Digital and Social Media for the Reluctant User

Digital and social media are major sources of information and communication used effectively by progressives everywhere.  This round-table discussion will be an open forum for reluctant  users and those who don't know much about using social media to discuss their concerns and get some of their questions answered.  If you are not using social media in your organization or in your personal political advocacy, or are leery of using it for whatever reason, this is workshop is a must attend for you.  We'll discuss some of the concerns along with some strategies for beginners  who might want to start using social media.  This will be an informal conversation about the benefits of using  social media, not necessarily a tutorial on how to use it.   There  will be resources for your reference and contacts to help you make forward  progress in the digital age.

Goal

The goal of this workshop is to convince reluctant users that social media has many benefits for organizations that use it.  Social media use is a major way in which communication and information is spread in the Digital Age and will be an important factor in moving our progressive causes forward.

Note:  This workshop will not provide instruction on how to establish and set up user accounts for the wide variety of social media available, the main purpose is to provide reluctant users with inspiration to to start the journey into social media use with confidence.

Objectives

Social Media is the collective of online communications channels dedicated to community-based input, interaction, content-sharing, and collaboration.
 
Participants will be able to:

• identify some popular and common social media platforms and collaborative digital tools.
• understand the basic uses of common social media platforms and collaborative digital tools.
• identify benefits of using social media and collaborative tools to advance their progressive work.
• connect with each other using common social media platforms and collaborative digital tools.
• develop strategies for checking information on social media for accuracy.

Agenda

Introduction
Opening Discussion
Common Social Media Platforms
Digital Online Collaborative Tools
Digital Citizenship
Open Discussion
Resources

Introduction

Visit the About Stan page on this site for some more information about Stan.

Opening Discussion 

Let's take a few minutes to meet each other and see why we are here and what we hope to gain from this workshop.

• Why are you here?  
• What are you reluctant about?
• What do you hope to gain from this workshop?
• What will you do with the information?

Tool: Padlet (www.padlet.com) to create a wall for sharing information and questions.  This tool can be used as a parking lot for questions or back-channeling.
At anytime after the workshop, you  can share a new tool you love, or post a comment about social media on the wall.  Better to use in real time (synchronous).

Created with Padlet

Open this wall on a separate browser tab.


Tips for Protecting Your Social Media Privacy from Norton

1. Read the social media site’s terms
2. Don’t share private information like your full name and address
3. Be careful about posting photos on social media sites
4. Adjust the social media platform’s privacy settings
5. Know what types of personal data social media sites store and share
6. Consider carefully what personal details you provide in your profile
7. Be aware of privacy concerns in the news, like the Cambridge Analytica story
8. Avoid social media site posting regrets
9. Address your online privacy concerns - with someone 

"We no longer search for the news.  The news finds us."

 Watch this video:  How Do You Use Social Media? | 0-100

Social Media Revolution 2018




How Social Media is Shaping Our Political Future by Victoria Bonney at TEDxDirigo

Political campaigning in the digital age: Lucian Despoiu at TEDxBucharest - from 2014, but conceptually, it is still valid.

   

Common Social Media Platforms

Watch the video Social Media in Plain English on You Tube.

​Watch the video Social Networking in Plain English on You Tube




Take a look at some popular social networking sites on the web.

15 Most Popular Social Networking Sites from eBiz January 2019

from:  http://www.slideshare.net/Sociallyin/growing-your-social-media-in-2015

from: http://www.slideshare.net/webby2001/the-infinite-dial-2015

Most popular social networks worldwide as of January 2019

Top 15 Best Social Networking Sites & APPs | July 2022      http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/social-networking-websites

Social Media Trends for 2022 and Beyond      https://sproutsocial.com/insights/#i.12aei02ubefgiz

from https://wearesocial.com/blog/2017/01/digital-in-2017-global-overview


Look over the 11 Shocking New Social Media Statistics in America 

1. Twitter users are 33% more likely to be Democrats
2. The “Check-in” is the phenomenon that never happened
3. Only 33% of Americans have ever followed a brand in social media
4. 56% of Americans have a profile on a social networking site
5. 55% of Americans 45-54 have a profile on a social networking site
6. 22% of Americans use social networking sites several times per day
7. Huge uptick in Facebook’s influence on purchase
8. Facebook via mobile continues to be a major factor
9. Facebook is the most addicting of the social networks
10. Twitter will have an easier time making changes to its core service that Facebook does.
11. 76% of Twitter users now post status updates

Some interesting facts emerge about social media use. Use the link to get the details on these statistics.


Watch Dos and Don'ts when using social networks on You Tube.



For more information on Social Media use, there are comprehensive guides on the web. Explore some of this information when you have a chance.

Social Media on Moz from Moz
This resource has 12 chapters and some neat infographics to help you get better acquainted with using a variety of social media platforms.

The Beginner's Guide to Social Media - Mashable
This resource compiles individual beginners guides to 5 popular social media tools.

Getting Started With Social Media: A Resource Guide - Social Media Examiner
This resource provides links to a wide range of social media tools and sites that focus on marketing strategies.

