Is Going Local the Next Big Thing in Online Activism?

Source: Justin Perkins

At a time when massive email blasts and huge national and regional campaigns seem to be the norm, many grassroots organizations have struggled to develop effective advocacy campaigns that focus on local issues. In response to the desire for more effective local grassroots campaigns, Get Active developed a local advocacy tool that allows nonprofits to help their members identify their city and county elected officials and provides them with the officials' contact information. This tool allows activist organizations to more easily organize and mobilize grassroots campaigns in particular places and around local issues. Not only do local issues often resonate strongly with people, but activists can make a big difference communicating with local officials because of the smaller scale and lower volume of communication.

However, in "Getting Local: The Next Frontier for Local Politics" on e.politics, Colin Delany cautions groups about campaigning responsibly in light of the recent Congressional logic puzzles. This is particularly true at the local level, where officials often do not have the ability to handle mass email blasts. Nonetheless, if personalized and conducted effectively, local campaigns can make a significant impact and can be a great way to get your group's members to take action. Local measures might even help people get involved in offline activism since actions are likely to be community oriented.

For more, read "Getting Local: The Next Frontier for Local Politics" on e.politics, a blog run by Colin Delany, a veteran web developer and online strategist. E.politics provides useful articles about online politics, advocacy, and political marketing. If you're interested in political advocacy, check it out.