Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
$a!le o% Contents
1. Introd"ction: Usin& the Internet to Win in 2010 ...' 2. $ools# $ime and (eso"rces ...) '. *nline *"treach ...1' +.
"ndraisin& and ,o!ili-ation ...21
The contents of this e-book are also available as a series of standalone articles at Epolitics.com.
But online fundraisin" doesnt ha!!en by ma"ic its usually the result of a concerted strate"y to make it ha!!en. 2ortunately for us6
3ebsite
-5ce!t in the rare case that 2acebook !a"e or ;y&!ace !rofile will do, /ust about every cam!ai"n needs a website if it intends to use the internet at all. Besides servin" as the cam!ai"ns !ublic front, a candidate sites !rimary "oal is usually to hel! build a su!!orter database, meanin" that no visitor to the site should leave without an o!!ortunity to /oin u! and turn their online enthusiasm into the !otential for real$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$based tool rather than software residin" on the staffs own com!uters.
end they allow list mana"ers to send messa"es to some or all members at once and usually at no incremental cost *fees are ty!ically based on features and list$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$friendJ links to hel! messa"es s!read from !erson to !erson,. #s for stayin" in touch with su!!orters via cell !hone te5t messa"in", its been the Ine5t bi" thin"J in online !olitics for several years now and it still is. ;ost :.;s can collect cell numbers, but so far relatively few cam!ai"ns in this country have been able to !ut them to use, in !art because of constraints built into the %.&. telecom system. 'e5t messa"in" will no doubt be a "ood fit for certain cam!ai"ns in 2010, but its likely to remain more of a niche a!!lication for now.
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3ebsiteK:.; Bendors
'en years a"o, most online cam!ai"ns were minimal or hod"e$!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$bys like *the former, :onnell ?onatelli, but the .i"ht still seems to lack the kind of standardi9ed technolo"y !acka"es now available to ?emocrats u! and down the ballot. 'heir online fundraisin" has la""ed as well, since des!ite its ambitions a service like &late:ard still cant match the reach of an #ctBlue. L'he Deft seems to have /um!ed ahead in the race for !acka"ed, scalable cam!ai"n software over the !ast few years in !art because of the e5am!le of the ?ean and Gerry cam!ai"ns in 200=, but also because of the work of individual activists, like the founders of #ctBlue and the !rominent blo""ers whoMve hel!ed channel online donations to chosen candidates. ?emocrats also benefit from the "rowth of !ro"ressive non!rofit advocacy cam!ai"ns over the !ast decade( not only have advocacy "rou!s e5!erimented with /ust about every tool or tactic in the book, but the e5istence of so many inde!endent "rou!s clamorin" for effective technolo"y has created a vibrant market. 'he technolo"y behind ?D::3eb, for e5am!le, derives directly from a :.; develo!ed for non!rofits.N
'his imbalance will not lastC #s usual, the tools dont care who uses them, and neither ?emocratic nor .e!ublican cam!ai"ns have inherent advanta"es online, other than the ones they create for themselves. &oon enou"h, .e!ublicans and ?emocrats will reach di"ital !arity.
2ield Or"ani9in"
One area where we can clearly see !arty e8uality emer"in" is online$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.
!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.
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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$shirts and every other !iece of collateral material !ossibleC
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'he 'ools(
Online &ocial Networks
2acebook and ;y&!ace have become the modern e8uivalent of town s8uares, !laces where !eo!le from all walks of life can min"le and connect in a !ublic environment *rou"hly one$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.
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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$world events *rallies, house !arties, and invite their friends and family :am!ai"ns can make the !rocess easy by !re!arin" banners, bad"es, buttons, videos and other content that fans can !ost on their own !a"es. #nd as well discuss in much more detail in the ne5t cha!ter, every action a su!!orter takes hel!s to create an emotional connection with the cam!ai"n, influencin" his or her likelihood to volunteer or to donate in the future. 3ith that, lets move on to the !art of this "uide that !olitical !rofessionals have been waitin" for online fundraisin".
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'he Basics
&o, how does online fundraisin" workF -ssentially, "ivin" to a candidate is /ust like buyin" a !roduct online as!irin" donors "o to a website and enter a credit card number and the necessary !ersonal information, then click the IdonateJ button. Once the transaction is !rocessed, the money !asses to the cam!ai"ns bank account, either immediately as a sin"le transfer or !eriodically as donations add u!. ?e!endin" on the details of the :onstituent .elations ;ana"ement system the cam!ai"n uses
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and the e5tent of its inte"ration with the fundraisin" system *see :ha!ter 'wo,, donation details may automatically !o!ulate the same database used to track su!!orters and volunteers *otherwise, staff may have to download the data and inte"rate it into the :.; as a se!arate ste!,. Obviously, the closer the two systems work to"ether, the more easily a cam!ai"n can track to! donors.
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Dike any friendshi!, a !olitical relationshi! that heads downhill can be hard to salva"e *disillusioned donors are unlikely to o!en their wallets a"ain,, and unless a cam!ai"n is entirely short$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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: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.
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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.
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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.
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
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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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?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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