Social Networking Tools

Twitter
Social networking and microblogging service that enables users to send and read short 140-character text messages, called "tweets".
Hastags used to tag tweets to a particular subject so others can more easily follow them.
#NHProgressiveSummit

Pinterest
Visual Discovery tool to create and share collections (called “boards”) of visual bookmarks (called “Pins”) that are used to do things like plan trips and projects, organize events, or save articles and recipes.

Facebook
Set up social network of family and friends to share information.
Can also set up Facebook "pages" that people "like", for promoting organizations and events.
Private or Public Groups can also be set up, which work more like listservs.

Instagram
Instagram is a social networking app made for sharing photos and videos from a smartphone.  It is similar to Facebook or Twitter as users who create an Instagram account have a profile and a news feed.

Tumblr
Microblogging tool.  Post text, photos, links, music, videos.

Dlvr.it
A quicker way to share items and posts with several social media sites at once.  Not a social media site, but a way to post your content to several social media sites at once.
Duck Duck Go
The search engine that doesn't track you.  Blocks advertising trackers.  Keeps your search history private.

Digital Online Collaborative Tools

Productivity Tools
Productivity tools that allow for web based collaboration and sharing are useful.  Google provides free productivity tools that serve a wide range of purposes.  Together they are very powerful.
All you need is a Google profile and you can connect all your tools together with a single login.

Microsoft has a fee based similar tool called Microsoft Office 365.

Google has extensive tutorials and information on using Google Apps.
Google Apps Learning from Google

Gmail
Calendar
Drive
Sites
Blogger

The Teachers’ Google Toolkit Infographic

Using Google tools requires setting up a Google profile.  If you use Gmail, you already have a Google profile associated with your Gmail address.  You can also establish a Google profile with another email address and use the Google Suite of Applications.

Setting up a Google Account without a Gmail Address




Wikis
Wikis are web applications which allow users to add, modify, or delete content in collaboration with others.
The wiki can be used to develop websites or pages to be created that can be edited and shared with everyone or selected users.
Like Google Docs, but publishes directly on the web.
Like Blogs, but dos not identify individual content providers or a lead administrator.

Watch Wikis in Plain English from CommonCraft



PBWorks Wiki Hub - free and subscription based wiki sites.
You can set up a free PBWorks account/user profile, and create wikis.  PBWorks also offers other tools for use.  You can create websites that are wiki based.

Wikidot - free and subscription based wiki accounts.
It's simply a place to build wiki-based websites. Use it to publish content, share your documents, collaborate with friends or coworkers, create a place for your community!

Blogs
A blog, a shortened version of "web log" is a discussion or informational site on the web that contains discrete entries, called "posts", typically displayed with the most recent post appearing first.  You can use a blog format to create am informational website, as well as a collaborative site.

Watch Blogs in Plain English from CommonCraft

Blogs can also be used to create individualized websites that share news or information about specific organizations.

Blogger from Google
Login with your Google Account and set up a free blog at Blogger.

WordPress
Set up a WordPress account and create a free blog site online.

Digital Citizenship

There are a great many concerns about safety and security on the internet.
Read about Digital Citizenship and safety on the web from Mike Ribble, a technology expert and digital citizenship proponent..
Digital Citizenship from Common Sense Media also has great resources for learning about internet safety.
Netiquette is network etiquette, the do's and don'ts of online communication. Netiquette covers both common courtesy online and the informal "rules of the road" of cyberspace. Read The Core Rules of Netiquette excerpted from the book Netiquette by Virginia Shea.
Trolls are a common occurrence on Social Media.  For sound advice on dealing with trolls, read Dealing with Trolls: Don't Feed Them and Don't Be One on LinkedIn.

DigCitCommit.org
Digital citizenship is a critical skill for students of today and our leaders of tomorrow. These five competencies will shift the conversation from don'ts to do's.

Verifying Information
Snopes got its start in 1994, investigating urban legends, hoaxes, and folklore. Founder David Mikkelson, later joined by his wife, was publishing online before most people were connected to the internet. As demand for reliable fact checks grew, so did Snopes. Now it’s the oldest and largest fact-checking site online, widely regarded by journalists, folklorists, and readers as an invaluable research companion.

Example:
Did U.S. Presidential Candidate Joe Biden Say He Had ‘No Empathy’ for the Plight of Younger People?
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/joe-biden-no-empathy/


Additional resources for Verification
Verification Junkie offers a growing directory of tools for verifying, fact checking and assessing the validity of eyewitness reports and user generated content online.  Tumbler site managed by Josh Stearns.

Top tips for verifying online information   International Journalists Network

A journalist's guide to verifying info on the web   International Journalists Network 

Uses for Social Media

Here are 20 ways to use social media for good.

