Politics can be boring. Politics can seem irrelevant. Politics can seem like a bunch of people endlessly yelling at one another. Politics can cause tensions, even among the oldest of friends. Yet, politics are extremely important and affects nearly every aspect of our day-to-day lives.
I believe that we have a civic duty to be informed, individuals. Especially as bloggers and influencers. As we are in a unique position, by way of our reach and platform, to proactively impact and promote our followers and readers to utilize their rights as citizens to vote whenever an opportunity presents itself. To not just promote reviews and products but that of the many benefits that come our way through the political process. Including political activism through voter reach. And it is this reason that bloggers, influencers, podcasters, and freelance writers should discuss politics on their respective platforms.
As political activism is paramount to necessary domestic political change. From abolishing slavery to the enfranchisement of women, political activism, by way of the written word, has helped to desegregate our society. Political activism aids the rights of the terminally ill, the elderly, veterans, children, labor laws, victims’ rights, the religious and the centrist alike.
The entire history of our country, from Revolution to modern-day, has been woven through with political activism. In our current society, political activism advocates for de-escalation training for every police department in America, the reexamination of the Brady Bill, as well as a proposed increase to the Federal Minimum Wage Law. All necessary actions needed to ensure the proper advancement of American society as a whole. So you see, the entire history of our country, from Revolution to our modern-day, has been changed for the good when ordinary citizens vote.
While it may feel like our vote won’t be able to cause waves in the grand scheme of things, that it is pointless to vote. But imagine if everyone had that mindset. Hardly anyone would vote. This is little more than apathy disguised as political activism.
Why discuss voting and politics on your platforms
The bottom line for me is this: When you don’t vote, you’re letting other people decide your future. You’re saying that you don’t care what happens to your nation, to your community, on your street, and in your home.
If you’re worried about your vote not counting in today’s election, then let’s look at local elections. Accordingly to PEW Research, fewer than a quarter of all Americans participate in local elections. Whereas nearly half of all Americans vote in national elections. Statistically, when it comes to the presidential ballot, your vote matters more.
Just as within each town in America where city managers, city council members, and ombudsman, elected officials whose terms of office affect the day-to-day actions of your community by way of the allocation of grant and tax funding, local option levies, and laws concerning drug use and incarceration, as does the office of president when it comes to the world stage. The office of the president affects your life.
Even with presidential elections, voter turnout is not what it should be. There are many citizens who don’t bother until the general election comes about in November to decide on their own political prerogative. Ignoring their own voting voice during the primary and caucus season. Seasons that affect primary politics in a major and important way.
While we know that today’s presidential election vote is very controversial and contentious, it’s still no less important. Educate yourself. Be open to new ideas. Pay attention to the news. Don’t let other people decide elections for you. Show that you care.
Every citizen has the right to vote, but no citizen is obligated to do so. But they should be. While it might sound cliche, someone did die for you to have the right to vote. Others gave their life’s blood. And still, more continue to give all that they have to make this nation a better place to live, by way of their term in office. I believe they are called community organizers.
How to write about politics on your platform
The same can be said for the need for bloggers, podcasters, and influencers discussing politics on their sites. While it’s an exciting time to write about politics, bloggers who ordinarily don’t write about politics can easily be intimidated by just the thought of doing so. Questions like, “Can I write authoritatively about the subject? Do I know all sides of the issue? What if my readers know more about the subject than I do?” can flood their content calendars more than prose or product reviews.
While there certainly are some risks involved but if you get it right, the potential rewards can range are beyond important. As writers and influencers, we have our ear to the pulse of current events, including politics. We also care about our followers, readers, and subscribers. They, realistically speaking, that of their families, careers, finances, and health, too. This is why we owe it to our readers to be more than just lifestyle, foodie, or mommy bloggers. We cannot hide behind the guide of being non-political. As no aspect of our modern lives, or reader’s lives, is unaffected by the current politics in the United States.
For those looking to include politics on their platforms, consider these 7 tips to help build your confidence when it comes to writing posts and pieces of a political nature:
Keep it simple and stay focused
It’s easy to get caught up in every detail about a particular issue, especially if this is one of your only political posts and you feel like you need to get it all out. Do your best to simplify the post as much as possible. Keeping nuances to the comments section or follow-up posts. When it comes to writing about politics, it’s all about organizing principles. Focusing on the exact reason the issue is important to your readers, who the key players are, and what the potential political outcome is. Once you’re done, edit away anything that isn’t necessary—and always provide readers additional resources to make informed, cohesive decisions for themselves.
Maintain your writers’ voice
When you’re out of your comfort zone, it’s really easy to take on the voice of the subject matter in lieu of your own. Fight this—as your readers will notice! On more than one occasion when I’ve written about subjects that I knew would be important to my readers but weren’t exactly comfortable, I received reader emails asking if somebody else wrote the post or why I was dispassionate style-wise. Again, editing comes in very handy here when the time to put yourself back into your post in political postings.
Make each post relevant to your audience right away
This is good advice for any post, but more than ever your first line on a politically-focused piece. If readers aren’t used to seeing politics posts on your blog, you should help them understand why it’s there immediately! Try tying it into a previous post you’ve written. Or express outrage that your readers would likely share. Otherwise, readers might think you’re shifting focus and that it’s not “their” blog anymore.
