How the candidates can use Internet to win in 2010

8/3/2019 How the candidates can use Internet to win in 2010

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ow Candidates Can Use the Internet to Win in 2010By Colin Delany

Epolitics.com

Version 1.2: e!r"ary# 2010

$a!le o% Contents1.Introd"ction: Usin& the Internet to Win in 2010 ...'2.$ools# $ime and (eso"rces ...)'.*nline *"treach ...1'+."ndraisin& and ,o!ili-ation ...21.Concl"sion: /"ttin& it ll $o&ether With ample Campai&n /lan3 ...24!o"t the "thor5(elease 6otes ...''

he contents of this e-book are also available asa series of standalone articles at Epolitics.com.

www.epolitics.com 7 e!r"ary 2010 2
http://www.epolitics.com/winning-in-2010http://www.epolitics.com/winning-in-2010http://www.epolitics.com/http://www.epolitics.com/winning-in-2010http://www.epolitics.com/


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Introd"ction: Usin& the Internet to Win in 2010Barack 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"nas 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 -verywheree"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 and u! now connect electronically at least on occasion.

2. Online undraisin" 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!.

http://www.epolitics.com/learning-from-obama/http://www.epolitics.com/2008/11/05/how-the-internet-put-barack-obama-in-the-white-house/http://www.epolitics.com/2008/11/05/how-the-internet-put-barack-obama-in-the-white-house/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/05/23/an-impending-explosion-of-state-level-online-politics/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/09/20/as-courts-overturn-campaign-finance-limits-small-online-donations-will-matter-more/http://www.epolitics.com/http://www.epolitics.com/learning-from-obama/http://www.epolitics.com/2008/11/05/how-the-internet-put-barack-obama-in-the-white-house/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/05/23/an-impending-explosion-of-state-level-online-politics/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/09/20/as-courts-overturn-campaign-finance-limits-small-online-donations-will-matter-more/http://www.epolitics.com/


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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. ortunately 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

"uidessu!!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, ?own$ allot :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 ' 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!


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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. or instance, you can think of a website as the

electronic version of a storefront office, while the !rocess of workin" with blo""ersis 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 acebook, '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 *' 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 asic 'oolse"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" acebook, ;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.

http://www.epolitics.com/2006/07/03/blogs-and-blogger-relations/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/03/11/learning-from-obamas-volunteer-army-how-to-put-people-to-work-on-your-behalf/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/03/11/learning-from-obamas-volunteer-army-how-to-put-people-to-work-on-your-behalf/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/02/23/learning-from-obama-lessons-for-online-communicators-for-2009-and-beyond/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/06/04/the-enduring-value-of-the-online-communications-tripod/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/06/04/the-enduring-value-of-the-online-communications-tripod/http://www.epolitics.com/http://www.epolitics.com/2006/07/03/blogs-and-blogger-relations/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/03/11/learning-from-obamas-volunteer-army-how-to-put-people-to-work-on-your-behalf/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/03/11/learning-from-obamas-volunteer-army-how-to-put-people-to-work-on-your-behalf/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/02/23/learning-from-obama-lessons-for-online-communicators-for-2009-and-beyond/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/06/04/the-enduring-value-of-the-online-communications-tripod/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/06/04/the-enduring-value-of-the-online-communications-tripod/http://www.epolitics.com/


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3ebsite-5ce!t in the rare case that acebook !a"e or ;y&!ace !rofile will do, /ust about every cam!ai"n

needs a websiteif 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. oters, 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, lickr, 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


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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 acebook, 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

H00 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.

http://www.epolitics.com/2008/12/23/david-plouffe-the-obama-campaign-used-grassroots-data-and-computer-modeling-to-allocate-resources-in-real-time/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/08/27/two-thirds-of-obamas-online-fundraising-was-via-email/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/08/27/two-thirds-of-obamas-online-fundraising-was-via-email/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/01/14/what-does-viral-mean/http://www.epolitics.com/http://www.epolitics.com/2008/12/23/david-plouffe-the-obama-campaign-used-grassroots-data-and-computer-modeling-to-allocate-resources-in-real-time/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/08/27/two-thirds-of-obamas-online-fundraising-was-via-email/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/08/27/two-thirds-of-obamas-online-fundraising-was-via-email/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/01/14/what-does-viral-mean/http://www.epolitics.com/


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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;allwith 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, fore5am!le, while others moved u! the costKhand$holdin" scale to systems from 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.

ield 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 oter #ctivation Networkand the e!ublicanoter ault.

