Forum Post: How to KICK the Occupy movement into HIGH GEAR

In my humble opinion, the following outline describes one way we could each *help the Occupy movement kick into high gear*.

I believe it's really an 8 step process:

FIRST

You identify a specific cause / effort --- getting straight in your own mind the clear goal and the steps necessary to achieve. You have to be totally passionate about the means and ends on this particular cause. You don't need to sum up the entire Occupy movement. You're just going after one specific aspect here.

SECOND

You come up with a kick ass top shelf slogan that is clever and sums it up. If it energizes, inspires and provokes, you've succeeded. Don't go to step 3 until you get to that point.

THIRD

Come up with a website address that is very memorable and captures the essence of the specific cause. This web address needs to be one you can remember if it was given to you verbally after your 3rd beer the night before. It has to be that good. Don't go to step four until it is. This is an address for a brand new website specifically devoted to your cause.

FOURTH

Develop your website for that cause into a hub for all things related to achieving the goals. It should be clear, clean, easy to use and "stand alone approachable" to someone who's never even heard of Occupy Wall Street. I'm not kidding.

It must:

A) Sum up the "problem" and outline why solving the problem is urgent. By the time someone reads this paragraph A, they should be all fired up.

B) Outline quickly the positive benefits to solving the problem. These can fall into any or all of the following four categories: how these benefits affects web visitor's own life and life of his or her family, how these benefits impact their town, now these benefits impact the American population, how these benefits affect the world population and how these benefits impact the local, national and world environment.

C). Outline the steps from start to finish to achieve the stated goals for this specific cause. Be careful to include information at end of each step describing how web visitor can get involved in different ways on this particular action step.

D). Summary page should remind visitors of the top 5 things they can do to help with this cause.

E). Connections, resources and links: Last section is very important. It should be a hub for spreading the word and getting people educated and involved. It should contain:

1. Facebook, twitter links etc. that allow someone to spread the word about this cause with one or two clicks to their network of family, friends and associates

2. Outside resources, petitions, educational materials, websites, email addresses and any other links / info that will further the cause

3. A search by zip code to identify resources, meetings and groups nearest the person who is visiting the site.

4. Website can't achieve anything until you get the word out in a way that gets tons of people visiting your site.. So, in addition to the facebooking and twittering above, you need to email link to this website to everyone your contact list, incuding family and friends, and ask them to spread the word to at least ten people each and ask them to do the same. Write letters and op eds in local and national papers and reference the link to website in context of your writing.

If you really want to speed things along, make it a point of conversation even in the line at the grocery store, and win over anyone with doubts or suspicions. Give them an easy to remember Google/Yahoo/Bing search term that will produce the information you want them to see when they search. Write it down for them if you have to. Turn off personal results on any of the SEs when doing research on the search term to share with folks so you get an accurate view of what they will see.

Post links to your new action oriented site on this forum, in comments to newspaper articles in local and national magazines and newspapers, etc. Get your link in all the appropriate places where supporters might spend time.

Write to your elected representatives (all of them) and tell them how you really feel. Talk to local media about the issue. Speak with local community leaders, business leaders and mavens of all types so they also underscore the importance of this cause to your town, Focus as much a possible on specific beneficial results, both short and long term.

FIFTH

So, steps ONE to FOUR above help you and your group achieve your aims that will presumably improve life for everyone in your household, town or country....even the world. Repeat this process for each of the causes that mean most to you.

SIXTH

Each of the sites above in step 5 should be stand alone and should be able to help someone get involved whether they're novice to activism and / or this cause or not. But you should also create *an umbrella website* that gives a short introductory paragraph containing info on the theme common to all. Make sure that name is really catchy and memorable. Spread the word of that umbrella site via methods above. Make all these sites easily searchable in many ways. All posts should emphasize the power of nonviolence and perhaps another section reviews benefits and history of nonviolent movements.

SEVENTH

Then, push like hell and continue to hone your sites so they are as concise and inspiring as possible.

EIGHTH

Lastly, and most importantly, have some really good spots on your websites, on nearly every page, that allow a busy supportive person to send money via PayPal etc. to established clearly legitimate activist groups. Expect 90% of people to just not have time to physically help but allow those 90% (who are still movivated) to send money. It's simple and it makes a difference. Be sure to be clear that 100% of the money goes to furthering the specific cause referenced.

*Rock n roll*