In this blog, SMK offers 3 tips for when you begin to brainstorm your digital campaigning tactics
Summary: When creating your digital campaigning tactics, brainstorm with both colleagues and outsiders, remove barriers for your supporters, and learn more with SMK’s Digital Campaigning workshop.
So, you’re a Campaign Manager at a charity campaigning for human rights. Or maybe you’re a grassroots campaigner organising for a local environmental action. Whatever you’re advocating for and no matter the level, you’ll need a solid digital campaign.
The first step in any campaign is to analyse the problem and evaluate what matters. This should help you get an idea of what your campaign’s objective is. You can do this by using free campaigning tools like The Problem Tree, the Social Change Grid, and more.
You’ve already done that, though, and you decided that to reach your target audience, your campaign strategy needs to be online. No matter your strategy—whether it’s petition signatures, mass-mobilising emails to MPs, or even an idea from Impact Stack’s digital campaigning ideas generator — you need to know how to actually get people to do those things (your tactics).
That’s where SMK can help! Here are 3 tips from our expert Associates for when you’re brainstorming digital campaigning tactics:
- Ask around for ideas. The campaign community can contribute the most valuable thing: ideas! To start your brainstorm, you might sign up to others’ newsletters to see what their digital campaigning tactics are or ask in the E Campaigning Forum. You might even sign up for SMK’s Digital Campaigning workshop to brainstorm ideas with your peers and talk with our expert facilitators.
- Remove the barriers that make the desired action difficult for supporters. Whether your desired action is a petition signature, an email to an MP, or even a viral challenge, make sure you’re making it as easy as possible for your supporters to get involved. Digital campaigning tactics that are easy and accessible for your supporters are the best way to achieve your goals.
- Get some fresh eyes on your strategy. SMK Associate and expert in digital campaigning Jess Day calls this “The Mum Test.” Get your mum, or anyone else who isn’t involved, to look at your digital campaigning tactics and strategy to see if the actions are doable and the messaging makes sense to the general public. You need to know if your plan actually resonates, so utilise who you know before jumping to focus groups and such.
And now you’ve got some digital campaigning tips to carry with you when planning your digital campaign!
If you’re interested in learning more about digital campaigning tactics and strategies, sign up for SMK’s Digital Campaigning workshop here to get to work on choosing the right targets, channels, and actions for your campaign. Dates for this workshop are:
Thurs 12th Feb 2026, 10am-1pm
Tues 5th May 2026, 10am-1pm
Tues 13th Oct 2026, 10am-1pm
Thurs 5th Feb 2027, 10am-1pm