Having an up-to-date website seems to be a basic thing: still there are countless cases where the news about a TU event are uploaded only after days to the webpage. 

A webpage should be mobile compatible. A mobile app is NOT the mobile version of the webpage! A mobile app does something different, offers a service that is handy to have in our pockets! Remember: your Facebook profile, Twitter account and such are already on the smartphones – don’t spend money on a mobile app that offers the same!

LIGA TU created a mobile app that gives you labour law advice immediately, in common language. Also TU members can look up on a map the services we offer them countrywide. (of course, also TU regional offices can be found on this map!)

Using social media channels professionally(!): having a social media channel that’s not updated regularly, not trying to involve people, or just copy-pasting web articles is worse than simply not having these channels. Facebook should be updated on a daily basis, twitter also, while Youtube, LinkedIn and blogs at least on a weekly basis. The contents for channel should be specialized. (you cannot copy-paste a web article to Facebook, or a Facebook post to Twitter, you have to rewrite, reformulate it).

There are automation programs that are free, that can handle for a certain level these channels. (IFTT) Smaller TUs should use at least these.

Facebook pages: LIGA TU created two Facebook pages that do not have the LIGA or TU logos/image at all. These pages contain news on labour law, work related issues, workplace safety, and ALSO TU news. This helps to involve people who have originally some aversion towards TUs, thus would not read news feed of pages of Trade Unions.

Use of blogs: LIGA Trade Unions has four different blogs: labour law, workplace safety, job market/workforce economy, general TU issues. These also are missing the TU logos and marketing elements, thus involving readers who normally would not read news from trade unionists. Of course, links to TU webpages are embedded, so if after reading the article, someone is getting interested in the topic, he/she can easily find him/herself on our main webpage. This also helps to explain in an indirect way, what TUs are doing.  

In other words: these indirect channels help us to push through trade union messages to people who are normally not active in these fields.

Criteria for Youtube videos: max. 3 minutes long, no monologues, no steady background! Short reports on site, with real workers, music, cartoons and infographics are welcome. Be funny, be provocative! Look at a commercial news programme: a report is no longer than 1 minute, it’s always on site, you see and feel the atmosphere, short cuts, moving camera angels, etc.

A news article must not be longer than a page. No technical terms. What’s the practical use of the info? How does it affect workers? Leave the expert stuff for the attachment.

Also it is important to have good relations with leading newspapers and journalists. Sounds easy, still lot of TUs simply don’t have these connections.

Actions: when LIGA TU organised road blocks in defence of labour rights, we introduced a mobile app that showed a map and helped people re-plan their routes. The message was that the action is necessary though we are not against the people. Also it showed (and surprised) many people that TUs are a modern thing.

When planning actions, think with a cameraman’s mind: what would look good on TV? Marching slowly, standing on a stage and giving long speeches, etc., is not what commercial TV news are looking for. Give them the show!

Interviews/spokesperson: less old men, more young people, more women. If we are fighting to revitalise TU movement, we have to show the potential members that TUs are not a bunch of old people. If possible use fresh and young faces from time to time to appear as one of the faces of the TU. (normally it’s not the Director or the CEO that speaks for a company, he/she is spared for the special appearances…)

Find a face (more faces) who represent the TU or the movement, who are young, who are working, who can speak fluently and easily, who are trustworthy, and who can be loved. First rule in marketing: awake emotions!

In sum: learn from the for-profit marketers, many of their tricks can be adopted without cost.

The most important thing however is, that all these communications channels are only 50% of the TU communication. No matter how fast technology has evolved, personal relations, contact, discussions, face to face negotiations still cannot be neglected, and are the most important channels in a non-profit organisation's communications. 

Peter Fiedler
LIGA TU
Hungary