Over the past year, we’ve shared grassroots tips, the reasons why we fight for freedom, and stories of activists who are making a difference. Here are some of the best posts we shared with you:
Using Humor to Enhance Your Message
Brandon Osgood explains how being funny can help you share freedom.
If you can laugh at yourself by sharing past mix-ups, you can engage your audience on a personal level. This creates a better environment for message retention. Laughing at yourself may even allow you to experience long-term positive personal attributes such as internal strength and happiness. The truth is, being lighthearted only has positive results.
The Power of Sharing Stories
Daryl Ann Dunigan shares how she used stories to talk to her Uber driver about right-to-work.
This story allowed my driver to rethink his views on right to work. It opened the door to even more conversations and the option reframe his other views. While this one conversation may not have completely changed his mind, it did open a door.
Using Words that Work
Caleb Stokes talks about how different audiences resonate with different terms, and why you should use them.
Whether it’s a single mother on her front porch, a local pastor at a grocery store, or a group of activists at an organization meeting, every audience is different. And it’s important to know how each of these audiences will react differently to the words you choose to use. Be smart. Use words that have potential to resonate or spark interest. In doing so, you might just find better ways to convince voters that free markets result in long-term sustainable prosperity.
Be a Social Media Warrior
Michael Ciccio explains the power of social media and how to use it effectively for activism.
You do not just have to regurgitate what someone else has already said—Create your own original content. You could start a blog! You could go to committee meetings in your statehouse and put them on Periscope or Facebook Live for people to see. You can send out alerts about bills that are going through your legislature. The information is out there, but it will require you to do some extra work to stand out from the crowd.
Taking Your Message to the Media
Matthew Hurtt explains how to use the media to get your message out.
When I’m being interviewed, I constantly remind myself: “Answer the question you wish you’d been asked.” If a reporter starts a question from a premise which you do not agree, answer the question from your perspective. By thoroughly researching the issue, you can boil answers down into short, easy-to-understand responses.
Retention First: Five Ways to Maintain Good Volunteers
Rachel Burgin explains how to keep your volunteers coming back.
If you have a big event that you’ve been working towards for a long time, and it is going to require a big lift for volunteers’ time and energy. Make sure you don’t burn them out too soon; break your project into manageable time commitments. Ask your new volunteers to give just 4 hours of time instead of an all-day commitment. If you ask for too much on their first visit, next time they may not come back.
Salzburger Stierwascher and Grassroots Activism
The GLA team breaks down Saul Alinsky’s first rule for radicals.
You can see this tactic used by the left almost every day. When a small group of Twitter accounts organizes a boycott of a business, that’s Alinsky’s first rule in action. When a handful of activists make it seem like a speaker isn’t welcome on a college campus, that’s Alinksy’s first rule, too.
Five Ways You’re Frightening Your Friends When Sharing Freedom
Are you worried your tactics are driving people away? This post explores five ways you might be making it harder to share freedom with the people you’re closest to.
A solid one-liner is almost never enough to change someone’s mind. Other factors are just as important, like your tone, whether the person thinks you’re credible or whether you’re connecting on an emotional level.
Headed Home for the Holidays? Here’s Five Ways to Keep Policy Discussions With “That Relative” Civil and Productive
If there’s one relative that loves to start fights over politics, it can ruin the entire holiday season. Learn how to make sure conversations with “That Relative” don’t devolve into pointless arguments.
Shouting matches and personal attacks usually result from people taking policy discussions personally. If That Relative starts raising their voice or trying personal attacks, don’t take the bait. Make it clear you’re interested in a discussion instead of an argument by finding common ground and validating their concerns.
How a Missouri Nurse Used GLA to Tackle Speed Bumps
GLA graduate Melissa Lakas used the skills she learned to make her neighborhood a better place
Lakas says she knew how to frame the issue as a safety concern instead of a nuisance because of the “Effective Messaging” GLA training. “’I don’t like them, they slow me down, they’re bad for my car,’ that’s not the message,” she says. “The right message is ‘it’s safer for the community to not have them.’”
