Friends of the Earth Action Network

Action Network is a digital campaigning tool designed to complement your local campaigning and raise the profile of your group. On this page you'll find video tutorials and guides to help you manage your group's account. If you need help please contact actionnetwork@foe.co.uk

Sign your group up to Action Network

Fill in this form if your group wants to use Action Network.

New to Action Network?

If you're new to Action Network head to this page to find out what it can offer your group.
Watch this video to see the different things you can use Action Network for.

Managing your group account

We'll create an Action Network account for your group and invite you join it. Please watch these short video tutorials as a first step.

Getting started with Action Network – creating a login and getting set up
Managing your group's account – how to find your content and navigate the menus
Giving other people access to the account

The Get started guide (pdf) also shows you how to set up and manage your account.

Managing your content

The videos below show how to manage the content you create in Action Network.

Managing your content in Action Network – how to make changes and manage your work
Editing the automated emails – tailor the emails people receive after taking action
Editing social media and email share content – update the sharing content for your work
Adding a link – how to include links e.g. on petition pages or in event descriptions
Capturing street address and mobile phone - edit the form fields to gather more data
Customising forms for actions and events – if you need to gather more information from people
Applying tags to custom questions on your form builder - so you can identify people afterwards
Redirecting out of date actions and events – help people avoid seeing 'Page not found' messages
Using Files – how to use the file storage system.
An introduction to Syndication - edit and publish templates that have been shared with you
How to find, edit and send a syndicated email in Action Network
Create a campaign page - need somewhere to dipslay information about your campaign?

Petitions

Ready to start a digital petition? Then here's how to get create one.

Create a petition (video)
A petition in 3 steps (pdf)
Creating a petition - the detailed version (pdf)
Using Kiosk mode to make it easier to add petition signatures - useful when using a tablet, phone or laptop to collect signatures on a stall or at an event.

Ready to hand your petition in? There are two ways:

Quick and easy method (pdf and word format)
Alternative method - includes mapping/removing signatures

Letter Campaigns

Unlike petitions, Letter Campaigns result in emails being sent whenever anyone takes action with you. The video tutorials below show how to create one. If you want to target your elected representatives (councillors, MPs, Assembly Members) please get in touch.

There's also a written guide; Create a Letter Campaign (pdf)

Applying different template messages to different targets - Need the targets of your Letter Campaigns to get different messages? Here's how to do it.

Events

You can use Action Network to create both free events and ones where people have to pay to get in.

For a free event, here's how to get started.

For a paid event, check out Action Network's guide on Ticketed events, which includes information on setting up an account with the payment provider Stripe.

Forms

Use Action Network to create data collection forms . For example, you might want a page where people can make a pledge, fill in a survey or sign up to join your email list.

Sending emails

Sending emails is a 3 stage process, with options for how you design the email. Please spend some time looking at how the Drag and Drop design tool works, it will help you create much more engaging and attractive looking emails.

Video tutorials

Getting started (2mins)
Stage 1: Creating your email with the Drag & Drop designer (5 mins)
Stage 1: Creating your email with the Visual/HTML designer (5 mins)
Stage 2: Targeting your email (8 mins)
Stage 3: Previewing and sending your email (3 mins)

Written guide - Sending an email (pdf)

Additional video tutorials for emails

Drag and drop emails: a deeper dive into how it works
Creating templates with Layouts
Divider, header and menu content blocks: in the Drag and Drop designer
Personalising emails with clips; make sure your emails include the reader's name at the start
Adding a button to highlight links; make your links stand out
Adding hyperlinks within your email
Adding images
Creating social media share links (video tutorial). And written guide (pdf)
Targeting an email based on postcode areas or districts

Create a welcome email

Why not spend a few minutes setting up a welcome email? That way anyone who signs up to your list gets to find out about your group without having to wait for you to send your next email. They're really easy to set up and can make all the difference in making people feel welcomed.

Managing your email list

When people take action with you they can also join your email list. Action Network will do most of the work for, in line with the UK's data regulations. The videos below show how to manage your list if you need to.

Using the Reports and Activists functions – analyse your data and email list.
Updated report view (5 mins)
Uploading a new list with tags and custom fields – add an existing list of contacts to your Action Network account. See here for more detailed guidance from Action Network.
Using tags to organise your email list – want to divide your list into different categories? Try tags.
Editing custom fields on an individual's record – edit, add or delete custom field values from an individual's record.
Targeting using Tags and Custom Fields - useful for emails and reports
Targeting by specific email address - useful for testing
Mapping your email list - to parliamentary constituencies and council wards
Downloading your group's email list (pdf) using the Report function.
Adding someone to your list – useful when you have small numbers of people to add
How to edit records in Action Network – e.g. changing people's contact details
Editing an individual's email preferences – e.g. taking them off your email list
Deleting records from your group's Action Network account
Identifying people who are on Friends of the Earth email list
Data processing agreement – use this form to confirm you understand your group's responsibilities and liabilities around handling data held within Action Network.