How Candidates Can Use the Internet to Win in 2010

By Colin Delany Epolitics.com Version 1.2: e!r"ary# 2010

$a!le o% Contents
1. Introd"ction: Usin& the Internet to Win in 2010 ...' 2. $ools# $ime and (eso"rces ...) '. *nline *"treach ...1' +.
"ndraisin& and ,o!ili-ation ...21

.. Concl"sion: /"ttin& it 0ll $o&ether 1With 2ample Campai&n /lan3 ...24

0!o"t the 0"thor5(elease 6otes ...''

The contents of this e-book are also available as a series of standalone articles at Epolitics.com.

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Introd"ction: Usin& the Internet to Win in 2010

Barack Obama wont be on the ballot in November of 2010, but thousands of other candidates will and hell be very much on their minds. is !ublic ima"e will sha!e the #merican !olitical environment, of course, but !lenty of !oliticians and !olitical !rofessionals on all sides will also look to his "round$breakin" online cam!ai"n as an ins!iration, seekin" to re!licate his success at usin" the internet to raise money, find su!!orters and !ut !eo!le to work in the real world. But runnin" for state le"islature, a con"ressional seat, a "overnorshi! or even the %.&. &enate is different than runnin" for !resident, and relatively few down$ballot candidates have done much more than di! their toes in the di"ital waters so far. 'hats likely to chan"e soon( des!ite the vast "a! between a national race and one for do"$catcher, many of the same online !olitical rules a!!ly and most of the same technolo"ies are available. eres why state$ and local$level cam!ai"ns should !ay attention to the !otential of internet$based !olitics in 2010.

1. 'he )nternet is *+ust #bout, -verywhere

.e"ardless of local demo"ra!hics, the internet can be a factor in almost any election in the %.&. )n wealthier urban and suburban areas, most voters will be online and a ma/ority will have broadband access, but even in far$flun" rural areas or !oorer !arts of cities email at least is usually available. Not every se"ment of %.&. society is well$re!resented online, but the !olitically active are much more likely to use the internet for news and information than their tuned$out nei"hbors. #nd des!ite stereoty!es, the days of the com!uter as a youn" !ersons !reserve are lon" "one the ma/ority of !eo!le 01 and u! now connect electronically at least on occasion.

2. Online 2undraisin" 3orks

)f the 2004 !residential race tau"ht us anythin", its that the internet is one hell of a cash machine Obamas ability to raise as much money as his cam!ai"n could reasonably absorb, in !art by returnin" to the small donors who stuck with him a"ain and a"ain throu"h the worst, was decisive. &tate and local cam!ai"ns are "ettin" more e5!ensive every cycle, a trend that will !robably accelerate as cam!ai"n finance limits dissolve, and candidates at all levels will likely find themselves turnin" to online donations to kee! u!.
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But online fundraisin" doesnt ha!!en by ma"ic its usually the result of a concerted strate"y to make it ha!!en. 2ortunately for us6

7. 'he 'ools and 'echni8ues are #vailable to *#lmost, #ll

#s vendors have develo!ed software suites that scale to match cam!ai"ns of different si9es, internet$based fundraisin" and su!!orter$mana"ement !acka"es are now within reach of almost any !olitical o!eration. Best !ractices for usin" them are no secret, either, since !lenty of strate"y "uides su!!lement the clear e5am!le of the Obama cam!ai"n itself. 'he essential tools usually include a website, an email$based :onstituent .elations ;ana"ement system and an online fundraisin" module, which cam!ai"ns can then !romote throu"h online social networks, video, blo""er outreach, <oo"le #ds and other channels.

=. 'ar"eted Online Outreach > ?own$Ballot :andidates @ a Aerfect ;atch

'o!$level !residential candidates seem to "et media attention every time they o!en their mouths, but the !roblem for state and local cam!ai"ns is more often to "et noticed at all. )n races with limited resources and little !ress covera"e, the inherent ability to tar"et most online outreach at low cost can hel! stretch a ti"ht bud"et. )n a densely !o!ulated urban or suburban area, for instance, broadcast 'B advertisin" is im!ractical for many cam!ai"ns because too many s!ots will be wasted on viewers outside district lines. )n that case, chea! <oo"le and 2acebook ads could work alon"side tar"eted cable 'B s!ots to s!read messa"es and hel! find su!!orters, donors and volunteers in a defined "eo"ra!hic area. Blo" outreach may also be more of a !riority for a local candidate, since state and re"ional !olitical blo"s *and 'witterC, !rovide convenient "atherin" !laces for !olitical activists. Dike many other forms of social media outreach, blo""in" and blo""er relations are usually chea! financially but e5!ensive in time, a "ood fit for scra!!y cam!ai"ns with more enthusiasm than cash. .e"ardless of their si9e, thou"h, /ust about any cam!ai"n can also benefit from havin" a body of clear, to!ical and tar"eted content on the web in a variety of outlets, since voters, blo""ers and /ournalists alike will be turnin" to ;r. <oo"le for basic information about local races.

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1. Eou ;ay Not Be Online, But Eour O!!onents Arobably #re

Brin"in" u! <oo"le illustrates why modern cam!ai"ns i"nore the internet at their !eril, because their rivals !robably arent followin" the same scri!t. 2or instance, if youre a candidate and your o!!onents #.-N' raisin" money online, theyre at least !ostin" content that critici9es you, which is "oin" unanswered if youre not res!ondin". :andidates cant control the online !olitical debate, but they can influence it in the world of blo"s, Eou'ube, <oo"le and social forwardin", a robust online !resence isnt /ust an offensive wea!on, its also a !owerful defense. 'he best res!onse to an online attackF #n established foundation of "ood content, !lus a""ressive outreach and a lot of trusted voices s!eakin" on your behalf.

0. 'urnout is Gey in Off$Eear -lections

3ith no !residential candidates on the ballot, 2010 voter turnout is likely to !lummet from the hei"hts it reached in 2004. )n an election in which relatively few !eo!le vote, identifyin" your su!!orters and motivatin" them to actually show u! at the !olls is absolutely key. #s well see in the cha!ters ahead, online technolo"ies turn out to be !erfect for maintainin" communications with many !eo!le at once and in an affordable way, hel!in" to build the connections that yield donations, volunteer time and *ultimately, votes.

Be"in at the Bery Be"innin"

Okay, were convinced so where do state$and local$level candidates startF Dets look ne5t at the essentials of online !olitical cam!ai"nin", includin" the basic tools and activities involved and the resources needed. #fter that, well talk about usin" the internet as an outreach tool in com!etent and creative ways, followed by a s!ecial cha!ter on everyones favorite to!ic, online fundraisin" and mobili9ation. 3ell wra! u! the series with a sam!le cam!ai"n online outreach !lan, !lus some resources for further study. &o, on to the tools.

See the latest version of this chapter live at Epolitics.com

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Chapter $wo: $ools# $ime and (eso"rces

%sin" the internet for !olitics may seem new, but most online cam!ai"nin" at some level /ust reincarnates classic !olitical acts in di"ital form. 2or instance, you can think of a website as the electronic version of a storefront office, while the !rocess of workin" with blo""ers is a lot like old$ school !rint or broadcast media relations. But com!ared with traditional !olitical tools, the internet truly e5cels at maintainin" relationshi!s with many !eo!le at once. :hannels like 2acebook, 'witter, Eou'ube and email connect cam!ai"ns directly with their donors and volunteers, !rovidin" easy !aths to distribute news, messa"in" !oints, event invitations and a!!eals for time and money. 3ith !lannin" and effort, the connection can "o both ways, lettin" a cam!ai"n actively ta! the social connections and even the creativity of its su!!orters. Aolitical !rofessionals trained in the broadcast era often have trouble ada!tin" to the back$and$ forth nature of online communications *'B ads arent e5actly interactive,, but the rewards for embracin" it can be tremendous. #s Barack Obama showed in 2004, cam!ai"ns that actively en"a"e their su!!orters can ask an immense amount from them in return.

