8 Tips for Finding People to Sign Your Petition
The best way to grow your petition is to simply ask as many people to sign as possible. You might be surprised who is interested and wants to support your effort! Here are some different ways to ask lots of people to sign your petition quickly:
1. Send emails to your friends and family asking them to sign
One of the very best ways to collect petition signatures is to simply send an email to people you know asking them to sign. And the more people you email, the more signers you’ll get. You can email friends directly through the MoveOn petition website—just click “Manage Petitions” at the top of this page and click on “Share.”
2. Share your petition on Facebook
Facebook is a great way to instantly let lots of people know about your petition. And then your friends can share it with their friends with a single click too. You can also post updates on your petition’s progress for people who may have missed it the first time. You can send individual messages to friends through Facebook, and share it with groups or post it on pages relevant to your issue. You can get started posting to Facebook directly through the MoveOn petition website—just click “Manage Petitions” at the top of this page and click on “Share.”
3. Send updates to the people who have signed your petition and ask them to share the petition with their friends
By sending your supporters regular updates, you can keep them engaged and motivate them to do more to help. You can write updates about the number of petition signatures you’ve collected, political developments on your campaign, or general news about the issue your petition addresses.
4. Share your petition on Twitter
Twitter messages can only include 140 characters, so you’ll need to summarize your petition in just a few words. Use relevant hashtags (#) and the user names of people with a large following to maximize the attention you get. Retweet your petition regularly for people who missed it the first time. Click here for more tips on using Twitter to promote your petition. Just like Facebook and email, you can get started posting to Twitter directly through the MoveOn petition website—just click “Manage Petitions” at the top of this page and click on “Share.”
5. Post the link in the comments of relevant news articles and blog posts
Popular blogs and news sites can get tens of thousands of readers or more a day, and posting your petition in the comments of relevant blogs is a great way to reach a lot of people quickly.
6. Share your petition with local organizations
Organizations can help you collect a lot of signatures by sharing the petition with their email lists. Look for relevant groups online and call them on the phone to ask them to help out. Usually, you’ll have more luck getting groups to pitch in after your petition has gotten going a little.
7. Share your petition with relevant email listervs
Are you on any email discussion lists for your church, union, school, hobby groups, trade or professional associations? If your petition is relevant, share it with the other folks on your group’s email discussion listserv.
8. Put a link to your petition in your IM Chat Status or Email Footer
Do you use IM regularly? Add a link to your petition in your chat status. Add a link to your petition in your email signature. All you have to gain is more visibility.