Winning in 2014

1 4 How to Us e the I nternet to Win in 2014 4 epoliti cs.
com
About Thi s Book
How to Use the I nternet to Win in 2014: A Comprehensie !ui"e to #nline
$oliti cs %or C&mp&i 'ns &n" A"oc&tes
By Colin Delany
"How to Use the Internet to Win in 2014" incorporates some material from two earlier
Epolitics.com guides published for the 2010 and 2012 election ccles. !his new publication is
e"panded# rewritten and completel reorgani$ed to reflect changing technolog and to include
lessons from the 2012 and 201% U.&. elections .
'ote( if someone forwarded ou a cop of this boo) and ou found it useful# please consider
going to Epolitics.com*WinningIn2014 and using the +a What ,ou -i)e feature to help offset
the time and e"perience that went into creating it. !han) ou.
/opright 201% /olin 0elan
2 4 How to Us e the I nternet to Win in 2014 4 epoliti cs.com
Content s
4 4 Introduction( How to Use the Internet to Win in 2014
( 4 !he Internet( What1s It 2ood 3or4
10 4 Essential !ools and Infrastructure
20 4 +reparing an 5utreach 5utreach &trateg
2) 4 &ocial 6edia
*4 4 5nline 7d8ertising
41 4 2rassroots*3ield
4) 4 6obili$ation and 25!9
4+ 4 5nline 3undraising
)4 4 0ata and 7naltics
,1 4 -ogistics# :udget and &taffing
,, 4 7 &ample 5nline /ampaign +lan
(0 4 7bout the 7uthor
* 4 How to Us e the I nternet to Win in 2014 4 epoliti cs.com
I ntro"uction: How to Use the I nternet to
Win in 2014
Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise
before defeat. Sun Tzu
Welcome to the world of internet politics. ,ou1re loo)ing at a cop of the most comprehensi8e
guide a8ailable for using online and digital tools to elect candidates and influence polic.
+rett cool ; b the time we1re done# ou1ll ha8e the practical )nowledge ou need to put
social media# online ad8ertising# online fundraising# political data# email# websites and other
internet<enabled tools and techni=ues to wor) for ,5U> campaign. 7nd while this boo) is
written with 20141s 7merican elections in mind# most of its lessons appl to politics around the
world as well as to ad8ocac campaigns run b nonprofits and '25s. -et1s get started.
-l ection 2014
!he 2014 U.&. elections should be 8er different from 2012( it1s an off<ear election ccle# so
no presidential campaigns# less public attention and almost certainl lower 8oter turnout.
'ational political dnamics will matter to some e"tent ?after all# 2010 was both an off<ear and
a national "wa8e election"@ but plent of political races will buc) an national trends# hinging
on local issues and local personalities.
3ifteen ears ago# the upcoming campaigns would ha8e been completel dominated b !9
ads# but this is 2014 and the world has changed. 3rom 7n)ara to Wisconsin# the internet has
become a )e political battleground# and smart campaigns at all le8els ; &enate to dog<
catcher ; will be thin)ing about how to integrate digital tools into their political wor).
How to Us e Thi s Book
!his boo) is designed to show ou how to use the internet to gi8e ou the best chance of
winning in politics in 2014. &imple# eh4 7ctuall# much of the technolog I& simple to use(
e8en m 6om has figured out how 3aceboo) wor)s ?mostl@. !he tric) is how to use it
>I2H!# since the digital plaing field is dotted with rabbit holes read to swallow our time ;
and man internet technologies that -55A useful don1t actuall do much to turn out the 8ote
or mo8e an issue.
In the pages to come# we1ll concentrate on a 8er practical approach to digital politics#
operating under the assumption that ou ha8ing winning in mind. We1ll discuss(
!he Internet( What1s It 2ood 3or4
Essential !ools and Infrastructure
+reparing an 5utreach 5utreach &trateg
&ocial 6edia
5nline 7d8ertising
2rassroots*3ield
6obili$ation and 25!9
5nline 3undraising
0ata and 7naltics
-ogistics# :udget and &taffing
7 &ample 5nline /ampaign +lan
5nce we1re through# ou1ll not onl ha8e a comprehensi8e o8er8iew of the internet1s role in
modern campaigning# ou1ll also )now how to put the tools and techni=ues to wor) in was
that ma"imi$e their abilit to help our candidate ?or cause@ to win.
#h .o/ .ot 0e1
>ight now ou ma be saing to ourself# "this internet stuff sounds cool# but it doesn1t wor)
for 6, district*countr*cause." 6 answer4 Aeep on thin)ing that# and ou might Bust watch
our opponents use digital tools to beat our pants off. In the United &tates# internet access
has reached into almost e8er communit# at least 8ia cell phone# and the 8ast maBorit of
7mericans now use websites# social media and email to some e"tent in their e8erda li8es.
7round the world# mobile phones are ubi=uitous and smart phones soon will be.
'ot surprisingl# people use digital channels for politics( 8oters are hitting the web to learn
more about candidates and issues# to sign up for e8ents# to publicl show their support or
) 4 How to Us e the I nternet to Win in 2014 4 epoliti cs.com
opposition on 3aceboo) and !witter# and ?of course@ to gi8e mone. ,5U want ,5U>
campaign to be the one that1s tapping the enthusiasm# time and mone of constituents<to<
be...and possibl# the enthusiasm of acti8ists and donors across the countr as well.
:ut what1s the internet reall good for4 In the ne"t chapter# we1ll see.
, 4 How to Us e the I nternet to Win in 2014 4 epoliti cs.com
1. The I nternet: Wh&t2 s It !oo" 3or4
&ure# the internet brought us the glor of unlimited )itten photos# but what1s it done for us
latel4 In the political world# =uite a lot ; and more e8er election ccle. -et us count the
was.