'he Basic 'ools

.e"ardless of the details of the !articular race, most cam!ai"ns will end u! with the same three basic online elements( # central hub, usually a website. # way to stay in touch with su!!orters, usually throu"h an email$based :onstituent .elations ;ana"ement &ystem but !otentially includin" 2acebook, ;y&!ace, 'witter and te5t messa"in". Online outreach, to influence the wider !ublic discussion and to recruit new su!!orters and donors. Dets look at each !iece in detail, with websites and :.;s covered below and online outreach a bit later.

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3ebsite
-5ce!t in the rare case that 2acebook !a"e or ;y&!ace !rofile will do, /ust about every cam!ai"n needs a website if it intends to use the internet at all. Besides servin" as the cam!ai"ns !ublic front, a candidate sites !rimary "oal is usually to hel! build a su!!orter database, meanin" that no visitor to the site should leave without an o!!ortunity to /oin u! and turn their online enthusiasm into the !otential for real$world action. 3hen it comes to the !rocess of convertin" visitors into activists, content is key. Boters, blo""ers and /ournalists alike will be lookin" for substance, thou"h a sites looks do matter, since a well$ desi"ned layout can hel! make a "ood first im!ression. Overall, a website lets a cam!ai"n !resent its case in the stron"est !ossible way, tellin" the candidates story throu"h words, !hotos and video. )nte"ratin" the site with other as!ects of the cam!ai"ns online outreach is key, since the site benefits when its used to a""re"ate, or"ani9e and feature content from Eou'ube, 'witter, 2lickr, blo"s and the various other facets of a cam!ai"ns online !resence, makin" it a true outreach hub. Of course, even the best content is useless if its hard to find or consume, so a cam!ai"n website needs to have a strai"htforward navi"ation scheme, with information clearly labeled and broken into di"estible chunks. :om!letin" the connection, every scattered !iece of the cam!ai"ns online content should refer back to the main website !eo!le shouldnt be able to encounter the cam!ai"n online without also findin" a way to "et involved. Online content is thus !otentially recruiter and !ersuader both, as it attracts visitors both via <oo"le and directly throu"h the sites such as Eou'ube and 2acebook on which its hosted. Once su!!orters have "iven over their information, theyre in the hands of a cam!ai"ns :.; system, usually a web$based tool rather than software residin" on the staffs own com!uters.

:onstituent .elations ;ana"ement

# ty!ical :.; system combines a database and a mass$messa"in" !ro"ram to automate the basics of communicatin" with su!!orters over the internet. 3hile individual !latforms vary in cost and ca!abilities, /ust about any :.; is an im!rovement over, for e5am!le, hand$enterin" su!!orter information into -5cel and mail$mer"in" the results into Outlook. By em!loyin" standard web$ based forms, :.;s ease the !rocess of /oinin", leavin" or interactin" with a list, while on the back
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end they allow list mana"ers to send messa"es to some or all members at once and usually at no incremental cost *fees are ty!ically based on features and list$si9e rather than usa"e,. ;ost :.;s can also break a list into chunks based on members location, demo"ra!hics or !ast behavior such as donation history, a ca!ability that lets list mana"ers tar"et messa"es at !eo!le deemed likely to res!ond. )ts also ideal for testin", for instance to try out different strate"ies on small !arts of a list before rollin" them out widely. 'he more information a cam!ai"n re8uests, the more it has to work with( for the Obama cam!ai"n, the nei"hborhood$level data that came u! the chain from volunteers was at times more accurate than !ollin". :.;s desi"ned for candidates ty!ically incor!orate an inte"rated online fundraisin" system, and can also include more advanced modules that allow su!!orters to or"ani9e events, run !ersonal fundraisin" efforts and download lists of nei"hbors to visit or !hone numbers to call. But re"ardless of their additional o!tions, most :.;s still use mass email as their !rimary wea!on, thou"h some have be"un to include social networkin" messa"in" o!tions. 3hy emailF ?es!ite the hy!e about 'witter and 2acebook, its still the most effective tool to raise money, motivate volunteers and kee! su!!orters en"a"ed for e5am!le, rou"hly two$thirds of the H100 million that Barack Obama raised online came directly from someone clickin" on a Idonate nowJ button in an email messa"e. -mail reaches many !eo!le who still havent /oined the social web, for one thin", but its also turned out in !ractice to have a much hi"her res!onse rate than other channels, sometimes by a factor of ten or more. -mail effectively remains the Ikiller a!!J of online !olitics, des!ite constant !redictions of its demise. Not that were talkin" about s!amC :am!ai"ns should use mass email only to communicate with !eo!le who have Io!ted$inJ to their list by si"nin" u! online or at an in$!erson event. -5ce!t for tar"eted outreach messa"es to blo""ers, /ournalists and activists, email messa"es should serve as a relationshi!$mana"ement tool, not as a recruitin" tool *thou"h every res!ectable :.; includes Itell$a$friendJ links to hel! messa"es s!read from !erson to !erson,. #s for stayin" in touch with su!!orters via cell !hone te5t messa"in", its been the Ine5t bi" thin"J in online !olitics for several years now and it still is. ;ost :.;s can collect cell numbers, but so far relatively few cam!ai"ns in this country have been able to !ut them to use, in !art because of constraints built into the %.&. telecom system. 'e5t messa"in" will no doubt be a "ood fit for certain cam!ai"ns in 2010, but its likely to remain more of a niche a!!lication for now.
8

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3ebsiteK:.; Bendors
'en years a"o, most online cam!ai"ns were minimal or hod"e$!od"e affairs. 'he websites were usually custom creations, done by a random vendor or by someones ne!hew, and while some :.; systems did e5ist, they were in their infancy. #s was online fundraisin" the masses had yet to become comfortable "ivin" u! their credit cards to the internet demons. Nowadays, many state$ and local$level cam!ai"ns still !iece to"ether an online !resence, !erha!s combinin" ine5!ensive tools from a com!any like -lection;all with a website built by their media consultants or a local firm. But candidates can also choose from an array of tailored !rofessional offerin"s, !articularly on the ?emocratic side, where vendors now offer inte"rated websiteK:.;Kfundraisin" !acka"es for /ust about every cam!ai"n bud"et, often accom!anied by consultin" on effective online strate"y and tactics. &everal hundred state$level ?emocratic cam!ai"ns used ?D::3eb *inte"rated with fundraisin" site #ctBlue, in the 2004 cycle, for e5am!le, while others moved u! the costKhand$holdin" scale to systems from N<A &oftware or Blue &tate ?i"ital. -ven the Boter #ctivation Network, better known for its voter$information databases for ?emocratic candidates *see below,, is now offerin" websiteK:.; services to users. .e!ublican candidates dont seem to have access to 8uite such a wealth of choices, at least for the 2010 cycle. # number of consultin" firms have s!run" u! in recent years, with newcomers like -n"a"e?: /oinin" stand$bys like *the former, :onnell ?onatelli, but the .i"ht still seems to lack the kind of standardi9ed technolo"y !acka"es now available to ?emocrats u! and down the ballot. 'heir online fundraisin" has la""ed as well, since des!ite its ambitions a service like &late:ard still cant match the reach of an #ctBlue. L'he Deft seems to have /um!ed ahead in the race for !acka"ed, scalable cam!ai"n software over the !ast few years in !art because of the e5am!le of the ?ean and Gerry cam!ai"ns in 200=, but also because of the work of individual activists, like the founders of #ctBlue and the !rominent blo""ers whoMve hel!ed channel online donations to chosen candidates. ?emocrats also benefit from the "rowth of !ro"ressive non!rofit advocacy cam!ai"ns over the !ast decade( not only have advocacy "rou!s e5!erimented with /ust about every tool or tactic in the book, but the e5istence of so many inde!endent "rou!s clamorin" for effective technolo"y has created a vibrant market. 'he technolo"y behind ?D::3eb, for e5am!le, derives directly from a :.; develo!ed for non!rofits.N

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'his imbalance will not lastC #s usual, the tools dont care who uses them, and neither ?emocratic nor .e!ublican cam!ai"ns have inherent advanta"es online, other than the ones they create for themselves. &oon enou"h, .e!ublicans and ?emocrats will reach di"ital !arity.

