In today’s world, the battle for hearts and minds is won where people spend most of their time: online. A powerful message can now travel faster, further and with more impact than ever before - and for the Campaign for Hunting, that reach is essential. Social media has become one of our strongest and most effective tools for protecting our hounds, our hunts and our way of life.
Unlike traditional print, social media gives us immediacy, scale and direct access to supporters. With Facebook’s 3.9 billion users and Instagram’s 2.3 billion, these platforms allow us to speak to vast audiences in real time. Across our main Countryside Alliance Facebook page and dedicated hunting page, we now reach almost 200,000 followers, with a further 45,000 on Instagram. These communities allow us not just to communicate, but to connect.
One of the greatest strengths of social media is its visual power. Videos, photos, graphics, livestreams and infographics enable us to tell our story memorably and authentically. Supporters do not just read about our message - they see it, feel it and share it. Every post can lead people directly to more detailed information, strengthening understanding and engagement.
Boxing Day highlights this impact better than anything. As one of the key dates in the hunting calendar, it is a major opportunity for positive public relations. On Boxing Day 2024 alone, our content achieved almost three million impressions. The speed of social media allows us to share updates from hunts across the country as they happen, showcasing the community, tradition and camaraderie that bring thousands together each year.
Just as importantly, social media is a two-way conversation. It helps us learn what our audience values, what resonates and what they want more of. This dialogue builds long-term relationships and strengthens support for the Campaign for Hunting.
As Polly Portwin, Director of the Campaign for Hunting at the Countryside Alliance, puts it:
“Social media remains one of our strongest tools for highlighting the positive contribution hunts make to rural life – our community work, conservation efforts and the invaluable role we play in the countryside. Yet, as we know all too well, our opponents are adept at using those same platforms to misrepresent, provoke and damage the reputation of hunts wherever they can. Now, more than ever, is the moment to ensure that we do not give them opportunity. This is a critical period, and we must be united, disciplined and resolutely careful not to let the side down.”
Our followers play a vital role in this. When supporters send in photos and videos from their days out, they help create a shared experience that reaches far beyond individual hunts. One standout example was a photo of a mother and son riding home from a Spooners and West Dartmoor meet - one of our top posts of the past year, reaching nearly 160,000 people and sparking warm memories of “riding home” for hundreds.
Over the past 12 months alone, the Countryside Alliance Facebook page has delivered over 10 million impressions - more than 323,000 every week. These numbers reflect something deeper than statistics: a community that continues to stand together.
Social media is far more than a tool. It is a platform for storytelling, education, action and unity. With continued engagement and support, it ensures that the voice of the Campaign for Hunting remains strong, confident and impossible to ignore.
Photo credit: David Bunn Photography