Turning Ideas into Influence: Advocacy That Cuts Through

Advocacy
03 Oct 2025

For associations and not-for-profits, advocacy isn’t just a nice-to-have - it’s essential to delivering on our mission. These days, making your voice heard feels like shouting into the void.

You’re doing meaningful work. You’re representing real people. But between stretched policymakers, saturated media cycles, and endless competing agendas, even the most important issues can struggle to get traction.

We hear it all the time: 

"We’ve got the story but no one’s listening.” 

“We’re reacting to headlines instead of setting them.” “

We don’t have a PR team… just passion.”

That’s why we teamed up with the experts at Good Talent Media to host a practical conversation on cutting through the noise and making sure your message lands where it matters.

Sally Beerworth and Caroline Fleming shared best practices on how organisations can move from reactive to proactive and turn ideas into influence - here are our top 3 takeaways.

 

1. Set the Agenda - Don’t Just Respond to It

Too often, advocacy becomes reactive, responding to policy shifts, media headlines, or last-minute calls for comment. The organisations that lead conversations are the ones shaping the future.

Try this:

  • Build a 12-month media plan aligned with your policy priorities.
  • Identify predictable moments in the calendar where your voice can lead - e.g. budget announcements, awareness days, or annual reports.
  • Stay “media-ready” with story angles prepared in advance.

 

2. Turn the Media Into Your Megaphone

The media can amplify your message - if you give them something worth sharing.

Here’s how to get noticed:

  • Lead with the problem. Craft a strong headline that clearly shows what’s at stake.
  • Keep it short and sharp. Tailor your pitch to one focus and get to the point fast.
  • Offer something valuable. Exclusive insights, compelling data, or a real story from someone with lived experience can make all the difference.
     

3. Tell Stories That Stick

Facts are important but stories move people to act. Whether you’re pitching to a journalist or briefing a decision-maker, framing matters. Human-centered stories with emotional resonance are more likely to land.

Ask yourself:

  1. Who is affected by this issue?
  2. What’s the personal impact and how can we show it visually or emotionally?
  3. Can we include a clear call to action or outcome?
     

Advocacy that cuts through doesn’t require a massive team or a huge budget. What it does require is intention, clarity and the willingness to think a few steps ahead.

When you know what you stand for, who needs to hear it and how to tell the story in a way that resonates, you don’t need flashy campaigns. You just need focus.

Over time, those small actions build influence. And that’s what advocacy is all about - creating momentum for change, even when the spotlight isn’t shining.