How To Create Grassroots Movements For Change - 2: Building Your Online Platform 

Maximize your online audience by creating social networking groups, designing a web site, and tying everything together into a unified platform. The internet is a new movement’s best friend, when it’s used strategically—all you need is a computer and your cause.

Step 1: Research social networking sites

Explore a variety of social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, Orkut, Bebo, and Hi5. Choose a few you like best—there’s no need to restrict yourself to just one. If you’re already a member of several, start with the one where you have the most connections.

Step 2: Create a group

Sign up for each site that you’ve chosen, and create a group page for your movement. Remember that looks sell—you want to convey your message cleanly and clearly. Use a simple, straightforward design that presents the most important information first, such as who you are and your basic message.

Step 3: Build a web site

Keeping in mind the design principles you used to build your social-networking groups, create a stand-alone web site for your movement that allows you to offer more content and present your ideas in greater depth. This will also help you reach people who may not be members of the social-networking groups you’ve chosen. Many different publishing and blogging platforms, such as WordPess, Blogger, and Ning, allow you to set up a basic site for free.

Step 4: Spread out your information

Post your mission statement, facts and figures, member profiles, upcoming events, and an FAQ, but not all on the home page. Most people can’t digest a lot of facts at once, so spread your information evenly across the site. Put just the most important information and time-sensitive notices on the home page, and direct people to other, more detailed pages with links.

Step 5: Include a variety of sources

To make your site more interesting and informative, include a variety of additional content—like videos, brochures, newsletters, articles, discussion forums, and blogs. Include related links to other relevant materials on the web.

Step 6: Link your sites together

Link all your sites and networking groups to each other to create a unified online cause. That way your audience can choose how they want to keep in touch with the movement.

Step 7: Keep your sites current

Keep all your sites up-to-date and consistent with each other. Now you’re ready to start actively drawing in members.