2ield Or"ani9in"
One area where we can clearly see !arty e8uality emer"in" is online$enabled field or"ani9in". )n the 2010 senatorial s!ecial election in ;assachusetts, both .e!ublican &cott Brown and ?emocrat ;artha :oakley de!loyed tools that levera"ed the internet to im!rove the classic on$the$ "round cam!ai"n activities of block$walkin" and !hone$bankin", connectin" individual volunteers with information from the ?emocratic Boter #ctivation Network and the .e!ublican Boter Bault. Both cam!ai"ns made it !ossible for su!!orters to !hone$bank from home, for instance, with Brown usin" technolo"y from an inde!endent vendor and :oakley an e8uivalent develo!ed by the ?N: to connect volunteers with !otential voters !hones without disclosin" !ersonal details in the !rocess. Both cam!ai"ns also !roduced database$"enerated Iwalk listsJ for local volunteers to use while canvassin" their communities, but Brown su!!lemented them with a clever web$based a!!lication o!timi9ed for i!hones. By "eo$locatin" users throu"h native i!hone features, the a!! could show volunteers the nearest house to visit, directions to "et there and talkin" !oints to use durin" the conversation *the ?N: recently released an i!hone a!!lication with similar functions,. Once theyd "athered the res!onses, or"ani9ers could enter them into a <oo"le ?ocs s!readsheet, a free online tool that hel!ed the Brown cam!ai"n assemble the same kind of "ranular data that benefited the Obama cam!ai"n durin" the 2004 race a !owerful develo!ment, and one likely to be widely co!ied.

Bud"et, &taff and 'ime

3hat kind of resources should a cam!ai"n !ut into online outreachF )ts a common 8uestion, but unfortunately one without a firm answer 'B ads are still the best way to reach uncommitted voters, but the internet builds connections that can be ta!!ed a"ain and a"ain, makin" the two media hard to com!are. Alus, costs arent always costs, since an online fundraisin" !ro"ram can
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!ay for itself *as the Obama cam!ai"n !roved,, and many cam!ai"ns have found the .eturn On )nvestment from tar"eted <oo"le #ds to be sur!risin"ly hi"h. .ather than thinkin" of IonlineJ as its own se!arate world, smaller cam!ai"ns should follow Obamas e5am!le and inte"rate the internet more broadly into their o!erations. 2or instance, traditional media relations and blo""er relations re8uire most of the same skills and em!loy many of the same tactics, so even if resources arent available for a standalone blo" team, the !ress folks could include blo""ers and 'witterers in their outreach !ortfolio. On other fronts, cam!ai"ns media consultant can !roduce online video cli!s, thou"h theyll have to ada!t to a very different world than that of cam!ai"n commercials, and field or"ani9ers can embrace 2acebook and other social networks as well as cell !hones and te5t messa"in". )n some ways, more im!ortant than the resources devoted to online outreach is when theyre em!loyed. Dist$buildin" and much of the rest of online outreach are incremental and reward an early start. 2or instance, even before a cam!ai"n has a :.; in !lace, it should collect names and email addresses whenever !ossible, since the candidate can always brin" a la!to! and a staffer or volunteer to real$world events. %nless its flyin" under the radar for some reason, a cam!ai"n should "enerally establish a !resence in !rominent online s!aces as soon as !ossible, be"innin" the !rocess of feedin" the website and :.; via a 2acebook !rofile, Eou'ube channel, ;y&!ace !a"e and !erha!s a 'witter account. 'hey should also reach out to !rominent online voices early, buildin" relationshi!s with relevant blo""ers and 'witterers /ust as they would with local officeholders, !arty activists and /ournalists. 2or a small or even solo cam!ai"n, a""ressive online activism neednt take u! too much time. Once the website is created and the :.; confi"ured, social media channels like 2acebook take only minutes to set u!, and even buyin" <oo"le #ds can be relatively strai"htforward. &ince an active cam!ai"n should be creatin" a constant stream of content in the form of announcements, !ress releases, videos, !hotos, !osition !a!ers, etc., the main time commitment *beyond direct outreach to online influentials, is usually kee!in" the various channels fed, e"os massa"ed and incomin" messa"es answered.

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# rule of thumbF )f youre a small cam!ai"n with a sin"le staffer, try to s!end =$4 hours !lannin" and e5ecutin" your online$s!ecific strate"y !er week, at least at the be"innin", rememberin" that those early hours can be far more valuable than time s!ent ri"ht before the election. One additional and critical consideration( kee!in" u! with a cam!ai"ns internet !resence needs to be someones defined res!onsibility, since otherwise it tends to fall throu"h the inevitable cracks. Obviously, as we move u! the scale cam!ai"ns should devote more resources to online outreach, !articularly to the !rocess of turnin" !assive followers into active donors and volunteers. .e"ardless of their si9e, cam!ai"ns will constantly be buffeted by outside events, but they should take care to kee! the steady !rocess of buildin" a su!!orter base on track even as day$to$day events scream for attention.

'echnolo"y )snt &trate"y

'ools are im!ortant, but so far weve mostly ski!!ed over the vast difference between havin" the technolo"y and usin" it effectively. &uccessful cam!ai"ns s!end as much time !lannin" their activities and develo!in" !rocedures as circumstances allow they know that while anyone can send a mass email, "ettin" the most out of an email list takes an actual strate"y. #s sim!le or so!histicated as a "iven tool is, what really matters is how you use it. 2rom here on out, well discuss e5actly that( how candidates can !ut online technolo"y to work in 2010, first for outreach and then for mobili9ation and fundraisin".

See the latest version of this chapter live at Epolitics.com

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Chapter $hree: *nline *"treach

Once a cam!ai"n has the basic technolo"y in !lace, it can be"in to take full advanta"e of the internets ability to deliver donors, volunteers and voters. ;uch of a cam!ai"ns online outreach will take !lace in the very !ublic venues of blo"s, 2acebook, Eou'ube, ;y&!ace and 'witter, but !oliticians and staff can also reach out behind the scenes, for instance sendin" emails or 2acebook messa"es to selected blo""ers, 'witterers and activists, usually in the ho!e of creatin" connections that will lead to more !ublic affirmations of su!!ort. :am!ai"ns can tar"et online advertisin" with a different kind of !recision, reachin" !eo!le with a!!eals and messa"es that match the content theyre readin" or the keywords they enter into a search en"ine. 'he variety of outreach outlets available to online communicators can be overwhelmin", so lets start with a few basic !rinci!les to hel! sort out the o!tions.

<o 3here 'he #udience )s

)f you want to "et the most ban" for your cam!ai"n buck, "o where the ri"ht !eo!le have already "athered, which in 2010 will usually mean 2acebook, ;y&!ace, 'witter andKor blo"s its usually much easier to ta! into an e5istin" community than to create one of your own. By contrast, online advertisin" *!articularly searchK<oo"le advertisin",, hel!s a cam!ai"n reach !eo!le as they "o about their business on the broader web.

ave a :lear :onnection Back

.e"ardless how someone encounters a cam!ai"n online, they cant act unless they have a way to follow u!. -very element of the cam!ai"ns online !resence should link to a recruitment form, and when !ossible individual Ilandin" !a"esJ should be tied to the source( for instance, a <oo"le #d about a candidates !olicy on ta5es should link to a !a"e that both talks about the to!ic and that invites readers to /oin the cam!ai"n based on that !articular issue.

