WITH VIDEO, IMAGE, CELEBRITY & OFFLINE ACTIONS
Video
What is particularly well received are short videos in which those affected describe how important the issue is to them. Videos are clicked on and shared particularly often on social media such as Instagram or Facebook. Sharepics are also good for spreading your petition. Because in order to spread good posts, you need good material.
Simply record a short video (in landscape format!) with your smartphone or camcorder in which those affected and those who support them have their say. Suppose your petition is against the clearing of a forest. In the video, for example, a jogger, dog owner and forester could briefly explain why possible deforestation would be so bad and why the petition should be signed.
A teaser or image video should not be longer than 1:30 minutes, preferably under 30 seconds. Longer videos are rarely watched in their entirety. When it comes to distribution via social media, the shorter the better!
Just like the petition itself, it is important to have an attention-grabbing video title. Best according to the pattern: "#Petition – Title of your petition". The video description on YouTube and Facebook is also important and should be short and concise. 2-3 sentences in which you address the issue and link to the petition are sufficient.
Be sure to ensure good sound quality! Those being filmed should speak as close as possible to the microphone and disturbing noises should be avoided. When people are making statements, you should film close to the face (zooms that only show the nose and eyes are counterproductive, but so are full-body shots). Be sure to use moving images - this will make the video appear more lively. For example, if you are filming a shot in which someone is looking at a screen, film over their shoulder at the display. With a “screen recorder” you can easily create a short video of your screen. Still images, on the other hand, appear soporific and boring.
Send us your video in advance! If you are inexperienced with video editing, you are welcome to send us individual video snippets and we will edit your video for you. If you would prefer to edit your film yourself, we would still be happy to give you feedback and, if you don't have your own, upload the video to our YouTube channel.
- Free editing programs include Windows Moviemaker or iMovie.
- Create closed captions so people can watch your video without sound (many people turn off the automatic sound on videos when they're on the go).
- Accompany the video with suitable music, e.g. piano music.
Sharepic
A sharepic is an image that is created to be shared and distributed by as many people as possible. This means that it must immediately catch the eye and have a very clear and simple message. Sometimes it's enough to choose a bright color as the background and place a bold sentence on it to draw attention to your concerns. Ideally, you can still see the thing or the person/those affected that it is about. Only the most important information goes into a sharepic!
Organizations and associations
Also involve organizations, associations and authorities that would potentially support your cause. For example, if you have a petition about animal protection, write an email to animal protection associations and ask them for support. These actors can also often be found on social media, so you can tag them.
Celebrities and experts
Try to get prominent people to support your petition. For example, if you already know that Campino from the band “Die Toten Hosen” or the actor Till Schweiger is particularly committed to refugees, you can write to them specifically via social media and ask them to share and sign your petition, or in one Postpone post. The same applies to people from politics. Find email addresses of MPs or local politicians and inform them about your petition and ask them to spread it and support it. For example, during a petition against fox hunting, actor and environmental activist Hannes Jaenicke recorded a short video of himself and called for support of the petition - this made the rounds on social media.
Offline actions
In order for your petition to reach the public, you must also get it out to the public. Here you can get really creative and come up with your own forms of action. A few things have proven particularly useful here:
- Information evenings and town hall meetings: make contacts, inform your neighborhood, find fellow campaigners. We support you with our next door tool: This allows you to easily contact people in your area and network with them. You can find the tool on the petition page under the “Next door” tab.
- Benefit concerts: collect donations and create a wonderful experience for supporters
- Demonstrations at locations important to the petition: Draw public attention to the issue and show how important it is to supporters.
- Offline signature collection and information stand: This is a special feature of openPetition , because here you have the opportunity to collect signatures online and offline. In this way, you not only reach people who are internet-savvy, but you can also work together across generations and talk to other people affected on site. On the petition page you can download collection sheets, print them out and upload them again later. If you have any questions, please feel free to read here .
- Tear-off slips: You can also download these flyers with the petition link from the petition page, print them out and distribute them to friends or display them at events.
Supported by openPetition: We are here to help you with all of these steps. It is important that you keep us updated. If we notice that you are strongly committed, then we will also be committed to you. For example, if we learn of a planned handover, we can advise you and, if necessary, draw your attention to it via our channels.
Tag us when posting on social media: You can always tag us on Facebook and X. Write our name in the post and select our profile: @openPetition on Facebook, @openpetition.de on Instagram und @openPetition on X.