Objective:

Create one YouTube video of people asking one of your leaders to support the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget. The video should address your chosen leader directly. Your leader already knows they are receiving phone calls from their call reports – The purpose of these videos is to explain WHY they should support the ODA. Be creative and make sure people aren’t just reading off of a script or calling and leaving their leader a message! Ask yourself, if you were the leader or staffer viewing your video, would you be engaged? If the answer is no, create a new version before publishing it online. 

Why this matters:

Parliamentary offices monitor when the leader is mentioned online. These videos will be seen by the leaders’ Communications Directors and often the leader as well. 

Maximize your impact:

1. Come up with a creative idea. Draft out what you’ll want people to say in the video. Be sure to include WHY your leader should support the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget. 
2. Include other people to be in your video – friends, family, neighbours, other students, etc. You want to show strength in numbers. 
3. Film footage and edit the video. The shorter the better (think 1-3 minutes). 
4. Create a YouTube account if you don’t have one and upload the video. Make sure the video is set to public. If the video is private or unlisted, your TD or their office wouldn’t be able to find it and view it!
5. IMPORTANT: Optimize the name and description. Parliamentary offices receive summaries of where the leader is mentioned online, so it’s key that the video’s title and description name the leader and the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget. For example, name the video “Helen McEntee, TD Please Support the Official Development Assistance (ODA).” In the video description, mention the leader’s name, the Official Development Assistance (ODA) and that you’re constituents who support The Borgen Project. 
6. Use your social media platform! There’s a good chance your leader’s Communications Director will see the video within 24 hours of you publishing it, but just to make sure the message is received, email the video to their office. You can also post the video to the leader’s Facebook page and tweet your message to the leader!

What the title and verbiage should say:

The title and description need to mention the leader’s name and the Official Development Assistance (ODA). The script of the video should also mention the leader’s name and ask them to support the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget. 

Example of a Good Title: “Helen McEntee, TD Please Support the Official Development Assistance (ODA)”

Example of a Good Description: “Helen McEntee, TD, we truly believe that you have the ability to make a difference in thousands of lives by supporting the Official Development Assistance (ODA). As your constituents and supporters of The Borgen Project, we believe that the values of our constituency are best represented when we’re improving the lives of those born into extreme poverty.” 

This is how it’s done!

Why this video is a huge success…