As a member of I Make America, you know the value of engaging with your members of Congress. It is important for our elected officials to hear from us, their constituents, about the issues that matter the most.
But this isn’t just about knocking on their door, making a phone call, or dropping a letter in the mail. By using the power of social media – including wide-reaching platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram – our representatives and senators are able to quickly learn so much more from their constituents. Here are a few tips for making sure your voice is heard!
- Make sure you are engaging with the right elected officials
- Each state has two senators, but the congressional maps change every 10 years after the Census contact. Use the “Find Your Rep” tool to ensure that you are reaching out to the congressperson who represents you.
- Talk about timely issues
- Find out what issues your elected officials are prioritizing, which bills are being discussed in congressional committees, and which pieces of legislation are being considered for a vote on the floor of the House or the Senate.
- Members of Congress receive weekly reports about what were the top issues their constituents called, wrote in, or posted on social media about.
- Search current legislation by issue area here, or click here to find out what legislation is being voted on in Congress this week.
- Tag your elected officials
- Look for your congressional members’ verified social media platforms. On many social media platforms, this is denoted by a blue checkmark.
- This ensures that you are engaging with the right accounts and will have your tweets, posts, and comments seen by your elected officials and their staffs.
- Use social media to amplify other means of communication
- Did you recently attend a town hall or coffee with your congresswoman? Did you write to your senator about a bill being considered on the Senate floor? Follow up!
- Tweet at them, post a photo from an advocacy event, or leave a comment on their Facebook page. Congressional staff monitor these social media outlets to see what issues constituents care about.
- Don’t forget to tag @IMakeAmerica
- I Make America can help amplify your voice too!
- Don’t forget to mention @IMakeAmerica and use the hashtag #IMakeAmerica across all accounts!
