Digital Strategy: Case Study of Restless Brussels
This week I am delighted to present a quick overview of the digital strategy of a project close to my heart - Restless Brussels. I was glad to have the support of our head of social media Adriano Rodari in gathering together these ideas - he has been vital in shaping and executing this digital project.
Restless Brussels is an initiative designed to foster deeper connections between the diverse international population of Brussels and the city itself. At the heart of this initiative lies a robust digital strategy that supports and amplifies our on-the-ground efforts.
The Digital Layer: Enhancing Real-Life Engagement
Digital tools serve as a layer over our real-life work, complementing community building, events, training, and community actions. This integration ensures that our digital presence not only informs but actively engages and mobilises our community.
This approach can be divided into three broad areas:
Website
Mailing list
Social media
Each complements, reinforces and supports each other. Below you’ll find a quick overview of each.
1. Website: The Anchor of Restless Brussels
The website, restless.brussels, built by Paweł Kamil Krawczyk, is the cornerstone of our digital strategy. It serves several crucial functions:
Gateway to Engagement: The website draws people into our mailing list, allowing them to signal their interest in volunteering.
Event Hub: It outlines all upcoming events, ensuring our community stays informed and engaged.
Activity Archive: An archive of all previous events, with vivid and people-centric pictures, showcases our activity and consistency, highlighting that we have organised over 40 events for more than 1500 people since May last year.
User-Friendly Design: The single scroller design is practical and visually warm, striking a playful tone that welcomes visitors. It is easy to use, well sign posted and puts the most important information at the top. It is also responsive, looking great on both desktop and mobile.
2. Mailing List: The Backbone of Communication
Our mailing list underpins our entire communication strategy, boasting almost 3000 sign-ups and an impressive 60-75% open rate. This high engagement is achieved by emailing only when there is an action to take or an event to attend, while occasionally delivering organisational news via a "P.S."
Our emails are carefully crafted to include clear calls to action, whether it's attending an event, volunteering for an activity, or supporting a cause. Each email is designed to be concise yet informative, with links to more detailed information elsewhere. This strategy not only drives engagement but also encourages our community to explore our digital presence further. It also acts as a channel where people can respond and enter into direct dialogue with the Restless Brussels team.
Overall this approach ensures that our community receives the most critical information directly in their inboxes, avoiding potential algorithmic "misses" that can occur with social media.
3. Social Media: Engaging and Mobilising
Adriano Rodari leads our social media efforts, supported by a team of content creators such as Dea Metuli and Mirko Paradiso, creating a dynamic presence across several platforms. Each channel has its distinct style, but all share a focus on people-centricity and usefulness, centred on community members and team experiences. Broadly, we have divided our posts into four content pillars - events, memes, testimonials and “Bruxelles ma belle” (content celebrating our adopted home).
Instagram: Targeting a younger demographic, our Instagram is playful and keeps existing and potential community members updated on the project. It demonstrates action and aims to recruit new members, showcasing our events and activities in a vibrant, engaging manner. It creates opportunities to engage and exchange with our community by reposting their content when they join events, responding to messages and answering practical questions, such as on registration and event details.
LinkedIn: Our LinkedIn profile targets professionals, serving as a crucial outreach tool that has driven much of our new sign-ups. It helps us connect with new groups and signal to other organisations and political entities that we are active and interested in collaboration.
WhatsApp Forwarding Group: Focused on our "Get Out The Vote" campaign, this group is essential for mobilising our community. More broadly, WhatsApp groups are important for internal collaboration and proved critical during our volunteer outreach day, where they were used in coordinating 40 of our volunteers and volunteers from five partner organisations on the streets.
Influencer partnerships also play a vital role in our social media strategy. Accounts like Brussels Affirmations and DG MEME provide critical support, while influential individuals like Sevim Aktas and Katarzyna Kowalewska help spread awareness and create content for us.
Integrating Digital and Real-World Actions
Our digital strategy does not exist in isolation but is intricately linked to our real-world activities. We drive community members towards other civil society groups, tagging them whenever we collaborate on an event. This approach fosters a sense of solidarity and collective action, reinforcing our core values of humility and curiosity.
The Benefits of a Digital Layer
The digital layer offers numerous advantages for building an activist organisation:
Cost-Effective Communication: Digital tools provide an affordable way to communicate and coordinate campaigns, making it easier to mobilise and organise.
Attracting Allies and Members: Our digital presence has allowed us to rapidly grow our community, attracting new members and allies.
Organisational Efficiency: Digital tools streamline our operations, helping us stay organised and focused.
Branding and Values: Our online presence helps us brand the organisation and convey our values upfront, creating a cohesive and recognisable identity.
Demonstrating Support and Scale: Digital platforms allow us to showcase the scale of our activities and the support we receive, building credibility and trust.
Narrative Building: An ongoing digital narrative keeps our community engaged and informed, reinforcing the impact of our work.
Restless Brussels leverages a well-rounded digital strategy to enhance its real-world impact. By integrating the website, mailing list, and social media, we create a comprehensive and engaging digital layer that supports our mission of building a connected and active community in Brussels.
This strategy not only helps us reach and mobilise a diverse audience but also ensures that our efforts are sustained, visible, and impactful. If this resonates with you, join our mailing list and become part of a project that is making a real difference in the heart of Brussels.