community.

Start by identifying these associations: by searching on a search engine with keywords related to your petition, you should easily spot them. The next step is to contact them to explain your fight and seek their support. By email, letter, Facebook private message, Twitter, LinkedIn, or contact form, try different means to maximise your chances of directly communicating with a member of the association.The goal of this outreach is to ensure that the members of the association sign your petition and talk about it to expand your circle of supporters.

Also think about influencers! Many internet users have specialised in certain topics and have a large community. Research on social media to see which personalities may be sensitive to your cause and similarly, contact them to introduce yourself and seek a signature and support from them.

Surf on current events!

Stay alert to current events, as there may be an article published on the subject of your petition or a related theme. The simplest way to not miss anything is to subscribe to Google Alerts. You will receive an alert when content referencing the keywords of your petition is published online.

Major media outlets today use social media and share their articles there. These publications often generate reactions and are used as discussion forums by internet users. If an article related to your fight is published, don’t hesitate to comment on it with the link to your petition. You will then reach new people, allowing you to expand your number of signatories.

The web and social media have given everyone a voice. Having a personal network is no longer a condition for being heard and advocating for a cause. Create a buzz, take advantage of current events and media attention to bring your topic to the forefront. These few tips should help you launch your petition confidently and gather as many signatures as possible! Don’t hesitate to reach out to influential personalities; you might just find THE person who can help you. Our belief is that the most beautiful mobilisations are led by citizens with a story to tell, so don’t hesitate and get started!