:ontent &u!!orts Outreach

)t should be clear by now that an outreach cam!ai"n doesnt have much to stand on without

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content, since video, words and ima"es !rovide the raw material to attract notice and make the candidates case. 3ithout "ood content *a "ood story, essentially,, its hard for anyone to break throu"h the constant online clutter if you dont have somethin" to say, !eo!le arent too likely to listen.

)nte"ration is Gey
)deally, the se!arate elements of an online outreach cam!ai"n reinforce each other. # candidate can use his or her email list to !romote a new Eou'ube video or 2acebook !a"e, for instance, while blo""er outreach can introduce the cam!ai"n to new audiences, some of whose members will /oin the list and become !otential outreach hubs themselves. OnlineKoffline inte"ration is e8ually key, since much list$buildin" takes !lace at real$world eventa. ?ont for"et to include the website address on yard si"ns, car ma"nets, t$shirts and every other !iece of collateral material !ossibleC

'ar"eted and &cattershot Outreach :an :oe5ist a!!ily

&ometimes online outreach works best when its directed like a rifle at a !articular tar"et, but a "ood shot"un still has its !lace. 'he ease of online self$!ublishin" has created a whole new class of Inetwork influentials,J a cate"ory that includes national and state$level blo""ers, !rominent 'witterers, individual activists with lar"e !ersonal networks and the administrators of si9able email lists basically, anyone with a followin". &ometimes a cam!ai"n can identify and tar"et the ri"ht individual voices intentionally, but often it can be hard to !redict which story will catch which !erson at the ri"ht moment to break throu"h. 'he best answer seems to be a combination of tar"eted and untar"eted outreach( online communicators can use a shar!shootin" a!!roach when a!!ro!riate, connectin" !ersonally with chosen blo""ers, 'witterers and /ournalists, while still blastin" information out via mass email, Eou'ube, 'weets, 2acebook u!dates and blo" !osts. 'he tar"eted a!!roach will often "ive the best results, but at other times a random and !otentially overlooked channel can actually turn out to be the most !roductive.

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'he 'ools(
Online &ocial Networks
2acebook and ;y&!ace have become the modern e8uivalent of town s8uares, !laces where !eo!le from all walks of life can min"le and connect in a !ublic environment *rou"hly one$si5th of our online time in the %.&. is now s!ent on social networkin" sites,. 'he two sites vary in !o!ularity in different communities *for instance, 2acebook tends to !redominate on the coasts, while ;y&!ace retains more of its members in the countrys midsection and amon" the youn",, but many cam!ai"ns will need to create a !resence on both sites and in some cases on niche social networks such as Black Alanet as well. 2acebook !rofiles and ;y&!ace !a"es are easy to create, but they do re8uire follow$on work to reach their full !otential. )t hel!s to connect a""ressively with !otential Ifriends,J !erha!s startin" with the candidates own social connections and movin" on to !arty activists, local officials, blo""ers and the members of your own su!!orter list *include a link to your !rofile !a"es in mass emails and !eo!le will do the work for you,. .e"ular u!dates kee! a cam!ai"n in front of su!!orters eyes, !articularly on 2acebook, and askin" !eo!le to re!ost your content to their own !rofiles will e5!ose it to their e5tended social networks. One rule of thumb in social networkin" outreach( move !eo!le onto your email list as 8uickly as !ossible, because email a!!eals have a much hi"her res!onse rate than 2acebook or ;y&!ace messa"es. Not every one of your IfriendsJ will /oin your list, but a cam!ai"n is likely to "et more work and more donations out of the ones who do.

Blo"s
)f social networks are the modern town halls, blo"s are more like waterin" holes, !laces where the like$minded sto! by for news and "ossi!. :am!ai"ns often try to reach blo" readers by connectin" with authors behind the scenes to !itch stories and influence covera"e. :am!ai"n staff can also !artici!ate in !ublic throu"h the online discussions takin" !lace in the comments sections of most blo"s, and candidates themselves can take advanta"e of o!!ortunities to "uest$!ublish on !o!ular or relevant sites. 2inally, cam!ai"ns can consider advertisin" on !olitical blo"s, !articularly since

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ads on state$ or local$level blo"s are often a chea! way to reach a concentrated !olitical crowd *!lus, blo""ers tend to notice whos advertisin" on their sites6,. 'he first ste! in blo""er relations is research, since time s!ent contactin" the wron" sites is likely wasted. DeftyBlo"s and the - 'alkin" eads directory can be a "ood !lace to start, as is <oo"le /ust run a search for I!olitical blo"sJ and your state or re"ion and youll be on your way *most blo""ers actively link to others in their interest area, so findin" one site can introduce you to an entire network,. :am!ai"ns can also seek out blo"s that focus on a !articular issue dear to the candidates heart, whether its immi"ration, "ay marria"e or science fundin", ho!in" to !ick u! financial or other su!!ort from outside their immediate districts. &hould a cam!ai"n have its own blo"F # blo" can be a "ood way for a candidate to show a more !ersonal side than a !ress release, but they can also consume an immense amount of time. 2ew cam!ai"ns not "ifted with a natural writer on hand will be able to devote the resources to kee! a blo" u! to date.

'witter
'witter is the very short e8uivalent of blo""in", with a dash of social networkin" thrown in individual 'witter messa"es *JtweetsJ, are limited to 1=0 characters in len"th, and !eo!le "enerally have to choose to IfollowJ someones 'witter feed in order to see their u!dates. &ome !oliticians have taken to 'witter like a duck to water, thou"h the results of unfiltered 'witter$!ostin" can be dan"erous to a !olitical re!utation *!lenty of room for a stu!id mistake in 1=0 characters,. %sed !ro!erly, a 'witter feed can be a "reat way to reach those network influentials discussed above, since 'witters audience may still be relatively small com!ared with 2acebook or ;y&!ace, but its filled with blo""ers, /ournalists and !olitical activists. # 'witter followin" tends to "row with use, assumin" a cam!ai"n !artici!ates in the on"oin" conversation and has somethin" interestin" to say, makin" it another of those tools that usually re8uires time rather than money to succeed. +ust as with blo""ers, a cam!ai"n can contact !rominent 'witterers directly, both for the initial connection and to !itch stories down the road. #nother common way to "et on 'witterers radar screens is to re!ost *JretweetJ, their content with an acknowled"ement of the source, somethin" that active users tend to track.

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# note of caution( cam!ai"ns need to be !articularly careful to distin"uish between a candidate or officeholders 'witter feed and one u!dated by staff, since 'witter as a community tends to value authenticity. )f 'witterers find out that a Icandidates voiceJ is not actually his own, the cam!ai"ns credibility can take a hit. :am!ai"ns can use both a!!roaches in a sin"le feed if its clear whose voice is s!eakin" at any "iven time, and can even turn a relatively rare candidate a!!earance on his or her own feed into an event to !romote. One final note( once a cam!ai"n has a 'witter feed, !eo!le will e5!ect to be able to follow it and interact with the author*s,. ?ont start a feed only to let it die of ne"lect.