1. Use the social web to develop contacts within similar organizations in order to create awareness and transfer helpful information.
2. You've got the facts, statistics, research, and institutional knowledge already, so provide this knowledge as content to share.
3. Let the passion for your cause come out and highlight the stories that tug at heartstrings. Use pictures, videos, and a narrative to tell the human stories that inspire.
4. Use your social presence to create new relationships and strengthen existing ones. Share updates about your programs, mission, and events to show donors how their funds are used.
5. Coordinate your social media outreach with your events and promotions.
6. Once you've created your campaign and call to action, make it easy for people to donate. Get the essentials (name, address, email, and payment info) and let them be on their way.
7. Connect and develop relationships with social media leaders to further spread your message and have a supportive voice.
8. Spread positive messages to gather interest. Sharing positive volunteer experiences might encourage others to learn more about you or share your message.
9. Thank your community. Whether it's a donation, a comment on your blog or a helpful recommendation, it's important to acknowledge the kind gesture.
10. Dissect your social media data to find insights that benefit your community. Use data to uncover areas in need and find ways to get involved.
11. Promote your events. Attract a larger following by sharing your message on the social web.
12. Share messages about others more than messages about yourself. Retweet other organizations' posts, share web content relevant to your industry and post kind words and questions.
13. Use social media to uncover the language of your constituents. Use that knowledge to shape the content and messaging you use to communicate.
14. Use social media to reveal data about your audience. This includes market demographics, relevant conversations, where they spend time on social media channels.
15. Use social media to gather feedback via surveys and polls. Ask questions and crowdsource new ideas.
16. Describe your social media objectives specific to the results you want. Go deeper than "increase brand awareness" to "increase brand awareness by 10% in the next six months via a targeted social media campaign."
17. Ensure your social media goals are measurable. Having a specific objective will clearly show whether results were met.
18. Set achievable social media goals. Your goal of 90% customer satisfaction may be plausible so consider what's feasible when setting your objectives.
19. Ensure you have the resources for your social media plan. Get the tools and staff in place to meet your objectives.
20. Get specific with your social media objectives with a time frame. This makes them real and tangible.

20 Ways to Use Social Media for Social Good   https://www.salesforce.com/blog/2014/01/20-ways-to-use-social-media-for-social-good.html

Articles for Review and Consideration

Social media activism: This is how you start a movement
In this article, we’ll walk you through how social media activism works, how it can impact your relationships with your customers and some best practices for weighing in on social media movements.
https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-activism/

Americans think social media can help build movements, but can also be a distraction
Social media platforms are important for political and social activists. But while most Americans believe these platforms are an effective tool for raising awareness and creating sustained movements, majorities also believe they are a distraction and lull people into believing they are making a difference when they’re not, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/09/09/americans-think-social-media-can-help-build-movements-but-can-also-be-a-distraction/

Genuine Social Media Activism: A Guide for Going Beyond the Hashtag
Social media and activism have been inseparable since the 2010 Arab Spring demonstrations and since 2013, when the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag was used for the first time. In both events, social media and hashtags played an instrumental role in mobilizing the human rights movement offline.
https://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-activism/

How to Create a Social Media Marketing Strategy in 9 Easy Steps (Free Template)
A social media marketing strategy is a summary of everything you plan to do and hope to achieve on social media. It guides your actions and lets you know whether you’re succeeding or failing.
https://blog.hootsuite.com/how-to-create-a-social-media-marketing-plan/

What is a social media plan?
A social media plan helps an organization determine their target audience, the social networks to join, and the type of content to develop and share. It is a vital part of your overall marketing strategy. Once you have a plan outlined, you can get to work refining your content and cadence, analyzing follower engagement, and building deeper relationships with your audience.
https://www.aha.io/roadmapping/guide/marketing-plans/social-media-plan

Open Discussion 

There is a lot of information out there and a lot has been shared in a short period of time.  It can be overwhelming at times.    Let's stop here and just take some time to talk.

What other questions do you have?

What comments would you like to make?

Resources

Padlet Wall: Digital and Social Media for the Reluctant User
http://padlet.com/sjf/reluctantuser

Tips for Protecting Your Social Media Privacy
https://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-privacy-protecting-privacy-social-media.html

How Do You Use Social Media? | 0-100
https://youtu.be/HVQGYANFRsc

Social Media Revolution 2018
https://youtu.be/1qpcdywb6Hw

How Social Media is Shaping Our Political Future by Victoria Bonney at TEDxDirigo
https://youtu.be/9Kd99IIWJUw

Political campaigning in the digital age: Lucian Despoiu at TEDxBucharest
https://youtu.be/sTgOUL0iYW8

Social Media in Plain English - CommonCraft
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpIOClX1jPE

​Social Networking in Plain English - CommonCraft
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a_KF7TYKVc

15 Most Popular Social Networking Sites - eBiz

http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/social-networking-websites

Learning to Love Linked In - Edison Research
http://www.edisonresearch.com/home/archives/2013/04/learning-to-love-linkedin.php#.U4tlHfldUxC

Dos and Don'ts when using social networks - Toshiba
https://youtu.be/bnnHagkIc5Q

Beginner's Guide to Social Media - Moz
http://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-social-media

The Beginner's Guide to Social Media - Mashable
http://mashable.com/2012/06/12/social-media-beginners-guide/

Getting Started With Social Media: A Resource Guide - Social Media Examiner
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/getting-started/

