Much
is being said about how to build your list, flog your blog and
encourage action online, so here is a retro concept ---offline
organizing. This morning I attended a workshop by Civic Action Strategies on turning online activists into offline activists. Quick translation---getting email addresses is not enough.
Often times the gap between having your supporters take action online
and encouraging them to participate in offline events such as strategy
sessions, film screenings and community events is more difficult to
breach than you would like. However, these activities are key to
fostering strong relationships with your constituents and keeping them
interested in your issue.
Some helpful tips from the training on initial offline engagement strategies:
Encourage face-to-face or phone interaction to supplement online outreach efforts
Target community outreach to build on existing relationships ( religious, occupational, voluntary)
Create polls and questionnaires to get supporter feedback on what
community activities they would participate in
Use educational conferences to help train people to become community organizers for your issue