Online Bideo
Online video is a natural for most cam!ai"ns, accustomed as !olitical !rofessionals are to the world of television ads. )n recent years, the !roliferation of chea! cameras has combined with the advent of free online video hostin" and wides!read broadband access to make online video a far more effective !ro!osition than before, both for attack and for defense. Bideo often evokes a stron"er emotional reaction than te5t or still ima"es alone, makin" it a !owerful way to tell stories or make a !olitical !oint, but online video isnt television the kinds of content that succeeds can be 8uite different, with authenticity *that word a"ainC, and to!ic ty!ically more im!ortant than !olished visuals. 3hile cam!ai"ns often embed Eou'ube$hosted cli!s on their own websites and social networkin" !a"es, the Eou'ube website has also become a useful outreach channel on its own many !eo!le now by!ass <oo"le to "o directly to Eou'ube to look for information, makin" it effectively the second$most$!o!ular search en"ine in the %.&. 'o ma5imi9e the chances of !eo!le findin" their content, cam!ai"ns should carefully title, annotate and ta" each Eou'ube cli! when they u!load it. 'hey should also be sure to include a link back to their website in the cli! descri!tion, and when !ossible IwatermarkJ cli!s with the sites %.D so that its visible as the !iece !lays. 'he I;acaca momentJ "ave online video a bad re!utation in some !olitical circles after the 2000 election, with cam!ai"n !rofessionals horrified at the thou"ht of their clients every !ublic mistake endin" u! as fodder for online hecklers. But Eou'ube actually turns out to be a "ood counter to embarrassin" content, since a cam!ai"n can use its own videos to res!ond to an offendin" cli!, or

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at least to !ush it farther down the list of search results *a tactic sometimes referred to as Ifloodin" the 9oneJ,.

Online #dvertisin"
#nother fre8uent tactic used to dilute the effect of an unflatterin" story is to !urchase <oo"le #ds linkin" to a counter$story and aimed at !eo!le searchin" for the scandal, /ust one e5am!le of the ability of search advertisin" to reach a defined audience with the ri"ht messa"e at the ri"ht time. <oo"le #ds can actually be tar"eted on several levels, not /ust by to!ic *JkeywordJ, but also "eo"ra!hically. Note that advertisers only !ay when someone clicks on a <oo"le #d, but even when they "o unclicked, ads can have a secondary *and effectively free, brandin" or messa"in" effect on readers. :am!ai"ns fre8uently buy ads on their own candidates name, their o!!onents names and on issues relevant to the race, but some savvy advertisers have learned to "et "ood results throu"h more subtle keyword buys, includin" the noteworthy Ilar"e animal veterinarianJ run used to "ood effect in ;innesota in 2004. Dandin" !a"es are a !articularly im!ortant consideration for a <oo"le #d cam!ai"n, since !eo!le may be arrivin" from searches on many different keywords and will need to see content that connects with the ad they actually clicked on. :onversion is a multi$sta"e !rocessC <oo"le #ds have already !roven themselves in the !olitical s!ace, !articularly as a recruitin" tool. 'he Obama cam!ai"n for instance found that they yielded a three$ or four$fold .eturn On )nvestment *occasionally as hi"h as ten$ or fifteen$fold, when measured in terms of donations received from a "iven si"nu!. :am!ai"ns have also used search ads as a electoral turnout tool, connectin" voters with information about their !ollin" !laces or last$minute volunteer o!!ortunities. 'hou"h !artially su!!lanted by search ads, traditional online dis!lay ads *Jbanner adsJ, can still have !olitical value, !articularly when run on local media sites. #s with <oo"le cam!ai"ns, !olitical advertisers "enerally focus on measurin" a banner ad runs Iclick$throu"hJ rate, but banners also convey brandin" and messa"in" !oints whether theyre clicked or not. #nother advertisin" an"le to consider is advertisin" on 2acebook and !ortal sites such as Eahoo or #OD, since they fre8uently have e5tensive demo"ra!hic data on their members that allows !recise tar"etin".

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.eturnin" to <oo"le, one tactic thats become !articularly !rominent in the !ast year is a !re$ election <oo"le content network blast *a I<oo"le sur"eJ,. :andidates includin" Bob ;c?onnell in Bir"inia and &cott Brown in ;assachusetts have bou"ht u! <oo"les e5tended content$website inventory for their states in the days immediately before the vote, barra"in" readers on sites across the web with ads askin" for su!!ort. Besides the direct list$buildin" and <O'B benefits, a <oo"le sur"e can have a !owerful effect on voters outlook, creatin" the !erce!tion that the cam!ai"n itself has the momentum in effect, the candidate is everywhere, at least as far as online readers in the tar"eted areas can see.

Other Online :ommunities

3eve mostly talked about reachin" !ublic online communities so far, but cam!ai"ns can also try to reach online conversations that are takin" !lace a little more out$of$si"ht. 2or instance, many !eo!le !artici!ate in email lists and discussion "rou!s, but its likely to take some creativity to find and interact with them. One !ossible strate"y is "uest$!ostin", for instance a!!roachin" the administrators of the email newsletter of a union or trade association in your state or district with an article aimed at their readers. ;ore often, thou"h, youll connect with less obvious online communities like these as a by!roduct of your overall outreach your su!!orters will be your voice in the individual channels they use.

<ettin" Aeo!le to #ct on Eour Behalf

#s the e5!erience of the Obama cam!ai"n showed, one of the most effective ways to s!read a cam!ai"ns messa"e online is to "et someone else to do it every su!!orter is a !otential outreach hub in his or her social universe. :am!ai"ns may reach su!!orters throu"h a social network or 'witter, but they usually ask for hel! by sendin" them an email with a s!ecific re8uest, makin" the :.; a sur!risin"ly useful outreach tool. 2or instance, cam!ai"ns can ask su!!orters to( .ecruit new list members &!read the word about a fundraisin" !ush Aromote a Eou'ube cli! or blo" !ost

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 Aost content to ;y&!ace or 2acebook, turnin" their !rofile into a Ivirtual yard si"nJ Dink to the cam!ai"n from 'witter or their !ersonal blo"s #ttend real$world events *rallies, house !arties, and invite their friends and family :am!ai"ns can make the !rocess easy by !re!arin" banners, bad"es, buttons, videos and other content that fans can !ost on their own !a"es. #nd as well discuss in much more detail in the ne5t cha!ter, every action a su!!orter takes hel!s to create an emotional connection with the cam!ai"n, influencin" his or her likelihood to volunteer or to donate in the future. 3ith that, lets move on to the !art of this "uide that !olitical !rofessionals have been waitin" for online fundraisin".

See the latest version of this chapter live at Epolitics.com

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Chapter o"r: *nline "ndraisin& and ,o!ili-ation

3hat ?ean and Gerry su""ested in 200=, Barack Obama !roved in 2004( an army of motivated online donorKvolunteers can be a truly decisive force in !olitics. #nd with software desi"ned to allow cam!ai"ns to ta! the enthusiasm *and the wallets, of su!!orters both within their districts and around the country now widely available *see :ha!ter 'wo,, 2010 should see an e5!losion of online fundraisin" at the state and local levels. # cam!ai"n benefits immensely if most individual donations, even the bi" ones, come in online rather than as !a!er checks. 2irst, money collected via credit cards is available instantly, allowin" a candidate to take immediate advanta"e of an overni"ht sur"e of income. Alus, online donation details automatically end u! in a database, sim!lifyin" accountin" and re!ortin". By contrast, !hysical checks !resent a lo"istical burden, since each has to be !rocessed individually whether its collected at a fundraisin" dinner or arrives in the mail. #s the Obama cam!ai"n found, online fundraisin" also lets a cam!ai"n ta! the vast number of !olitically interested !eo!le who cant donate hundreds or thousands of dollars at time but whose smaller donations can add u! to a !rincely sum. Obamas "rassroots donors tended to send relatively small amounts re!eatedly, which in turn shows why a small$donor list is such a valuable resource its the "ift that kee!s on "ivin", 8uite literally. %nlike traditional bi" donors who often reach their 8uota for a "iven candidate with a sin"le check, small donors can contribute a"ain and a"ain, !rovidin" a financial consistency thats useful in a short cam!ai"n and !riceless in a lon" one.

