The Anti-Authoritarian Toolkit, by D-HUB
Volume 02 | Digital Comms

Networks of Influencers

Amplify your reach with a robust social infrastructure.

The Play

Imagine your movement as a symphony of diverse voices—each playing a different instrument, but in harmony. Now imagine turning up the volume.

Building a network of influencers is a cornerstone of any strong digital strategy. It's about creating a resilient social infrastructure that not only amplifies your message but also deepens its long-term impact.

If your cause genuinely resonates with influencers, you can go further: turn influencers into organizers. When they take ownership, they'll help bring even more people into the fight. And suddenly, your message isn't just being shared—it's being championed.

Why it works

  • Influencers are trusted voices. They humanize messages that official campaigns often can't deliver credibly.
  • They normalize political engagement. When people see influencers speaking up, political participation feels more natural and less intimidating.
  • Diverse messengers expand your reach. Influencers help you break out of echo chambers and connect with new audiences.
  • Repetition builds trust. Hearing the same message from multiple sources reinforces it and shapes public perception.

How it works

1. Map influencers

Start by mapping and identifying influential figures in social media whose values align with yours. Organize them according to the types of audiences they have access to and prioritize those who connect with audiences that may favor your causes yet are challenging for you to reach. Do not get lured by the idea of needing extremely big influencers –a large group of small influencers is often more effective than a small group of bigger ones, as the smaller ones can in fact be more approachable, more trusted by their followers, and thus collectively help build a sense of community.

2. Seduce and connect

Connect with these influencers not just as advocates for your cause or promoters of your messages but also as creative collaborators. Establish genuine relationships with them that go beyond mere instrumentality. If the budget allows, consider the possibility of offering a fee and asking for the help of an influencer agency if that is available in your country.

3. Brief them for impact

When contacting each influencer, provide detailed information about the key messages you want to convey: why they are relevant, the strongest arguments supporting these messages, and the data backing them up. Like With this approach, you will ensure they can present the idea accurately and effectively. Have in mind that few influencers will be willing to post about your cause or campaign multiple times, so be strategic about when to ask them for engagement – it's usually best to get their help around moments such as a campaign launch, a broader push to pressure a key decision-maker, or a key moment such as proximity to an election date.

4. Give them creative freedom

Influencers bring skills and audience insights you likely don't have. That's why it's crucial not to hand them canned content or restrict their creativity. Give them the freedom to express your message in their own voice—so long as the spirit and values stay intact.

5. From promotion to organization

Many influencers value involvement in social or public causes. If your approach and outlook are appropriate, they will be delighted to contribute: "Wow, this is different, it is not about selling soap like they usually hire me to do." Their genuine involvement can allow you to take a step further and transform these influencers into organizers. If they feel a deep connection to the cause, they may become catalysts, attracting other influencers to join the cause voluntarily or mobilizing their followers to other channels you are already using, such as WhatsApp groups, to organize supporters.

Tips

A. Maximize Diversity

A Network of influencers is not about gaining more followers but reaching audiences that you couldn't otherwise spontaneously reach. When seeking allies to take your message beyond your organic limits, the ideal strategy is to secure influencers who talk to diverse key audiences, thus improving reach and extending across diverse sociodemographic profiles. However, it shouldn't be an issue to have different influencers that talk to similar audiences –if the same person sees multiple influencers they follow talking about the same thing, this will probably help promote a mindset shift. Influencers in sports, entertainment, celebrity gossip, and spirituality tend to be the most sought-after, but this can vary depending on your target audience –so make sure you identify who you need to talk to and build your strategy around their social media habits.

B. Nurture Synergy and Strengthen the Bond

Influencers thrive when they have a good understanding of their audience, and develop their capacities to produce content that resonates with people. That is why, despite not being into politics, they will likely have an interest in your public opinion studies. Therefore, it is recommended that you go beyond briefing them about your goals and needs, and also share general findings on public opinion with them –this can create a stronger relationship, enhance the collaboration, and may even lead the influencers to offer valuable insights you didn't have.

