Advocacy is a key responsibility for any leader. Op-ed pages, letters, calls to action, pod/broadcast commentaries, newsletters and blogs are valuable vehicles for conveying key messages, managing public opinion or shaping a debate. And with the growth of online media, opinion and persuasive writing is a key tool in changing behaviors and mindsets, influencing public policy, educating the public and building support. In this workshop, Chamber board member Margot Lester of The Word Factory helped members learn a writing strategy to create persuasive and opinion content quickly and effectively with sensitivity to their audience and the right details to drive results, whether one is leading a company project or promoting a political or charitable cause.

1. The Power of Your Ideas
Make your point. Make it fast. Make it matter.

2. Objectives

3. Objectives
Understand the purpose of advocacy
Learn the traits of effective persuasive
and opinion writing
Use a strategy to plan your advocacy

4. Advocacy is a key responsiblity.
Opinion and persuasive communications are
key tools in changing behaviors and mindsets,
influencing public policy, educating the public
and building support.

5. What makes good advocacy?
What are the traits that make us
respond to appeals, articles, op-eds,
arguments, commentaries, etc.?

6. Effective advocacy content:
Has a reasonable scope Includes other PoVs
Piques my interest Sticks to the facts
Tells a good story Makes a logical argument
Is short and sweet Avoids tricks or bait-and-
Has an engaging switches
beginning Creates an “a-ha” moment
Has a clear call-to-action Has correct grammar, etc.
Makes a good, logical Doesn’t use too much
argument emotion

7. The
Content-Purpose-Audience
TM
Strategy

8. Content-Purpose-Audience Strategy TM
Content
Main Idea Key Details
Purpose
Think Do
Audience
People Questions
Download a blank organizer here: http://bit.ly/ChamberAdvocacy.

9. Content, Part 1
Your Main Idea: The most important
thing you want the audience to know.
If you could only say one thing about
your topic, what would that be?

10. Audience
Who are you trying to persuade or
inform?
What questions or objections will they
have?

11. Content, Part II
Key Details: The evidence, examples
and explanations that support your
Main Idea or answer Questions.

12. Purpose
Your Call to Action
What do you want people to think?
What do you want them to do?

13. Putting it all together

14. Ways to structure your piece
See examples of these in action in our free downloadable packet:
http://bit.ly/ChamberAdvocacy.

15. Ways to structure your piece
Main Idea-Key Details-Think-Do
Think-Key Details-Do
Key Detail-Main Idea-Key
Details-Think-Do
Question-Key Details-Think-Do
See examples of these in action in our free downloadable packet:
http://bit.ly/ChamberAdvocacy.

16. Be heard, read, seen!

17. Where to share
WCHL and Chapelboro.com
The Carrboro Citizen, Chapel Hill
News or other local print outlets
State or national magazines, radio and
TV shows

18. Where to share
Your blog or someone else’s, like OP
Youtube, Facebook, Slideshare
The Chamber and other professional or
community organizations

19. Questions?

20. Get the workbook!
Download our 15-page workbook complete with
a C-P-A worksheet, step-by-step instructions
and examples of successful advocacy content!
http://bit.ly/ChamberAdvocacy

21. The Power of Your Ideas
Make your point. Make it fast. Make it matter.
Copyright 2012 Margot C. Lester/The Word Factory
Content-Purpose-Audience copyright 1995-2012 Teaching That Makes Sense, Inc.