Recognizing The Role Of Social Media In Grassroots Advocacy With Congress On Podiatry Issues

Like it or not, the role of social media in politics is here to stay. As evidenced by the 2016 presidential election, social media's role in politics is undeniable. Not only does social media provide a conduit for politicians to communicate with their constituents, it conversely facilitates constituent access to members of Congress. Whether you are a social media expert or a newbie, utilizing social media as a component of a comprehensive grassroots campaign can help facilitate efficient communication with members of Congress.

The use of social media is not intended to replace phone calls and face-to-face meetings but serves as a useful mode of follow-up in conjunction with emails. The power of social media's impact lies in its public visibility, which is bidirectional. Therefore, the basics of effective methods for communicating with Congress as described by the American Medical Association (AMA) require adherence to a face-to-face or phone communication:¹

1. Understand the legislative process

2. Identify one or two topics of interest

3. Use your personal stories

4. Connect potential impacts to people

5. Be respectful and honest

6. Focus on the specific legislation issues

7. Offer your expertise

The most effective method to find the Facebook and Twitter accounts for members of Congress is via their websites, which you can find on the www.congress.gov website.² The AMA's Guide to Physician Advocacy offers the following advice regarding digital advocacy: "When people leverage this unfettered access with specific, consistent messages or direct calls to action about a time-sensitive issue or upcoming vote, it can yield powerful results. Be sure to indicate whether you are a constituent and update your profile to follow your elected officials. Also, while members of Congress are on recess, engage with them on social media as they are more likely to be personally using their accounts."¹

Social media posts should include the member of Congress’ Twitter username for the tweet to appear on the member of Congress’ home timeline. The strategic use of hashtags (#) in tweets indexes keywords or topics, making them searchable/discoverable by other users.³ Using daily trending hashtags increases visibility. The consistency of messaging is essential.

Social media interaction is not a replacement for direct contact via face-to-face meetings or phone calls, nor should it replace email communication with legislative aides for members of Congress. Digital grassroots advocacy is an effective method of a comprehensive advocacy approach.

References

1. American Medical Association. Congressional checkup. A guide to physician advocacy. Available at https://www.ama-assn.orghttps://s3.amazonaws.com/HMP/hmp_ln/imported/media-browser/public/washington/communicating-with-congress_0.pdf .
2. Available at https://www.congress.gov/members?q=%7B%22congress%22%3A%22115%22%7D .
3. Osman M. How to use hashtags on every social media network. SproutSocial. Available at https://sproutsocial.com/insights/how-to-use-hashtags/ . Published July 11, 2017.

This DPM Blog has been adapted from a forthcoming APMA News article.