WITH VIDEO, PICTURES, CELEBRITIES & OFFLINE ACTIONS
video
What is particularly well received are short videos in which those affected describe how important the issue is to them. Videos are particularly often clicked and shared on social media such as Instagram or Facebook. Sharepics are also a good way to spread your petition. Because to spread good posts, you need good material.
Simply use your smartphone or camcorder to record a short video (in landscape format!) in which those affected and those supporting them have their say. Suppose your petition is against the clearing of a forest. In the video, for example, a jogger, dog owner and forester could briefly explain why possible deforestation would be so bad and why the petition should be signed.
A teaser or image video should not be longer than 1:30 minutes, preferably under 30 seconds. Longer videos are rarely watched in their entirety. When it comes to distribution via social media, the shorter the better!
Just as with the petition itself, an attention-grabbing video title is important. It is best to follow the pattern: "#Petition – Title of your petition". The video description on YouTube and Facebook is also important and should be short and concise. 2-3 sentences in which you outline the issue and link to the petition are completely sufficient.
Make sure you have good sound quality! Those being filmed should speak as close to the microphone as possible and background noise should be avoided. When people are making statements, you should film close to the face (zooms that only show the nose and eyes are counterproductive, but so are full-body shots). Make sure to use moving images - this makes the video appear more lively. For example, if you are filming a shot where someone is looking at a screen, film over their shoulder at the display. With a screen recorder you can easily create a short video of your screen. Still images, on the other hand, appear soporific and boring.
Send us your video in advance! If you are inexperienced in video editing, you are welcome to send us individual video snippets and we will edit your video for you. If you prefer to edit your film yourself, we're still happy to give you feedback and, if you don't have your own video, we'll upload it to our YouTube channel.
- Free editing programs include Windows Moviemaker and iMovie.
- Create subtitles so people can watch your video without the sound (many have automatic sound turned off on videos when they're on the go).
- Accompany the video with suitable music, e.g. piano music.
Sharepic
A sharepic is an image created to be shared and distributed by as many people as possible. This means that it must immediately catch the eye and have a very clear and simple message. Sometimes it is enough to choose a bright color as the background and place a bold sentence on it to draw attention to your concern. Ideally, you can still see the issue or the person(s) affected. Only the most important information goes on a sharepic!
Organizations and associations
Also involve organizations, associations and authorities that would potentially support your cause. For example, if you have a petition about animal protection, write an email to animal welfare organizations and ask them for their support. These actors can also often be found on social media, so you can tag them.
Celebrities and experts
Try to get prominent people to support your petition. For example, if a prominent person is particularly committed to a particular cause, you can reach out to them directly via social media. Ask them to sign and share your petition. The same applies to people in politics. Find email addresses of members of parliament or local politicians and inform them about your petition, asking them to spread the word and support it.
Offline actions
In order for your petition to reach the public, you must also make it public. Here you can really get creative and come up with your own forms of action. A few things have proven particularly useful here:
- Information evenings and public meetings: network, inform neighbors, find fellow campaigners.
- Charity concerts: Raising funds and creating a wonderful experience for supporters
- Demonstrations at locations important to the petition: Draw public attention to the issue and show how important it is to supporters.
- Offline signature collection and information stand: This is a special feature of openPetition , because here you have the opportunity to collect signatures online and offline. This way, you can not only reach internet-savvy people, but also collaborate across generations and engage in conversation with other affected people on site. On the petition page, you can download and print collection forms and upload them again later. If you have any questions, please read here.
- Tear-off leaflets: You can also download these leaflets with the petition link from the petition page, print them out, and distribute them to friends or display them at events.
Support through openPetition: We will support you in all these steps. It is important that you keep us updated. If we notice that you are strongly committed, then we will also commit ourselves to you. For example, if we learn of a planned handover, we can advise you and, if necessary, inform you about it through our channels.
Tag us in social media posts: You can always tag us on Facebook and Instagram. Write our name in the post and select our profile: @openPetition on Facebook and @openpetition.de on Instagram.