'he Basics
&o, how does online fundraisin" workF -ssentially, "ivin" to a candidate is /ust like buyin" a !roduct online as!irin" donors "o to a website and enter a credit card number and the necessary !ersonal information, then click the IdonateJ button. Once the transaction is !rocessed, the money !asses to the cam!ai"ns bank account, either immediately as a sin"le transfer or !eriodically as donations add u!. ?e!endin" on the details of the :onstituent .elations ;ana"ement system the cam!ai"n uses

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and the e5tent of its inte"ration with the fundraisin" system *see :ha!ter 'wo,, donation details may automatically !o!ulate the same database used to track su!!orters and volunteers *otherwise, staff may have to download the data and inte"rate it into the :.; as a se!arate ste!,. Obviously, the closer the two systems work to"ether, the more easily a cam!ai"n can track to! donors.

)f Eou Build )t, &ometimes 'hey 3ill :ome

3here do new online donors come fromF &ome will hit your website entirely on their own and without any !rom!tin" from a cam!ai"n, driven by word$of$mouth or by news in the race. #fter &arah Aalins convention acce!tance s!eech in 2004, for instance, Barack Obamas website saw a hu"e influ5 of cash even before his staff had time to send out an email solicitation his su!!orters didnt care for what the #laska "overnor had to say and were ea"er to let it be known. :onse8uently, it behooves a cam!ai"n to make it as easy as !ossible for s!ontaneous donors to act, ensurin" that the websites IdonateJ button is !rominent and that the transaction itself doesnt have any s!eedbum!s. 'o ma5imi9e the chances of ca!itali9in" on such Idrive$byJ su!!ort, a candidate will want to be visible in as many !laces online as !ossible, either via advertisin" or throu"h cam!ai"n$created content *see :ha!ter 'hree,. Online recruitment is all about bein" where the !otential donors are, whether its on <oo"le, Eou'ube, 2acebook, !olitical blo"s or local media sites. ;ore often, !oliticians wont need an umbrella to ward off an unantici!ated rain of dollars( theyll have to work for for every cent they "et.

;otivatin" ?onors and Bolunteers

)f !olitical su!!ort ultimate comes down to emotion how a !otential donor or volunteer feels about a candidate or a race each contact !eo!le have with a cam!ai"n influences their !ro!ensity to "ive time or money. -very interaction matters( their e5!erience at an in$!erson event or a storefront office, what they see online, the ads on their televisions, and of course any direct communications they receive via email, !hone or direct mail. &uccessful online fundraisers reali9e that they are essentially mana"in" virtual relationshi!s with many !eo!le at once.

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Dike any friendshi!, a !olitical relationshi! that heads downhill can be hard to salva"e *disillusioned donors are unlikely to o!en their wallets a"ain,, and unless a cam!ai"n is entirely short$term and doesnt mind burnin" brid"es, !ro!erly mana"in" and motivatin" su!!orters over the course of a race will be !aramount. Dist si9e matters, and cam!ai"ns should take every o!!ortunity to "row their own, but list res!onse is /ust as im!ortant, since a relatively small number of motivated !eo!le can out!erform a much lar"er "rou! whose members dont have much coordination or reason to care. One e5cellent way to turn !eo!le away over time is to treat them like cash machines, somethin" thats entirely too easy for !olitical !rofessionals to do. )n fact, early in the Obama cam!ai"n, mana"er ?avid Alouffe fre8uently had to mediate between a fundraisin" team ea"er to ma5imi9e short$term revenue and a new$media team with an eye on the lon" "ame. #t a basic level, not every communication from the cam!ai"n should ask for money. )nstead, cam!ai"ns should think of ways to !rovide value to su!!orters in the form of news, information and "iveaways, as well as of non$monetary ways they can contribute. <ettin" !eo!le to recruit ten friends via email, for instance, is an easy way for them to !artici!ate without havin" to !art with a dime and once theyve taken that action, theyre more involved and committed than they were the day before. # common a!!roach to su!!orter mana"ement is to !rovide activists with escalatin" levels of en"a"ement. Dike a the run"s of a ladder, each hi"her en"a"ement level re8uires more work and holds fewer !eo!le, but it ideally also creates more value for the cam!ai"n or cause. Over time, list mana"ers will obviously try to move !eo!le to hi"her tiers, convertin" casual list$members into donors, donors into volunteers, and volunteers into !recinct leaders. 3ith a so!histicated :.;, cam!ai"ns can "et creative in how they track su!!orters, notin" the most reliable activists in the database and !uttin" these Isu!er$volunteersJ to work in ways that use their skills, connections and time. 'iers of en"a"ement work in the other direction as well if youre !lannin" a social media$style create$a$video contest, for instance, find a way to involve !eo!le who #.-N' actually doin" the shootin" and editin", !erha!s by askin" them to rate or comment on the submissions. 'he overall "oal( kee! the most casual su!!orters workin" at a basic level, while also !rovidin" more strenuous outlets for the smaller core of true activists.

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&uccessful -mail :am!ai"ns

.e"ardless of what a cam!ai"n is askin" su!!orters to do, theyre likely askin" it via email. #s weve covered before *see :ha!ter 'wo,, email remains the most effective way to stay in consistent online contact with many !eo!le at once, des!ite the "rowth of 2acebook, 'witter and other social tools and its the best online fundraisin" channel we currently have. Of course, anyone can send an email messa"e askin" !eo!le for money, but "ettin" the most out of a list over time takes skill, !lannin", "ood e5ecution and testin". Dets look at some basic !rinci!les that hel! ma5imi9e a lists lon"$term !erformance( -mails should !er!etuate core messa"es and "oals of the cam!ai"n. # key idea( the three ;s of !olitical email are messa"in", mobili9ation and money. -mails must also do no harm list mana"ers must take care not to alienate !eo!le on the list. 'he more !ersonal, informal and direct a messa"e is, the better *usually,. ;essa"es may a!!ear to come directly from the candidate, from staff, from !rominent su!!orters or from individual cam!ai"n volunteers, de!endin" on whose voice the cam!ai"n needs to am!lify at that moment. .e"ardless of the a!!arent sender, authenticity is key. ;ake the ask clear and the action links easy to find. 'ar"etin" hel!s "et the most out of a list. 2or instance, list members mi"ht receive messa"es with different content based on their locale, their interests, their demo"ra!hics or their !ast !attern of actions on behalf of the cam!ai"n. # "ood :.; is a tar"eters friend. -mail may start the !rocess, but the landin" !a"e finishes it, so make sure that each messa"e links to a donation or action !a"e that matches the ask in the messa"e. %se the email initiation se8uence to start a relationshi! off on a "ood foot, sendin" new list members a !re$set series of messa"es after they si"n u!. 'he se8uence mi"ht steadily Iscale the ask,J encoura"in" newbies to move u! the ladder of en"a"ement. Besides scalin" the ask, savvy fundraisers also tailor the ask over time, for instance solicitin" different amounts based on a !ersons donation history a H10 donor mi"ht be asked to donate H20 the ne5t time around, but someone whod donated H110 mi"ht be safe to hit u! for H200.
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 :am!ai"ns should also vary the ask as discussed above, not every communication from the candidate or his surro"ates should be about money. &ome mi"ht deliver talkin" !oints, others strate"y or conte5t, while a few may be strai"htforwardly ins!irational. 3hen !ossible, staff should ma! out email narrative arcs in advance, with each messa"e formin" !art of the stream while also able to stand on its own. But this a!!roach shouldnt !reclude sei9in" on emotion and the moment, such as ca!itali9in" 8uickly on an o!!onents mistake. :am!ai"ns should also consider the Ivalue !ro!osition of fundraisin",J bein" careful to !ortray donations as doin" more than /ust !rovidin" abstract su!!ort. 'o that end, cam!ai"ns often make it very clear where money is "oin", for instance raisin" funds for a !articular stated task such as runnin" 'B ads or su!!ortin" "rassroots or"ani9in" in a defined area. -ven if a cam!ai"n is overwhelmin"ly relyin" on email, content inte"ration can be key, with online video and social networkin" outreach in !articular servin" as a !owerful ad/unct to email fundraisin". 2or instance, a !articular messa"e mi"ht ask !eo!le to watch a video and s!read it via 2acebook, with the video itself and the landin" !a"e on which its hosted doin" the heavy liftin" of solicitin" donations. ?es!ite the best tar"etin", different emails activated different !eo!le at different times. No one messa"e has to connect with every su!!orter or every voter if you miss Oem this week, you mi"ht "et Oem ne5t week.