Both cam!ai"ns made it !ossible for su!!orters to !hone$bank from home, for instance, withBrown usin"technolo"y from an inde!endent vendorand :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!!licationwith similar functions.

Once theyd "athered the res!onses, or"ani9ers could enter them into a


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!ay for itself *as the Obama cam!ai"n !roved, and many cam!ai"ns have foundthe eturn On

)nvestment from tar"eted


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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.

rom here on out, well discuss e5actly that( how candidates can !ut online technolo"y to work in2010, first for outreach and then for mobili9ation and fundraisin".

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

http://www.epolitics.com/2009/02/06/if-you-want-to-change-congress-fund-challengers-staff-early/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/02/06/if-you-want-to-change-congress-fund-challengers-staff-early/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/05/15/learning-from-obamas-financial-steamroller-how-to-raise-money-online/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/05/15/learning-from-obamas-financial-steamroller-how-to-raise-money-online/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/09/28/winning-online-in-2010-part-two-tools-time-and-resources/http://www.epolitics.com/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/02/06/if-you-want-to-change-congress-fund-challengers-staff-early/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/02/06/if-you-want-to-change-congress-fund-challengers-staff-early/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/05/15/learning-from-obamas-financial-steamroller-how-to-raise-money-online/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/09/28/winning-online-in-2010-part-two-tools-time-and-resources/http://www.epolitics.com/


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Chapter $hree: *nline *"treachOnce 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, acebook, Eou'ube, ;y&!ace and 'witter, but

!oliticians and staff can also reach out behind the scenes, for instance sendin" emails or

acebook 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.


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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 acebook !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 ofonline self$!ublishin" has created a whole new class

of Inetwork influentials,Ja 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, acebook 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.

http://www.epolitics.com/2009/09/27/reaching-the-network-influentials/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/09/27/reaching-the-network-influentials/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/09/27/reaching-the-network-influentials/http://www.epolitics.com/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/09/27/reaching-the-network-influentials/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/09/27/reaching-the-network-influentials/http://www.epolitics.com/


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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


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eturnin" to


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Chapter o"r: *nline "ndraisin& and ,o!ili-ation3hat ?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. irst, 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 asics&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

http://www.epolitics.com/2009/09/28/winning-online-in-2010-part-two-tools-time-and-resources/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/05/23/an-impending-explosion-of-state-level-online-politics/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/05/23/an-impending-explosion-of-state-level-online-politics/http://www.epolitics.com/2008/10/20/the-enduring-power-of-small-online-donors/http://www.epolitics.com/2008/10/20/the-enduring-power-of-small-online-donors/http://www.epolitics.com/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/09/28/winning-online-in-2010-part-two-tools-time-and-resources/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/05/23/an-impending-explosion-of-state-level-online-politics/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/05/23/an-impending-explosion-of-state-level-online-politics/http://www.epolitics.com/2008/10/20/the-enduring-power-of-small-online-donors/http://www.epolitics.com/2008/10/20/the-enduring-power-of-small-online-donors/http://www.epolitics.com/


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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 uild )t, &ometimes 'hey 3ill :ome3here 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


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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 mediatebetween 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.