Twitter
https://twitter.com/

Pinterest
https://www.pinterest.com/

Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/

Google Apps Learning - Google
http://learn.googleapps.com/

Microsoft Office 365 - Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Office_365

20 Google Tools for Every Student’s Digital Toolkit 
http://www.brilliant-insane.com/2014/12/20-google-tools-for-every-students-digital-toolkit.html

The Teachers’ Google Toolkit Infographic
http://elearninginfographics.com/teachers-google-toolkit-infographic/

Using Google Docs without a GMail Account - You Tube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJpkRbNto7E

Wikis in Plain English - CommonCraft
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dnL00TdmLY

PBWorks Wiki Hub
http://www.pbworks.com/wikis.html

Wikidot
http://www.wikidot.com/

Blogs in Plain English - CommonCraft
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN2I1pWXjXI

Digital Citizenship: Using Technology Appropriately - Mike Ribble
http://www.digitalcitizenship.net/

Digital Citizenship - Common Sense Media
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/digital-citizenship

The Core Rules of Netiquette
http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html

Dealing with Trolls: Don't Feed Them and Don't Be One
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/dealing-trolls-dont-feed-them-one-brigette-hyacinth

Snopes
https://www.snopes.com

Verification Junkie
https://verificationjunkie.com/

Top tips for verifying online information
https://ijnet.org/en/story/top-tips-verifying-online-information

A journalist's guide to verifying info on the web
https://ijnet.org/en/story/journalists-guide-verifying-info-web

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This Workshop was delivered at:

Hillsborough County Democratic Committee
Saturday, 28 March 2020
Weare Library
10 Paige Memorial Ln, Weare, NH 03281

State Employees Association of New Hampshire
Employees Skill Share
Tuesday, 14 May 2019
Office-1-Conference Room C
SEA Office
207 N Main St, Concord, NH 03301, USA

NH Progressive Summit 2017: Embracing the Wave
Workshop #1:  11:00 am to 12:00 pm
Saturday, 17 June 2017
Manchester Community College, Manchester, NH

NH Progressive Summit 2014: Building the Progressive Movement
Workshop #3:  1:45 pm to 3:15 pm
Saturday, 7 June 2014
New England College, Henniker, NH

Creating a Cohesive Candidate Message that Attracts and Keeps Voters

Candidates for local office often struggle with how to craft messages that will resonate with their potential voters.  The broad messages at the national level can help but also can drown out your campaign and leave voters in the dark about who you really are as a candidate and as a person.  In this workshop, you will explore how to use the progressive narrative to craft positive messages that will not only resonate with voters but also will showcase your values as a candidate. You will be able to use your messages to give short speeches, develop candidate introductory flyers, add content to your website or Facebook page, and write effective and positive letters to the editor.  This workshop is appropriate for all candidates, campaign managers, campaign volunteers, and anyone interested in developing a positive message that promotes an America that works for all of us.
  
  


   

Workshop Goal

The goal of this workshop is to teach local candidates for office how to craft a solid and positive message will resonate with voters and earn their support.

Objectives

Participants will be able to:

• Understand the importance of relating a sound message to voters.
• Identify key elements of the Progressive Economic Narrative.
• Use a narrative template to craft a powerful message that resonates with voters.
• Identify ways to spread your political message and get others involved.

Agenda

Introductions
What is Messaging
The New Hampshire Democratic Messaging Plan
Selecting Your Message
The Progressive Economic Narrative
Using the Progressive Narrative to Craft Your Message
Spreading Your Message
Open Discussion
Resources

Introduction

Visit the About Stan page on this site for some more information about Stan.

Let's take a few minutes to meet each other as candidates, political leaders, and citizens.

• Why are you here?  
• Why did you decide to run for office?
• What do you hope to gain from this workshop?
• What will you do with the information?

What is Messaging

Your message is the key through which you connect to your target audience.  It defines your political platform and clarifies who you are as a person.

If you think messaging is not important, read the article by Lauren Windsor in the June 17 edition of the Nation, Exclusive: Inside the Koch Brothers' Secret Billionaire Summit, about the messaging machine supported by the Koch Brothers.

The New Hampshire Democratic Party Messaging Plan

The NH Democratic Party Platform, updated in 2016 is built around policies that promote the strength of our communities, the health of our families and a vibrant, growing economy, New Hampshire Democrats are committed to:

• Education
• Health Care
• Housing
• Environment and Agriculture
• Public Safety 
• Transportation and Infrastructure
• Energy
• Preserving the Safety Net for Our Most Vulnerable Citizens
• Retirement Security
• Honoring our Veterans
• Business Investment and Jobs
• Job Security
• Job Education and Training
• Keeping and attracting the Next Generation
• Rural Development 
• Urban Development
• Voting Rights and Democracy
• First in the Nation Primary
• Working Together to Protect our Constitutional Freedom for All
• Fairness and Justice
• Fiscal Responsibility 

The NHDP's Messaging directives are to coordinate the message so that everyone is messaging the same thing at the same time.  The Press Secretary can help with any issues or questions.  All communications and messaging should promote the messages that the NHDP are currently pushing out.  Those messages will change according to developments that may occur within certain races.

