Regardless of your feelings about either side, the internet’s high profile battle between Scientology and the group known as Anonymous is an incredible example of a complete social media strategy. The results are undeniable: the fracas has received coverage from world news outlets and the digital insurgency has successfully silenced a multitude of the religion’s websites. Read on to learn the secrets of using the new web to start your very own digital jihad and save the $500,000 you were going to pay that new-age PR firm.

First, some history.

Coinciding with the release of an unauthorized biography of Tom Cruise, an internal Scientology video featuring the actor was leaked to YouTube. The Religious Technology Center, one of many Scientology-controlled groups, sent a DMCA takedown request. Google/YouTube complied immediately.

Not one to miss out on some fun, celebrity gossip site Gawker hosted a mirror of the offending video. The RTC sent Gawker a takedown request. Gawker refused.

Spurred by what they perceived to be Scientology’s bullying, a group calling itself Anonymous emerged and declared war on the religion (via YouTube, natch).

Step 1: Tap into passionate constituencies.

Of all the subjects to arouse the passion or ire of the masses, none seems more effective than religion. Religion has a history longer than civilization itself, inspiring uncountable treatises and even more copious wars.

Even spicier, Scientology is especially rife with controversy. Its late entry into world beliefs, its profit-seeking methods of worship, its truly bizarre celebrity representation plus many other oddities make it a popular subject of internet conversation. Scientology also has a long history of suppressing the words of its critics online by using copyright law as a cudgel.

This all provided perfect leverage to initiate a social web strategy. In order to create a groundswell on the social web, you must begin with a passionate constituency. Using social media is all about finding people willing to do the work of spreading your message. Unless you can find a way to tie your message into a subject that is deeply significant to some group of people, no one is going to bother spending their free time talking for you.

Step 2: See the whole board.

You can’t succeed with a “YouTube strategy” or a “blog strategy.” As in chess, you must see the entire board. Social media does not exist in isolation — it thrives on its interconnectedness.

The drama began with a video posted on YouTube and celebrity gossip bloggers talking about Tom Cruise. It escalated as Digg, Reddit and more blogs linked to the video. It exploded as the video was suppressed. Gawker hosted the video on its own servers, with Digg and other blogs now pointing to Gawker. Further reacting to the news, people began posting to YouTube with reactions and commentary — which prompted more Diggs.

See the pattern? Each element of the social web resonates upon another. When integrated, a powerful conversation can brew between many different sites.

Step 3: Encourage contribution.

Sitting on the sidelines and watching the game can only entertain for so long. People will want to get involved if they feel strongly about your message.

Anonymous encouraged and directed this by opening a wiki for their “insurgency.” The wiki allowed people to share their strategies for harassing Scientology, post their thoughts about progress and even armed the followers of Anonymous with cyber weapons. Detailed instructions and tools were posted allowing anyone to contribute to the DDoS of Scientology servers that kept the church’s websites offline for over a week. The wiki was also successful in tying up Scientology’s toll-free Dianetics hotline over the same period.

It’s not that hard.

On paper, it’s simple. Start with passionate people, use the entire spectrum of communications tools at your disposal and empower your audience to contribute directly to your efforts. Passionate people are energized and carry your message. Diversifying your message outlets lets you reach people in different ways while stoking the flames elsewhere on the web. Finally, you reward your enthusiasts by letting them contribute directly to your efforts. Easy, right?

Not at all. But completely doable. Getting thousands of people to work together for a common goal is difficult under the best of circumstances. It becomes near impossible without some sort of central command and control. But the Anonymous group pulled it off and left a shiner on Scientology, all by understanding and leveraging the social web. Take their lesson and you’ll be able to spread your own message the same way.