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&uccessful -mail :am!ai"nse"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 acebook, '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. or 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 H10 mi"ht be

safe to hit u! for H200.

http://www.epolitics.com/2009/09/28/winning-online-in-2010-part-two-tools-time-and-resources/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/08/27/two-thirds-of-obamas-online-fundraising-was-via-email/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/08/27/two-thirds-of-obamas-online-fundraising-was-via-email/http://www.epolitics.com/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/09/28/winning-online-in-2010-part-two-tools-time-and-resources/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/08/27/two-thirds-of-obamas-online-fundraising-was-via-email/http://www.epolitics.com/


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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" ' 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". or instance, a !articular messa"e mi"ht ask !eo!le to watch a video

and s!read it via acebook, 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 em this

week, you mi"ht "et em 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

http://www.epolitics.com/2008/12/11/joe-rospars-and-a-billion-minutes-on-youtube-content-was-key-and-overlooked-part-of-obamas-online-juggernaut/http://www.epolitics.com/2008/12/11/joe-rospars-and-a-billion-minutes-on-youtube-content-was-key-and-overlooked-part-of-obamas-online-juggernaut/http://www.epolitics.com/http://www.epolitics.com/2008/12/11/joe-rospars-and-a-billion-minutes-on-youtube-content-was-key-and-overlooked-part-of-obamas-online-juggernaut/http://www.epolitics.com/


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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 undraisin"#nother as!ect of the Obama fundraisin" machine that other cam!ai"ns can co!y is its !eer$to$

!eercom!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 ir"inia

"overnorfeatured 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 themoment 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.

http://www.epolitics.com/2009/01/14/what-does-viral-mean/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/01/14/what-does-viral-mean/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/03/11/learning-from-obamas-volunteer-army-how-to-put-people-to-work-on-your-behalf/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/03/11/learning-from-obamas-volunteer-army-how-to-put-people-to-work-on-your-behalf/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/11/03/bob-mcdonnells-impressive-online-campaign-for-virginia-governor/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/11/03/bob-mcdonnells-impressive-online-campaign-for-virginia-governor/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/01/15/nings-gina-bianchini-on-using-custom-online-social-networks-for-politics-advocacy/http://brownbrigade.ning.com/http://brownbrigade.ning.com/http://www.epolitics.com/2008/07/17/youve-got-a-friend-in-barack-obama-integrating-social-networking-tools-into-political-campaigns/http://www.epolitics.com/2008/07/17/youve-got-a-friend-in-barack-obama-integrating-social-networking-tools-into-political-campaigns/http://www.epolitics.com/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/01/14/what-does-viral-mean/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/01/14/what-does-viral-mean/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/03/11/learning-from-obamas-volunteer-army-how-to-put-people-to-work-on-your-behalf/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/11/03/bob-mcdonnells-impressive-online-campaign-for-virginia-governor/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/11/03/bob-mcdonnells-impressive-online-campaign-for-virginia-governor/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/01/15/nings-gina-bianchini-on-using-custom-online-social-networks-for-politics-advocacy/http://brownbrigade.ning.com/http://brownbrigade.ning.com/http://www.epolitics.com/2008/07/17/youve-got-a-friend-in-barack-obama-integrating-social-networking-tools-into-political-campaigns/http://www.epolitics.com/2008/07/17/youve-got-a-friend-in-barack-obama-integrating-social-networking-tools-into-political-campaigns/http://www.epolitics.com/


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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


28/33

Concl"sion: /"ttin& It ll $o&ether3innin" in 20102010 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.

http://www.epolitics.com/2009/08/23/why-state-level-online-politics-really-matters-in-2010/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/08/23/why-state-level-online-politics-really-matters-in-2010/mailto:[email protected]://www.epolitics.com/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/08/23/why-state-level-online-politics-really-matters-in-2010/http://www.epolitics.com/2009/08/23/why-state-level-online-politics-really-matters-in-2010/mailto:[email protected]://www.epolitics.com/


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Basic *nline *"reach /lanNow 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(


30/33


31/33

elated #rticles &cott Browns ;assachusetts )nsur"ency &hows ow Online Or"ani9in" as &hifted the

Aolitical :alculus

'he Online &trate"y Behind &cott Browns ictory, Alus ?etails on is ;assachusetts

;oneybomb

&cott Brown %sed


32/33

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, rustration and6

'witter is NO' a &trate"y

:reatin" -ffective Aolitical ideo for the 3eb

&ocial ;edia for -lected Officials

)f Eou 3ant to :han"e :on"ress, und :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


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!o"t $he "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.comreceived the

Documents

How the candidates can use Internet to win in 2010