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Wear your politics on your shirt
T-shirts are a lot cooler and more useful for your union campaigns than you’d think. You’d think unions would know this, by the numbers of free ones they give away. But only a few unions really use...
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No more stock images, please!
A quick audit of a dozen union websites and brochures suggests that many unions are stuck in a cycle of using clichéd stock photos. This includes using photos of business men shaking hands to...
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Facebook for Unions – My new book is coming soon
Soon I will be launching a new book for unions, called Unionify: Social Campaigning for Unions. Before I publish the entire book, I am releasing a short excerpt: the chapter on Facebook. There are...
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Turn your union members into advocates
Every union organiser knows that the best person to recruit a new member isn’t the organiser but another member, a colleague. The most active, passionate members, who proudly encourage their work...
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Should Australian progressives pay attention to George Lakoff?
We live in a post-fact world. I assert this for two reasons. Firstly, because it crystallises the conservative approach to public discourse, which is largely exemplified by lying, lying loudly and...
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Abbott’s corporate-change plans for Australia
Tony Abbott and his gang of extremist conservative ministers have wasted little time unpicking the century-old social compact in Australia. They’re targeting education, health care, penalty rates, our...
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“If a tweet worked once, send it again” — and other social media lessons from...
Michael Roston at Nieman Journalism Lab has an excellent and interesting article about the New York Times’ social media desk. With over 5 million followers on Twitter, The New York Times has some very...
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Is this the future of unions?
There is a tide starting to rise in the world of progressive activism, and unions in Australia and globally may get caught in it. The tide is comprised of decentralised, leaderless, temporary...
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What makes something go “viral”?
Chances are, if you’ve been working in union communications, you’ve been asked at sometime to “make something go viral” by a colleague or superior. If you’re like me, you probably silently sighed to...
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Should your union measure a Net Promoter Score?
Your union’s motivated and committed supporters — your activists, delegates and workplace leaders — are amongst your most important members. Most union leaders and organisers know anecdotally who...
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You can now advertise on Facebook only to your members
An increasing number of unions are advertising on Facebook, either through the “traditional” sidebar ads or through promoted posts. Thanks to changes to Facebook’s newsfeed algorithm, more and more...
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Five reasons your union should use Facebook Ads Power Editor
More and more unions are using Facebook to advertise, but chances are if you’re boosting your posts or advertising on newsfeeds, you’re using the standard “Self Serve” Facebook ad manager. This is...
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New e-book: Mastering the Basics of Social Campaigning
Later this year, I will be releasing a new guide to social and digital campaigning for unions, titled Unionify: Social Campaigning for Unions. I’m releasing a few chapters as previews, and today I’m...
View ArticleTen “prank-vertisements” for your campaign stunt inspiration
Prankvertisements were the viral trend of 2013, and for a while, it seemed like every week a new company was pranking their customers in order to sell stuff. These were effective videos as...
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How to get members to talk about your union on social media
One of the regular questions I receive from unions is “how can I get members (or activists) to share our message on Facebook?” or “what will get members talking about the union on Facebook?” Sound...
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Defining your union’s promise and standing for something
If the conversations that I’m having at the moment are any judge, many unions and progressive organisations are looking closely at their communications and narrative. In countries or states with...
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Why unions should understand member lifetime-value
All unions want to grow and increase their membership. Significant efforts and resources are devoted by unions to recruitment and the effort of signing up new workers to be members. The cost of...
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Science alone won’t change climate opinions, but it matters
I’ve often highlighted useful articles about cognitive and behavioural insights that I believe are useful for unions and progressive campaigners. This time, I’ve decided to republish an entire article...
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Myths and misperceptions about marketing for unions
Marketing is still widely disparaged as a term in the union movement, and progressive organisations generally. Partly this is a skepticism born from shows like Mad Men and The Pitch, and partly it is...
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Using evidence-based science for effective communications
Many people in unions and progressive politics talk about “framing” — made famous by George Lakoff’s Don’t Think of an Elephant — but it’s difficult to see what that means in practice. Effective...
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