This can be a good practice as it unifies the party, helps to clarify our positions, and allows for candidate reinforcement of the party platform. 

Messages are crafted and voter numbers and statistics are used to plat strategies to get base and swing voters to go to the polls and vote for us.

These coordinated efforts tend to help Candidates at the Top of the Ticket.  What about down ticket?

Running election campaigns by numbers alone, tends to promote persuading voters to "vote for" a candidate as opposed to assimilating people into our base supporters expanding our base supporters. 

An effective candidate campaign has to be aimed at everyone, and everyone should be thought of as important, and their vote useful and appreciated.  Local candidates must remain true to the ideals of the platform, and balance that with your individual ideals and ways in which those ideals can connect to your local voters and community.  A strong message ties the ideals of national and state platform planks with the operational reality of your individual district's needs.
  

Selecting Your Message

Make sure you know what you are talking about and have the facts in your message.  Choose your Common Democratic Value; do the research; select the proper Villian, and use your Progressive Economic Narrative Skills to craft your messages appropriately.

Education
Find information on Reaching Higher NH.  They are dedicated to supporting public education and fostering high standards that give our students the opportunity to prepare for college, for immediate careers, and for the challenges of life in 21st century New Hampshire. 
The site includes an Education Bill Tracker that follows NH bills through the House or Senate.

NEA-NH is comprised of more than 17,000 educators.  Their mission is to advocate for the children of New Hampshire and public school employees and to promote lifelong learning.

Economic Development
Robert Reich's website, RobertReich.org, has lots of information about our economic situation and how we could do better to decrease the income inequality in America.

The New Hampshire Division of Economic Development has resources for New Hampshire businesses looking to grow and prosper, as well as for businesses beyond our borders looking to expand or relocate.

Healthcare
Obamacare Facts is an independent site for Obamacare advice.   Learn about Obamacare Facts, Myths, and Pros and Cons.

Environment
Once again, there are a variety of sources of information on the web that you can find.  There are many aspects of the environment that are of concern, the controversial one right now is Climate Change.
NASA's site, Global Climate Change will give you some science, while National Geographic's Climate Change: Sorting Fact from Fiction, can provide some information in more common terms.

Money in Politics
Two good places to start would be OpenSecrets.org, from the Center for Responsive Politics and the Money in Politics section of Common Cause, the original Citizens lobbying group trying to hold power accountable to the people.

The Progressive Economic Narrative

Note: the PEN was part of Three Narrative Projects that were supported by the Roosevelt Institute, and funded by grants from several sources.  The grant is over and websites are no longer active. 

Presentation

The goal of the Progressive Economic Narrative initiative of the US Action Education Fund is to develop and promote a common economic  narrative that is used across the progressive movement, a powerful story that we are telling  consistently through words and actions, in our communications and organizing.

The Progressive Economic Narrative is based on a simple strategy that underlines our beliefs and helps us tell our story so that others can relate.  

1. Problem - Name your Quest and include the key Values and the Villains who threaten them. 
2. Solution - include the quest and the heroes of the narrative.
3. How We Get There - describe the course that the heroes should take to help get there.
4. Call to Action  - Describe the actions that heroes will take to achieve the quest.  

People can only marshal anger and action about the crisis if they feel that at some basic level they understand it. Before we have a politics, or a broad call for reform, we must have some broadly shared understanding of what went wrong and who’s responsible.

The narrative determines our attitudes toward the actors and events of the crisis. It also identifies the structural problems thought suitable for legislative and regulatory remedy. 

Progressive Economic Narrative 2013 from USAction Education Fund

An America that Works for All of Us: Main Pillars of the Story

1. Today working and middle class families are getting crushed while the wealthiest and most powerful interests are taking more and more.
2. The American middle class is the engine of our economy, a great source of strength to our nation. We all do better when we all do better.
3. A strong middle class doesn’t happen by accident – we create it with the decisions we make together, guided by our shared values.
4. To build a strong middle class, we need our elected representatives to work for all Americans, not just the richest and most powerful.
5. We are fighting together to take back our country, for an America that works for all of us: good jobs, strong communities, high-quality education, the opportunity for all of us to realize our full potential, with liberty and justice for all.

Key Concepts

Review the Key Concepts of the Progressive Economic Narrative.

Pay attention to the Talking Points that are given in the details

1.  Connect with our Economic Problem
Today the middle class is getting crushed and closed off. Working and middle class families are struggling, while the richest get richer at the expense of the rest of us.

Talking Points
The people who wrecked our economy should be paying for it, not profiting from it.
We stand with working families and the small businesses that create two-thirds of American jobs. They stand with the Wall St. speculators and CEOs who cut our wages, crashed our economy and shipped our jobs overseas.
Most of us don't expect to be rich or famous, but we do expect to earn a decent living and good American benefits for a hard day’s work.