Create an official statement
When writing political posts, always tie-in official governmental agency posts. This solidifies authority to your post. These resources can be found on each specific agency’s website. For example, if you write about technology, look at the FCC website. If you’re writing a post about your city’s school system, look at your state’s Department of Education website. You don’t have to agree with the statement, but using it lends credibility to your post and your readers will know exactly what you’re standing for, or against, officially.
Use video
News agencies like Reuters, provide fairly well-balanced reporting pieces in a video format that you can embed in your post. This reporting style can help build a foundation to carry out your viewpoint throughout your post.
Use pictures
Using pictures to spruce up your writing on political issues not only dresses up your post, but it also connects a name with a face for important social issues. There are lots of times your readers will know who somebody is from television or the newspaper, but can’t remember their name. A picture elevates this burden and adds another level of why the post is relevant to them.
Transparency
When writing political pieces, an extra ounce of social transparency is key. Sharing why you believe in an issue, started your platform, or how you raise your family or make a living can bridge the political decide more than you’ll ever know. When you replace “us and them” statements with “me and my,” your posts will not only be more credibly sound, but will likely make you more endearing to your readers, and taken more seriously, too!
Which is something I try to bring to various posts on this site? Not just in terms of finance, plant-based eating, lifestyle pieces, or product reviews. I’m generally not speaking about truisms or generalities. I’m speaking about realities. My reality. You see, I’m a woman. I come from a long line of immigrants, unionists, rabble-rousers, several teenage mothers, and my poor white trash distant relations from centuries past who lived on the wrong side of the tracks. I’m also the wife of a public educator and a veteran of foreign war. I work from home in a volatile financial climate. I am a citizen of the world and my world faces an uncertain future due to climate change. Which by the way, is a real and very true reality. I’m also among the ten percent of women in this world who possess a professional degree, who worries over the legacy she will leave her family.
An example of great political lifestyle writing
So what does this mean? It is my belief, that as influencers, we cannot afford to stand idly by. We must be educational and statistical emissaries for our audiences. Particularly in election years. Journalists offering factual information that impacts the lives of the working masses in this country. As our readers are not just random statistics or stats to be checked off on demographic boxes. Writers like David Urban, lobbyist, political operative, and political commentator for CNN, who often stares cutting-edge economic and political advice, as well as lending his efforts to both the 2016 Donald Trump presidential campaign and helping to orchestrate the 2016 Republican National Convention, where he served as a senior advisor in the successful effort to win Pennsylvania. Utilizing both his on-screen and behind the screen efforts to proactively advance the ideals of the modern American voting system to his reader-base online.
Urban serves as a perfect example as to why influencers cannot simply refusing to vote is not an affirmative political choice. For when candidates are odious, when their campaign traffic in character-assassination when election ads are no more than shameless pandering funded by unknown, unresearched super PACs, you might think that as a rational voter you should disengage from politics and not vote. But this idea is little more than entitlement disguised as a conscientious objector.
A great example as to why influencer needs to simply do more politically. To do more than turn mudslinging candidates, while we share reviews and recipes online. To share more of our lives. To discuss how politics influence what and how we share media online. And why we work or will not work with specific companies and why. Without this disclosure and transparency, we are no different than unscrupulous lobbyists. Folks who silently sympathize with everyday Americans but derive their livelihoods by the promotion of big pharma, GMO-laden foods, police brutality, and the underfunding of urban schools for posting profit. As influencers, we are called to do more.
To this end, I am reminded of the words of Dr. King, “In the end, we remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” Apathy is passive aggression in action. And apathy has no place in influencing online.
Which is why discuss politics, voting, and social advocacy on my platforms as well as collaborate with like-minded influencers who feel the same. Keep in mind-I’m a lifelong voter. No one has to persuade me to show up on Election Day to cast a ballot. since the first time my grandmother allowed me to enter the voting booth with her as a child, I’ve been fascinated by the election process. The communal spirit of voting. Having served as the first female president of one of my college’s political clubs on campus and helped to run several college voter registration drives. This is why years after casting my first official ballot, I’m still moved by the civic ritual of coming together as equals, peacefully engaged in self-government. Being an influencer, bloggers, podcasters, and freelance writer encourage me to do so more.
For me, voting, and standing by my political beliefs, is akin to an act of faith- faith that government of, by, and for the people still has real meaning, notwithstanding the inescapable hold of apathy in America. And this political activism cannot stop after this coming November. As political awareness begins the minute you cast your vote and begin to live with election day results. Continuing each time you purchase an item, spend your wages, and plan for your future. For you and your readers.
Friends, particularly bloggers, podcasters, and influencers, I urge you to pay attention to issues affecting our political climate at home, educate yourself on candidate platforms, attend political rallies, and rally behind political candidates and parties that will work towards bettering the issues you’re passionate about. As politics are not topics to be avoided, but rather embraced. It’s a way to show your community your willingness to give back to your readership and your greater community at large. So, get involved. Share unbiased political findings. Encourage reader voter registration. And when you can, vote. Because political apathy is not OK.
You matter. Your readers matter. Your sponsors’ matter. Therefore you should vote. And never be afraid to discuss politics with those you influencer online.
