How to promote your messages on social media

1.Reach the right people

Social media is hugely widespread and part of everyday life for most people. Around 79.7% of the UK population now uses social media, meaning millions of potential supporters can see and share your campaign messages. UK users are active across about 6 platforms per month on average, showing that multi-platform behaviours are normal and not unusual.

To help your campaign find its audience effectively, choose channels where your message will resonate and where your target supporters already spend time. At Cycling UK, we’ve noticed that Instagram and Facebook are particularly effective platforms for community-based content, helping conversations grow around shared local experiences and interests. Start by following and interacting with local groups, politicians, community organisations, and cycling networks that matter to your issue.

Using hashtags can extend reach further, especially when paired with relevant local or campaigning tags. Tagging organisations and individuals directly can also help get your content seen by them and by their followers. Thoughtful direct messages to key supporters can encourage amplification more effectively than repeated public tagging.

2.Stop them scrolling on

People spend a lot of time on social media every day, with the average global user spending around 2 hours and 20 minutes on social platforms daily and slightly higher weekly use when combined with online video.

This means you have a narrow window to grab attention. Strong visuals and sharp writing help your posts stand out as people scroll quickly through busy feeds. Posting consistently and showing up regularly makes your content more familiar, which builds recognition and trust.

Short videos, photos that show real people or places, and headlines that clearly state what you want people to do next all help your message cut through the noise. For example, for 'My ride, our right' we created short vox pop (on the street interview style) videos featuring people sharing, in their own words, why safe cycling matters to them. These quick, authentic clips performed well because they felt human, immediate, and easy to engage with.

3.The dos and don’ts

Many factors determine whether a social media post will be successful, but there are also some standard rules to bear in mind. Here are some final things to consider:

• Always check over your post before publishing, paying attention to spelling and grammar, accuracy and tone.
• Be polite and professional. Campaigners need to stand up for what they believe and be firm, but it’s important to keep it respectful and avoid getting into fights – once a post is out there, it’s out there forever.
• Keep it clear and concise. Ensure your copy is neat and easily readable, using line breaks and URL shorteners, avoiding caps lock and acronyms.

4.One last thing

If you’re not already, please follow Cycling UK on Twitter. By engaging with our content, not only will you support our campaign work for safer roads and improved access for cycling across the UK, you will also boost the visibility of your own account. If you are able to tag us in your posts, we will do our best to like and/or share to help extend your reach.