2.  What a Successful Economy Looks Like 
Our middle class is the engine of the economy.

Talking Points
Americans should be working their way into the middle class, not falling out of it.
It's time we started expanding opportunity and stopped shrinking the middle class.
Our economy doesn't work if Americans aren't working.
It's time America worked again for people who work for a living.

3.  Role of Our Government & Business in the Economy  
The middle class does not prosper by accident.

Talking Points
Our economy isn’t something that happens to us. It’s something we make, together.
The great American middle class didn't just happen. It was built, brick by brick.
It was built by soldiers returning from war and a government that took seriously our obligation to them, by giving them a shot at a college education. It was built by businesses that hired American workers and valued a well-educated American work force. And it was built by labor—by the hard work of our parents and grandparents and the strength in numbers that came from unions that represented them.

4.  Our Political Problem  
Our political system has been captured by the rich and powerful and corrupted by big money politics.

Talking Points. 
We won’t have a government that works for all of us until we take elections away from the rich and powerful and put our democracy back in the hands of ordinary Americans.
Our government should ensure opportunity for every American family, not just those with the most money.
When corporate lobbyists have the ear of our leaders, the voices of ordinary Americans aren't going to get heard.
When our elected officials are voting on a bill, they should consult their conscience and their constituents, not their campaign contributors.
It's time we returned to a government by and for the people, not bought and paid for by CEO campaign contributors.
It's no wonder Washington is broken: it is full of corporate lobbyists who are trying to break it.
Freedom isn't the right to buy your own member of Congress.

5.  The Call to Action  
We are fighting together for an America that works for all of us.

Talking Points. 
If we stand together, we can put elections back in the hands of ordinary Americans.
We will make the people who got rich wrecking our economy pay to repair it and be sure that they are never put at the wheel again.
It’s up to working families like us to demand an end to NAFTA-style trade deals and instead start making things in America again.
We will end the tax breaks for millionaires and companies that ship jobs overseas, and instead invest in businesses that will create good jobs at home, strong schools and college opportunity for our children and shore up Medicare for our parents and for future generations.

Using The Progressive Narrative to Craft Your Message

Notes for Local Candidates
The idea of the narrative is broad enough to apply to both national and local issues.
The goal is to apply the key concepts to local issues that effect your local economy and the economic success of your constituent area.

The Key Concepts apply as you consider these questions

• What are the economic problems in your locality?
• What does a successful economy look like in your locality?
• What is the role of government in your locality?
• What are the political problem in your locality?
• What calls to action does your locality need?

Three Activities

Now that you better understand how to frame a powerful message, let's practice writing one.  Here is a worksheet that you can use to guide you through a writing exercise.  It's easier than it looks!

Activity 1
Use the Applying PEN to Your Issue worksheet to help you define your narrative.  Briefly answer the questions to help you define your issue clearly so you can use it later in other ways.

Remember:  Select an issue that applies to the area covered by your intended office.  Stay close to your voters.

What is Your Quest? 

What are Key Values?
Be sure to consider (among others): freedom, opportunity, responsibility and cooperation.

The Problem
Working families and the middle class are getting crushed…  Include villains and their threats.

The Solution
Working families and the middle class are the engines of the economy…  Includes the quest and the heroes who are undertaking the quest.

How We Get There
In this section, be sure that when you describe how we get there, the impact is clear on your heroes’ lives.
We build a strong middle class by decisions we make together….

Call to Action
What actions will heroes take to achieve their quest in honor of their values. Be sure that all three elements: heroes, quest and values are in this ending. You can also include the villains who are being vanquished.
We’re all in this together…


Activity 2
PEN - Writing a Short Speech on an Issue

This worksheet is a guide to writing a short speech on an issue, within the frame of part of An America that works for All of Us. Use this outline and fill in the blanks.

Good morning. My name is ___________________. Today I want to talk to you about how we build an America and a New Hampshire that works for all of us, not just the _______________________ (choose a contrasting ‘villain’ that appropriate for your issue.)

Today, we see that New Hampshire’s working families and middle class are getting squeezed/crushed (your choice).
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
(Write 1-2 sentences that fills in on how this relates to your issue. )

But this is no accident. _____________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
 (Identify the ‘villain’ that is responsible and what they do that is bad). 

It doesn't have to be this way. Together we can create a New Hampshire that works for
all of us. That’s why we must work together to _________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
(State your quest and a value(s) it will achieve. Example is: provide great neighborhood 
public schools where every child has the opportunity to learn and be prepared for 
college, career and life. Examples of values are: opportunity; security; freedom; strong 
communities.) 

You know, working people and the middle class are the engines of our economy. When we have good jobs, can educate our children, shop in our neighborhoods. When we can afford health care and retire in security, we drive our economy forward. We’ll bolster working families and build a strong middle-class, by decisions we make together. If we are to achieve _____________________________________________
___________________________________________________ (reiterate the quest – can
be more shorthand) we need to decide to: _____________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
(Give your specific policy solution).

It’s up to us to hold our elected officials accountable for standing up for working people
and the middle class, not ______________________________________________
(name the ‘villains’ again). We can assure that all of us
_______________________________________________________________________.
(Restate a values-based version of the quest).

