Following an election, the key to audience engagement isn’t outrage or fear — it’s about inspiration and action.
Political uncertainty and global volatility have created significant challenges for social impact communicators over the past year. In light of the recent elections, 82% of nonprofit organizations express the need to adapt their messaging and public engagement strategies. Yet, many organizations admit to feeling unprepared for these changes — especially when it comes to digital and social media.
With this in mind, the question for Additive Agents this month was: how do we move towards an #Additive approach to storytelling? Here are four actionable tips to cut through divisive narratives, unite audiences and move your mission forward.
1. Short Bursts
Whether making the case for your cause or breaking through the noise, the most effective way to engage attention-strained audiences is through concise, compelling content. Algorithms favor videos that are under 60 seconds, and research shows 21-34 seconds is the sweet spot for maximum engagement.
2. Personalized Messages
The sheer volume of political news can make it more challenging to gain your audiences’ attention — so it becomes even more important that your content is tailored to individual preferences. If audience data isn’t available, global trends can offer a valuable starting point for high-impact communications.
For example, we know younger donors tend to prefer more frequent and direct communications, while older donors prefer more robust, periodic updates. This means you might keep longer-form content limited to LinkedIn and targeted email lists, if that’s where your older audiences engage with you most.
3. Positive Moments
Transitions of power often bring uncertainty and upheaval, prompting audiences to turn to social media as a way to unwind and escape relentless news cycles. Incorporating moments of positivity into your content can help you stand out and make meaningful connections.
It’s important to note that positivity isn’t limited to “happiness.” Fostering emotions like curiosity, connection, pride or hope goes a long way with audiences, without downplaying or oversimplifying your cause. For example, charity:water’s #AgreeToAgree campaign invited audiences to “take sides” through a fun, interactive quiz (e.g., cats vs. dogs; pineapple pizza vs. fruit-free), ultimately driving home a unifying message: equitable access to clean water is something we can all agree on. The quiz effectively highlighted the critical issue that nearly 1 in 10 people around the world lack access to clean water. The result? A three-fold increase in donor engagement.
4. Humanity in Action
The election and upcoming transition are shifting audiences’ focus to national and global issues, often framed by sweeping gestures and generalizations. It will be particularly important to find opportunities to show your organization’s impact on a human level, through impact stories, video testimonies, community profiles and other personal narratives. For example, The Robin Hood Foundation’s “This Robin Hood Moment” podcast humanizes their large-scale quantitative research on poverty through individual interviews with changemakers and stories of resilience and hope in the organization’s home city.
Keeping messages brief, personalized, positive and human-centered throughout 2025 can help social impact organizations navigate post-election communication challenges. With these strategies in mind, you will be better positioned to reach audiences, inspire action and amplify your impact.
By Rachel Newman and Catherine Ntube.