ow ;uch is 'oo ;uchF *'he )m!ortance of ;etrics and 'estin",

ow many messa"es can a cam!ai"n send to su!!orters before they click the IunsubscribeJ buttonF 'o find out, email communications mana"ers can monitor statistics, since modern :.;s will track when !eo!le si"n u!, when they dro! off, which messa"es they o!en and what kind of actions they take. Dists turn out to have their own 8uirks( while one could be very o!en to tell$a$friend or volunteer re8uests but not so "ood at "ivin" money, another mi"ht res!ond in e5actly the o!!osite way. -ach mass email staff send !rovides raw data about that cam!ai"ns s!ecific su!!orters, hel!in" to identify the kinds of a!!eals that work and which to avoid. ;etrics and list se"mentation can even

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assist with messa"e develo!ment, since cam!ai"ns can try out different ideas on relatively small "rou!s first. Of course, as an election or other deadline a!!roaches, mana"ers can "et away with sendin" many more messa"es than usual, since !eo!le will understand the ur"ency. ?ont for"et to follow u! after the vote, !articularly if your candidate !lans to run a"ainC

Biral 2undraisin"
#nother as!ect of the Obama fundraisin" machine that other cam!ai"ns can co!y is its !eer$to$ !eer com!onent, the !ersonal fundraisin" cam!ai"ns that individual volunteers launched throu"h their ;yBarackObama.com accounts, alon"side all of their other online outreach. &u!!orter$driven distributed financial outreach raised a few tens of millions of dollars directly for Obamas cam!ai"n, but !erha!s more im!ortant is that it hel!ed mine individual fundraisers social connections for new donors, who would then find themselves on the main email list and sub/ect to the kinds of Iencoura"ementsJ described above. 'hou"h likely less of a !riority for smaller$scale cam!ai"ns, the ca!ability to create friend$to$friend donation drives is included in many :.;s and is built in to the technolo"y of sites like #ctBlue.

:ustom &ocial Networks

&ome cam!ai"ns !rovide additional o!!ortunities for volunteers by creatin" custom social networks alon" the lines of ;yBarackObama.com. Bob ;c?onnells 200P cam!ai"n for Bir"inia "overnor featured a community based on the Nin" !latform, as did that of 2010 ;assachusetts senatorial candidate &cott Brown, both of which !rovided an outreach and fundraisin" hub for activists. # custom social network turned out to be a useful tool for Obama volunteers, !articular when it let them or"ani9e themselves in !laces where the central cam!ai"ns infrastructure wasnt fully built out. But Obamas cam!ai"n also had an enormous su!!orter list to !o!ulate ;yBO from the moment it launched, and other !olitical social networks risk s!utterin" out if they cant reach a si"nificant scale ri"ht away *a site is neither social nor a network if no ones usin" it,. ;ost down$ ballot cam!ai"ns will be better served by focusin" on reachin" !eo!le in the online s!aces they already fre8uent, rather than tryin" to "et them to /oin a new one.
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;ore 'han ;oney( ;obili9ation ;eans Botes

'his cha!ter has !rimarily focused on donations, but su!!orters are worth more than /ust the contents of their bank accounts. &mart cam!ai"ns will try to ta! their brains and time as well, and the en"a"ement techni8ues described above are as a!!licable to mobili9ation as they are to fundraisin". 'he Obama cam!ai"n relied on volunteer enthusiasm to a remarkable de"ree, with hundreds of thousands of !eo!le downloadin" Iwalk listsJ of houses to visit in their nei"hborhoods and !hone numbers to call. 'hey re!orted the results of their outreach work throu"h a com!rehensive "rassroots data collection system, in turn "ivin" the leadershi! !riceless data about how the cam!ai"n was !layin" out at a nei"hborhood level. 'his kind of so!histication has been out of the reach of most state$ or local$level cam!ai"ns *thou"h <oo"le ?ocs may be chan"in" this situation,, but they can still use online communications to mobili9e su!!orters to( show u! for in$!erson events volunteer at local offices !hone$bank, either at a cam!ai"n office or over their own cell !hones connect with their nei"hbors door$to$door recruit friends via email, 2acebook or ;y&!ace !ut u! yard si"ns view online content and s!read it virally create content such as blo" !osts, 'weets or online videos and of course, voteC 'he im!ortance of that last bullet cannot be overstated for down$ballot candidates, !articularly in a low$turnout off$year electionC

Auttin" )t #ll 'o"ether

'hats it for the essentials of internet !olitical cam!ai"nin" not bad. Ne5t, lets !ull it all to"ether into a basic online communications !lan.

See the latest version of this chapter live at Epolitics.com

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Concl"sion: /"ttin& It 0ll $o&ether

3innin" in 2010 2010 will not be 2004( for one thin", we arent likely to see the massive voter turnout that hel!ed !ut Barack Obama in the 3hite ouse. #s in other !olitical off$ years, the 2010 results will swin" on the decisions of a relatively small number of voters, an effect ma"nified down the chain the smaller the race, the more effect a handful of votes can have. 'his kind of environment obviously encoura"es a focus on "ettin" as many core su!!orters to the !olls as !ossible. #s weve seen, the internet absolutely e5cels at maintainin" connections with individual voters and at ener"i9in" them to recruit their friends, donate their money and volunteer their time. 'he 2010 elections wont be determined by the internet alone *candidates and ideas do matterC,, but cam!ai"ns that em!loy online strate"ies intelli"ently and with real$world "oals in mind should have a si"nificant ed"e over their rivals, !articularly in ti"ht races. 'his is a year in which state$ and local$level !olitics will count. Not only will the new :on"ress hel! determine the fate of Barack Obamas remainin" !olitical a"enda, but the state le"islators who take their seats in 2011 will redraw !olitical districts across the country, a !rocess destined to sha!e our !olitical landsca!e for a decade to come. Now that youve read this "uide, EO% have the tools to influence how those elections turn out.

#nd if you need hel!, lets chat.

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0 Basic *nline *"reach /lan

Now that we understand the essential tools and tactics of online !olitical or"ani9in", lets !ut them to"ether into a coherent !lan to win an election.

Ahase One( <ettin" -stablished

#t the start, cam!ai"ns need to focus on "ettin" the basics ri"ht, a !rocess that may take from a few days to a few weeks. 'he initial ste!s( Be"in monitorin" the raceQ set u! <oo"le #lerts on the candidate and o!!onent. Build and launch website with inte"rated su!!orter si"nu!K:.;Kfundraisin" system -stablish 2acebook *and ;y&!aceF, !rofiles and connect with local !olitical activists. -stablish Eou'ube channel with initial content *even if only a sin"le cli!,. -stablish 'witter account and blo", if cam!ai"n will be usin" either or both. )dentify relevant *usually local, !olitical blo"s based on audience and to!ic. )dentify other !rominent online voices, includin" 'witterers, videoblo""ers and fre8uent commenters on local !olitical sites.