This is what America is about. This is what New Hampshire is about. We can do this
together. We can build an America, a New Hampshire, that works for all of us.

Get the Short Speech Worksheet from PEN.


Activity 3
Use the Writing a Short Candidate Speech worksheet to write a candidate introduction.

All the materials and training documents are available on the PEN Training page on the Progressive Economic Narrative website.  You are free to use them to create your own personal narratives to advance your campaign.

Spreading Your Message

Eight Messaging Maxims
Go On Offense
Take your message and put it out there without shame.  Don't wait to rebut other messages. Write your own narrative and drive the conversation.

Rinse and Repeat
Develop a clear phrase that represents what you want to say in the best light and simplest terms possible. Then use that phrase over and over again as often as possible to drive understanding.

There’s an Invention Called Video
A picture is worth a thousand words.  Take your flat written narrative and produce a video filled with sights and sounds.

Feed the Narrative
Once you control the issue.  Keep that issue in the forefront of your message.

Make it Personal
Facts and data and graphs are cold and emotionless things.  Use personal stories as often as you can to provide examples of how your ideas will work, or why they are necessary.

Keep it Stupidly Simple 
Don't confuse the issue with an abundance of complicated language that can be manipulated by the other side.

You Get the Legislation or You Get the Issue
The most powerful weapon is the value of the issue.  If you have right on your side, you can easily defend your position. Use the issue to your advantage when you have right on your side.

Don’t Use the Other Side’s Labels

The other side uses labels or catch phrases that are meant to focus issues from their point of view.  Don’t fall into the trap of letting them define the issues, drawing attention to their message.  Craft your own message narrative and focus on it.

Digging Deeper
Read about these seven Messaging Maxims on Messaging Matters.
Read A Messaging Manifesto For Democrats on Messaging Matters.
Read The 4 Cornerstones of Your Nonprofit Message Platform on Getting Attention.

Local Town/City Democratic Committees
The first thing you should do when you decide to run for office is to contact your local Town/City Democratic Committee Chair.  Many Democrats are not active in their local committees and can often forget they are present.  Many committees are active and are looking projects and candidates to support.  If you are not in contact with your local committee, take steps to get them involved.

Find your Town Committee contact on the NHDP Counties and Towns page.
 
Letters to the Editor
For local and grass roots campaigns, this remains one of the strongest ways to reach a variety of constituents in an open, yet non-threatening way.

Simple format for a Letter to the Editor
The Farmington Dems posted an article, How to Write an Effective Letter to the Editor, that featured a video by John White of Wolfeboro and includes this brief outline for writing an effective letter.

State Your Position. 
State it in the positive, do not define your case in the other side's terms. Don't ever mention the other side's points at all. Just talk about your points.

Explain Your Position. 
Set out your reasons for supporting your point of view. State them clearly from your point of view. Make it as personal as you can.

Support Your Position.
Again, don't repeat the other side's argument, just support your own with as much evidence as you have. Don't be argumentative with the other side, just provide solid evidence to support your points. Verify your facts. The editor will verify, so don't get caught in a lie or misstatement. If you can't verify, don't mention it. Let the other side do the lying.

Repeat Your Position.
State the position again, with a summary of your strongest argument and supporting evidence. You want to end on a positive note with a powerful statement.

You're Done!
Send it off. Email is best.  The NHDP has contact information for every newspaper in New Hampshire on its website.


Watch John White speak to the Rochester Democrats in 2012 on Writing Letters to the Editor.

The Farmington Dems posted an article, How to Write an Effective Letter to the Editor, that featured the video and includes his brief outline for writing an effective letter.

Find how to Submit your Letter to the Editor to your local newspaper.

Door to Door Canvassing
Canvassing remains one of the most popular forms of campaigning.  It is time consuming and reaches one voter at a time, but it does make direct personal contact with your voters and give you the opportunity to spread your message.

Review the 7 Myths About Door to Door Canvassing from Voter Gravity for some interesting information about canvassing.

1. The closer to the script you stay, the better.
2. It is illegal to knock on doors marked no soliciting.
3. Doors marked no soliciting will be less receptive.
4. It is difficult to canvass territory that has been recently canvassed by another campaign.
5. Doors with dogs should be skipped.
6. It is fine to drop literature on a mailbox.
7. People don’t like it when you knock on their doors.

Get Out the Vote Research on Door to Door Canvassing from Yale University Institute for Social and Policy Studies.

Phone Banks
Review 5 Reasons Every Campaign Needs an In-House Phone Bank from Local Victory Your Guide to Winning Elections

1. Follow-Up for Direct Mail
2. Identifying your Base Voters
3. Get Out The Vote
4. Fundraising Calls
5. Quick Response

What the Research Says
In 1999, Gerber and Green published their first paper presenting a rigorously controlled experiment that produced a substantial turnout boost from canvassing in a New Haven municipal election.  Since then Gerber, Green, and other political scientists have conducted a program that verified those results, and tested what techniques are most effective.