Invest in the relationship. Influencers often have big egos—so don't just ask for help. Offer access, recognition, or perks that make them feel valued: exclusive events, early info, or introductions to high-profile allies. When they feel seen, they'll stick around.

To make this even more scalable, complement individual outreach with collective calls or exclusive groups where influencers can exchange insights, feel part of a community, and align around the cause. This fosters commitment while easing coordination.

C. Aim to Build Communications Ecosystems

People rarely change their minds about political issues after hearing from just one person or reading a single post. Persuasion usually takes repetition—multiple sources reinforcing the same message until it feels like everyone is talking about it.

A network of influencers helps, but you can go further by building a coordinated, multi-platform ecosystem. Imagine pairing influencers with WhatsApp groups, a coalition of organizations, journalists, and community leaders—all pushing the same message. Why not even buy social media pages with large followings in your target audience? They're often cheaper than ads.

Building ecosystems like this isn't easy—it takes coordination across organizations. But when it works, the impact can be powerful, both short and long term.

Who's done it well?

France: Influencers Against the Far Right

From Likes to Votes

In the lead-up to the French Legislative elections, fear of a far-right victory loomed large. In response, a network of over 400 French influencers, united under the initiative "Influencers Against the Far Right," mobilized to increase voter turnout.

Strategically coordinated through WhatsApp, the campaign began with a core group of influencers who, then, reached out to other influencers within their close networks. This feature was crucial, as influencers are more likely to respond to requests from peers they trust. A personal connection proved to be essential for the final line-up.

The influencers grouped into various WhatsApp channels where they shared content, collaborated on production, and held thematic discussions. The network emphasized trust and provided resources to empower, especially those influencers who were new to political engagement.

Each day, the whole group received a few inputs on specific topics. Care was taken to avoid overwhelming them with lots of information, ensuring that the focus remained on just one or two topics per day. The tasks were focused on engaging typical non-voters, countering the far-right's narrative, and highlighting other political alternatives.

As a result, three major emotionally driven campaigns were organized:

  • "Dear Parents": A campaign designed to help people talk about the elections with their families, offering clear, future-focused arguments for voting.
  • "Conversations with Far-Right Supporters": a website providing arguments, articles, and information to help navigate complex discussions with far-right potential voters.
  • A video featuring 30 influencers, highlighting the importance of the election and why voting matters.

Beyond these major initiatives, the group produced over 200 pieces of content, reaching over 50 million people across platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. A single post by influencer Squeezie received 2 million likes—and even drew a response from far-right candidate Bardella himself.

The network's efforts played a key role in boosting overall turnout to 66% and youth turnout to 56%, helping push the far right into third place.

This experience shows how powerful content creators can be in spreading political messages—and how their collective action can help defend democracy.

"Trust was fundamental to our success. We ensured that the group was absent of journalists, activists, or politicians, keeping it primarily composed of a diverse group of influencers united by a shared goal: to engage in political discourse, even if it was outside their usual content." Perrine Bon

US: Gen-Z For Change

Coordinating Youth Power for Lasting Impact

This organization, a coalition of over 450 creators, harnesses the power of social media and innovative coding to drive tangible change on site. They regularly mobilize their coalition of hundreds of influencers across platforms like TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, reaching more than half a billion followers.

Gen-Z for Change has spearheaded impactful campaigns, including the 'Call for Ceasefire' during the Gaza conflict, resulting in over 100 million emails sent to US Congress representatives. The 'People Over Prime' campaign exerted significant pressure, contributing to the fight for labor rights for Amazon workers. Additionally, this network has a Latinx-focused offshoot called 'Gen Z X el Cambio', devoted to amplifying Latino perspectives on social, political, and economic issues in the US.

"We educate our audiences on issues that range from climate to reproductive justice and direct audiences to ways they can directly be part of the solution using the tools generated internally".

Learn more

D-Hub Resources

Other Resources

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Volume 02

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Sprinkle political messaging into non-political spaces.

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