More and more research acknowledges International Organizations as relevant actors for policy-making at national level in a developing context. While many quantitative studies (regression analysis) take IOs into account as a factor for policy diffusion and confirm this influence, it has rarely been studied how (and with what instruments) IOs actually influence. This study undertakes two case studies of major actors within the diffusion of social cash transfers (SCTs). It develops an innovative framework for analyzing global actor's instruments and activities along three categories: advice, advocacy and incentives. With this framework this study examines how the World Bank advocates the policy model of Conditional Cash Transfers (CCTs) and HelpAge International pushes for Universal Social Pensions (USPs). This study confirms that IOs use instruments in all three dimensions in order to influence, showing that soft power instruments play a role of growing importance.