Ahase 'wo( 2eedin" the Beast

3ith an infrastructure in !lace, a cam!ai"n moves into the lon" middle !eriod between the candidates announcement and the actual votin". Dist$buildin" and fundraisin" will be usually be the hi"hest !riority, su!!orted by outreach and content creation. )nte"rate website !romo into all !rint materials and broadcast advertisin". .ecruit new su!!ortersKlist members at in$!erson events. Be"in online advertisin", !articularly on <oo"le but also on blo"s and local media sites. Be"in com!rehensive email$based online fundraisin" via :.;. &olicit and or"ani9e su!!orters volunteer time, also via :.; but !ossibly throu"h custom social network. -5!andKim!rove cam!ai"n website content. -5!and connections on social networkin" websites and 'witterQ !ost new content re"ularly.

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 -ncoura"e su!!orters to s!read the word and recruit friends throu"h their online and offline channels. Aost additional online videos to Eou'ube !rofile and cam!ai"n website as needed and as available Build relationshi!s with local blo""ers, 'witterers and other online influentials, with an eye to !itchin" stories and arran"in" o!!ortunities to s!eak directly to their audiences. :ontinue monitorin" inde!endent online content !osted about the raceQ res!ond as necessary and able.

Ahase 'hree( .un$%! to -lection ?ay

Once an election is close, an online cam!ai"n will shift into full mobili9ation mode. Be"in final !ush for volunteer involvement, includin" block$walkin" and !honebankin". Be"in earlyKabsentee votin" !ush, if a!!licable. &end final fundraisin" a!!eals. -ncoura"e last$minute su!!orter online evan"elism on 2acebook, !ersonal email, etc. .am! u! email cam!ai"n intensity via :.; to su!!ort all of the above activities. Online advertisin" may switch to encoura"in" early votin" and connectin" !eo!le with !ollin" !laces. On -lection ?ay, send final a!!eals via email, social networkin" outlets, te5t messa"in", cam!ai"n website, 'witter and other channels. o!e for the best. #fter the election, send follow$u! messa"e to su!!orters.

or ,ore In%ormation
Other <uides from -.!olitics
Online Aolitics 101 Dearnin" from Obama( Dessons for Online :ommunicators in 200P and Beyond

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.elated #rticles
&cott Browns ;assachusetts )nsur"ency &hows ow Online Or"ani9in" as &hifted the Aolitical :alculus 'he Online &trate"y Behind &cott Browns Bictory, Alus ?etails on is ;assachusetts ;oneybomb &cott Brown %sed <oo"le for 2ield Or"ani9in", Not +ust #dvertisin" ;ore on &cott Brown and )nternet Aolitics and ;ore BrownK:oakley Online Aolitics Aost$ ;ortems Bob ;c?onnells )m!ressive Online :am!ai"n for Bir"inia <overnor Dearn from this :ity :ouncil :andidate Bideo( #!!lyin" Obama Online Dessons to &tate, Docal and #dvocacy :am!ai"ns 'en 3ays to Blow )t Online in 2010 )nside the Obama Numbers( 'iers of -n"a"ement 'wo$'hirds of Obamas Online 2undraisin" was Bia -mail .eachin" the INetwork )nfluentialsJ :ontent was Gey *and Overlooked, Aart of Obamas Online +u""ernaut #n )nternet Aolitics )nde5 to ?avid Alouffes 'he #udacity to 3in 'he -ndurin" Balue of the Online :ommunications 'ri!od ?i"ital$#"e ;edia .elations( Aitchin" &tories in a :hallen"in" News -nvironment 3hat a ;odern :ommunications 'eam Dooks Dike ;easurin" the -ffects of &ocial ;edia ;arketin" 'en .ules for Blo""er Outreach 'ar"eted 2acebook #ds #rent +ust for Bi" Aolitical :am!ai"ns Eouve <ot a 2riend in Barack Obama( )nte"ratin" &ocial Networkin" 'ools into Aolitical :am!ai"ns 'he -ndurin" Aower of &mall Online ?onors Obama :am!ai"n &aw I.idiculouslyJ i"h .O) from <oo"le #ds <ettin" the ;ost Out of <oo"le #ds and Other Aay$Aer$:lick #dvertisin" :am!ai"ns
31

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 Online Aolitics is %sually 'rench 3arfare, Not Blit9krie" #n )m!endin" -5!losion of &tate$Devel Online AoliticsF 3hy &tate$Devel Online Aolitics .eally ;atters in 2010 Online &ocial Networks in Aolitics( Aromise, 2rustration and6 'witter is NO' a &trate"y :reatin" -ffective Aolitical Bideo for the 3eb &ocial ;edia for -lected Officials )f Eou 3ant to :han"e :on"ress, 2und :hallen"ers &taff -arly Obama :am!ai"ns New ;edia &taff was NO' a Aart of the 'ech 'eam ?avid Alouffe( 'he Obama :am!ai"n %sed <rassroots ?ata and :om!uter ;odelin" to #llocate .esources in .eal 'ime )lluminatin" the Aresidential :am!ai"ns )nternet$?riven <round <ame #fter the ?ebates( %sin" the )nternet to 3in at the 3ater :ooler Obama -mail Aushes Boter .e"istration Obamas 'e5tin" for 'urnout durin" the Aotomac Arimary :heckin" )n On Aresidential Online #dvertisin", Are$)ndiana and N: :iti9en 2004( %sin" the )nternet for )ndividual Aolitical #dvocacy in the -lections and Beyond ?ont :o!y this #l <ore -mail Aro! 4 Battle &hows that the Deft has No ;ono!oly on )nternet #ctivism

See the latest version of this chapter and list live at Epolitics.com

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0!o"t $he 0"thor

:olin ?elany is founder and chief editor of Epolitics.com, a website that focuses on the tools and tactics of )nternet !olitics and online !olitical advocacy. Epolitics.com received the <olden ?ot #ward as IBest Blo" $ National AoliticsJ at the 200R Aolitics Online :onference, and ?elany !artici!ated in ?: 2o5 affiliate 3''<$21s live covera"e of the 2004 "eneral election ni"ht. ?elany is also the author of the e$book Online Politics 101: The Tools and Tactics of Online Political Advocacy, which has been downloaded from e!olitics.com over 10,000 times, as well as the more recent earnin! from O"ama: essons for Online #omm$nicators in %00& and 'eyond.

?elany started in !olitics in the early MP0s in the 'e5as :a!itol *where !ublic service is considered a contact s!ort, and moved into the online !olitical world in 1PP1. )n 1PPP, durin" the first internet boom, he hel!ed to start a tar"eted search en"ine for !olitics and !olicy, which lasted about as lon" as such ideas usually do. &ince then, ?elany has worked as a consultant to hel! do9ens of !olitical advocacy cam!ai"ns !romote themselves in the di"ital world, and between 2007 and 200R was the Online :ommunications ;ana"er at the National -nvironmental 'rust. )n +anuary of 2010, he be"an work as a &trate"ic ;ana"er at New ;edia &trate"ies, based in .osslyn, B#. e also !lays bass in a rock and roll band.

2ind out more about consultin" services from :olin ?elany, or contact him at c!dSe!olitics.com to arran"e a trainin", webinar or !resentation.

Bersion Notes(
B 0.1 )ndividual articles released on -!olitics.com, &e!tember$?ecember 200P B 1.0 2irst e$book com!ilation released ?ecember, 200P B 1.2 %!dated version, various detail chan"es !lus new sections on <oo"le #d sur"es, field or"ani9in" and lessons from the 2010 ;assachusetts senatorial race, 2ebruary 2010.

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