How do you mobilize supporters quickly to turnout for an event and build contact lists at the same time? TikTok campaigns pack a punch.
"After a tragic mass shooting in Tennessee, state Republican lawmakers called votes to expel three Democratic legislators who stood in solidarity with students and families. The expulsion of lawmakers who engaged in peaceful protest is shocking, undemocratic, and unprecedented." - President Biden
"Mickell Lowery, Chairman of the Shelby County Board of Commission, called for the reappointment of Justin J. Pearson and scheduled a meeting to get him back in the house on Wednesday at 1:30 PM". - Action 5 News.
Activists are using TikTok and chatbots to mobilize supporters and build a contact list. Here's how.
Creating a rapid response TikTok campaign
The campaign consists of a TikTok that alerts viewers of what is going on (in 20 seconds) and encourages them to learn more and show their support by texting "RESTORE" to a number shown on the video. Respondents are directed to a text bot which asks them for their name and zip code and sends them details about the event.
The information sent out amplifies the message from bit.ly/appointpearson
Re-Appoint Justin J. Pearson to District 86. Justin J. Pearson was unjustly expelled from the TN State House on April 6th. His constituents deserve representation, send him back to the State House!"
TikTok is an ideal platform for this because it is likely to reach potential young supporters in Memphis. The text bot helps collect information about the respondents so they might be contacted for other calls-to-action later as well. This campaign including the TikTok and the chatbot were created in three hours in order to be able to get the word out to supporters before the reappointment meeting.
"Justin Pearson, officially sworn in a little over two weeks ago, has already garnered support from around the world, including from President Biden, after he and Nashville Representative Justin Jones were expelled from their seats by the supermajority GOP for breaking the rules of decorum on the House floor while leading a gun control protest with Knoxville Representative Gloria Johnson, who survived the expulsion vote."
Keep it simple
Use TikTok videos to get your message out quickly. Include a call to action such as texting to get more information. That directs inquiries to a chatbot which collects the information you want (such as name, zip code, age) and saves it into a database.
Choose a spokesperson and craft your message to appeal to your target audience. This twenty second video was created by Makayla, a Students For Justice intern.
Mobilize and build contact lists at the same time
People who respond to the number in the TikTok video, are directed to chatbot. The chatbot collects information that you've pre-defined. The answers to those questions are savead along with their phone number is stored in a database for the campaign.
The chatbot texts answers including text, images, links and digital discout coupons.
The details collected are opt-in which gives the campaign organizer greater flexibility in following up with them.
Republican financial threats before hearing
"In published reports, Republican Shelby County Commissioner Amber Mills (District 1) worried re-appointing Pearson could jeopardize state funding, including the $350 million Governor Lee promised Memphis for upgrades to sports arenas, including FedExForum.
Pearson said the 60,000 Memphians who call District 86 home ultimately deserve leadership that doesn’t cower to threats. “Can we be bought? Is there a price we can be bought for? For our democracy, for our vote, for our vote in the Tennessee State House?” he said, “If there’s a price we can vote for, then those county commissioners shouldn’t be there.” - Action 5 News
Students for Justice
Students for Justice (SFJ) is a paid internship program that was created in 2020 to engage college students in the struggle to fight systemic voter suppression and to turn out the vote. It is an initiative of the Center for Common Ground, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-partisan organization committed to getting out the vote in communities of color in voter suppression states.
SFJ’s voter outreach is centered on African-American voters in Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia, and on youth 18-24 more generally. Our interns are recruited primarily from Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the South and over 90% identify as people of color.
- Provides an educational experience and professional growth opportunity for college students, including (because it is paid) low-income students.
- Accomplishes significant voter outreach, having a very real impact on turnout in important elections.
- Educates the future leaders of the fight for voting rights in America.
TakeAway: Use rapid response TikTok campaigns to mobilize supporters and build contact lists.
Deepak
DemLabs
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