• Foot canvassing is the most effective contact method, increasing voter turnout by about 7 percentage points.
• Phone banking boosts voter turnout by 2.6 points.
• Other contact techniques such as direct mail, robocalls, and email have small to undetectable effects.

Other studies have found that canvassing can do more to boost turnout, and also win new votes at the door through persuasion.
 
from - Canvassing on Wikipedia

Social Media

Relatively new to the campaign toolkit, social media is quickly becoming the most important way to spread your message.  You can reach lots of folks at once.  They can also pass along your message to others.

Don't ignore it.  Use it. Or find someone who can use it for your campaign.

http://www.digitalshiksha.com/social-media-marketing-statistics-2016-info-graphic-on-why-use-facebook-google-plus-twitter/

http://www.edisonresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Social-Network-Usage.png

Find out which social media outlet is used by the demographic you seek, and use it to your advantage.

Open Discussion 

There is a lot of information out there and a lot has been shared in a short period of time.  It can be overwhelming at times.    Let's stop here and just take some time to talk.

What  questions do you have?

What comments would you like to make?

What else do you need?

Resources

Exclusive: Inside the Koch Brothers' Secret Billionaire Summit in The Nation

https://www.thenation.com/article/exclusive-behind-koch-brothers-secret-billionaire-summit/

Inside the Koch Brothers' Toxic Empire in Rolling Stone
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/inside-the-koch-brothers-toxic-empire-20140924

The NH Democratic Party Platform
http://nhdp.org/who-we-are/our-platform/

NHDP Counties and Towns Page     http://nhdp.org/counties-towns/

Progressive Narrative Mapping by Richard Kirsch, Roosevelt Institute Fellow
http://rooseveltinstitute.org/sites/all/files/narrativemapping.pdf

The Progressive Narrative on SlideShare  http://www.slideshare.net/usaction/progressive-economic-narrative

Key Concepts of the Progressive Economic Narrative  http://www.usactioneducationfund.org/files/2012/07/Progressive-Economic-Narrative.doc_.pdf

Progressive Economic Narrative Training Page   http://www.usactioneducationfund.org/pen/training/

American Values Project   http://www.americanvaluesproject.net/

Progress Alliance of Washington   http://www.washingtonprogress.org/

Progressive Economic Narrative   http://www.usactioneducationfund.org/pen/

Merely Activating the Concept of Money Changes Personal and Interpersonal Behavior  http://www.carlsonschool.umn.edu/assets/101518.pdf

Reaching Higher NH   http://reachinghighernh.org/

Education Bill Tracker    https://educationbillsnh.org/

NEA-NH   http://neanh.org/

Robert Reich   http://robertreich.org/

New Hampshrie Economic Development   https://www.nheconomy.com/

Obamacare Facts   http://obamacarefacts.com/obamacare-facts/

Obamacare Myths  http://obamacarefacts.com/obamacare-myths/

Obamacare Pros and Cons  http://obamacarefacts.com/obamacare-pros-and-cons/

Global Climate Change from NASA   http://climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus/

Climate Change Myths: Sorting Fact from Fiction from National Geographic http://energyblog.nationalgeographic.com/2010/12/21/climate-change-myth/

OpenSecrets.org from the Center for Responsive Politics    https://www.opensecrets.org/

Money in Politics from Common Cause    http://www.commoncause.org/issues/money-in-politics/

Messaging Maxims on Messaging Matters http://messagingmatters.com/?s=maxim

A Messaging Manifesto for Democrats on Messaging Matters  http://messagingmatters.com/2011/02/03/hello-world/#more-1

The 4 Cornerstones of Your Nonprofit Message Platform   on Getting Attention  http://gettingattention.org/articles/1875/message-development/nonprofit-message-platform.html

How to Write an Effective Letter to the Editor on The Farmington NH Dems  http://www.farmingtonnhdems.org/2012/03/video-how-to-write-effective-letter-to.html

Writing Letters to the Editor - John White   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwuUPwVOJsU

Letter to the Editor on NHDP.org  http://nhdp.org/get-involved/write-a-letter/

7 Myths About Door to Door Canvassing on VoterGravity
http://votergravity.com/7-myths-door-door-canvassing/

Get Out the Vote Research on Door to Door Canvassing from Yale University Institute for Social and Policy Studies
http://gotv.research.yale.edu/?q=taxonomy/term/3

5 Reasons Every Campaign Needs an In-House Phone Bank on Local Victory Your Guide to Winning Elections
http://www.localvictory.com/grassroots/campaign-phone-bank.html

Canvassing on Wikipedia   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canvassing

Creating a Cohesive Candidate Message that Attracts and Keeps Voters Slide Show on Google Drive   https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/17JjWloviPTn6JXw0SG4voi_UDlLYBWdC1toUXEdvgpo/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000


Slide Show from the 2014 Training Workshop

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This Workshop was delivered at:

Candidate Training Workshop 2016
6:30 - 8:15 PM
Thursday, September 1, 2016
Rochester Public Library, Rochester, NH

Candidate Training Workshop 2014
9:30 am to 12:30 pm
Saturday, 12 July 2014
Emma Ramsey Center, Milton, NH