21 Provide Clear Roles

Part 21 of 27 Social Media Lessons From Barack Obama’s Presidential Campaign

Obama’s Campaign defined specific roles for supporters.

27 Social Media Lessons From Barack Obama's Presidential CampaignOne of the keys to the Obama campaign was clarity. Clear, simple and specific requests for action were made. Likewise, clear and specific roles were offered to supporters. They could:

  1. Donate money
  2. Volunteer their time
  3. Take on an official role to nurture the community eg moderating conversations
  4. Become a staff member.

Each level was an increase in commitment and participation that allowed everyone to find their own way to contribute and be part of the community.
Action : Define specific roles for your supporters at varying levels of participation.

Derived from Rahaf Harfoush, Yes We Did

More Updates

Why Good People Misunderstand Each Other with Taruni Falconer

When I sat down to speak with intercultural communication expert Taruni Falconer, I expected to learn about culture. Instead, I found myself rethinking communication itself.

August 21, 2026
What a Doctor taught me about Experience

Most people think experience gives us answers, but what happens when our experience fails to answer our questions? When it makes it impossible to continue

August 17, 2026
Anthropology and Ai

Michael Henderson describes himself as atrocious with technology. So why has an anthropologist become surprisingly good at using AI? Michael traces the answer back to something

August 12, 2026