3un"r&i sin'
7s now<+resident 5bama1s 200C and 2012 campaigns showed# an online arm can be a
powerful source of funds ; in 10C alone he raised o8er half a billion dollars online# two<thirds
of it directl from someone clic)ing the "donate" button in a campaign email. 2012 saw both
presidential campaigns pull in more than a billion dollars apiece# and candidates from cit
council to /ongress too) notice( e8en local campaigns ha8e found online fundraising to be a
8er effecti8e wa to gather cash. 'ot surprisingl# building a base of repeat online donors will
be a prime goal for man campaigns.
5ecruitin'
5nline tools from ad8ertising to !witter can be great was to connect with donors# 8olunteers
and 8oters. E8en when supporters interact with our campaign at a rall or house part#
connecting with them afterwards 8ia email and social media can help ou start them on the
path to gi8ing mone and time. /ruciall# social media also let our supporters do the wor) for
ou( fire them up and arm them with promotion messaging and imager# and the1ll spread
the word about our campaign 8ia 3aceboo)# !witter and e8er other online channel the
fre=uent.
0obili6&tion
5nline tools are great at helping our campaign gi8e supporters other things to do besides
harass their friends on 3aceboo). !he can can8ass their neighbors# bug famil members 8ia
email# participate in "8irtual phone<ban)s#" 8ote on slogans or 8ideo ads# and e8en spea) in
public on the campaign1s behalf ?all organi$ed digitall@. 3or mobili$ation# email is )ing ;
people are far more li)el to act on an "as)" deli8ered 8ia our email list than one posted on
( 4 How to Us e the I nternet to Win in 2014 4 epoliti cs.com
3aceboo) ?e8en if the "as)" is actuall to share something on 3aceboo)@.
!r&s sroot s #r '&ni6in'
0igital tools ; particularl mobile ones ; are catching on in the world of grassroots
organi$ers in a big wa. i+ads and other tablets will be e8erwhere in 2014# sometimes worn
more intimatel than others# as campaigns use them to ease the process of recruiting people
and ta)ing donations ?8ia mobile credit card readers@ in person. 6eanwhile# mobile apps and
mobile<optimi$ed websites will pro8ide addresses# maps# directions# 8ideos and tal)ing points
to can8assers. 7 trend( more and more# successful campaigns are using sophisticated data
analsis to target their grassroots outreach and optimi$e it o8er time.
A"erti sin' &n" 0es s & 'in'
In a modern media en8ironment# digital channels are central to spreading a campaign1s
o8erall messaging. !witter# 3aceboo)# ,ou!ube# 2oogle and a plethora of blogs and news
websites offer the opportunit to reach 8oters and opinion<leaders# with careful targeting
helping ou use ad8ertising and outreach to hit the 8oters ?or donors@ with messages
designed to appeal to them. 7t the same time# ou can connect directl with reporters#
bloggers and online acti8ists one<on<one behind the scenes. &mart campaigns will emplo an
integrated mi" of paid# social and personal approaches to influence the online con8ersation
and build relationships.
Testin'
!he internet doesn1t Bust carr messages( it helps ou find out whether or not the wor).
5nline ad8ertising in particular lends itself to the testing of positions# slogans and taglines#
since a campaign can run clusters of ads on 3aceboo) and 2oogle to see which attract clic)s
from potential donors and 8olunteers. -i)ewise# sending different 8ariants of an email
message and measuring the responses lets ou test the results before going all<in on a
particular subBect line or appeal. In 2012# the 5bama campaign sometimes found that subBect
line 7*: testing helped them double the amount of mone a gi8en fundraising email blast
produced.
!eo'r&phi c T&r 'etin'
!op<le8el presidential candidates seem to get media attention e8er time the open their
mouths# but the problem for state and local campaigns is more often to get noticed at all. In
races with limited resources and little press co8erage# the inherent abilit to target most online
outreach at low cost can help stretch a tight budget.
In a densel populated urban or suburban area# for instance# broadcast !9 ad8ertising is
impractical for man campaigns because too man spots will be wasted on 8iewers outside
district lines. 5nline ?and online<enabled@ outreach can usuall be targeted demographicall
and geographicall# b contrast# letting ou hit the right 8oters cost<effecti8el.
5&pi" 5esponse
3inall# campaigns will use the 1net to push bac) against attac)s and unfa8orable co8erage#
using online channels1 abilit to go around traditional gate)eepers ?li)e Bournalists@ to reach
8oters and influencers directl. 3ast and effecti8e response tools include online ads
?particularl 2oogle*search ads on =ueries related to the stor@# ,ou!ube 8ideos# blog posts
and social media messaging. 5f course# an email to supporters as)ing them to help rarel
hurts.
!ettin' 8t &rte"
'ow let1s loo) at the essential online infrastructure most campaigns will need to build to
accomplish these tas)s.
+ 4 How to Us e the I nternet to Win in 2014 4 epoliti cs.com
2. -s s enti &l Tool s &n" I n%r&structure:
Buil"in' & B& si c #nline C&mp&i 'n
Here1s a helpful wa for our purposes to thin) about putting the internet to wor)( most online
politics is reall Bust a reincarnation of some part of classic politics in digital form. 3or
instance# ou can thin) of a website as the electronic 8ersion of a storefront office# while the
process of wor)ing with bloggers is a lot li)e pitching reporters.
:ut compared with traditional political tools# the internet trul e"cels at maintaining
relationships with man people at once. /hannels li)e 3aceboo)# !witter# ,ou!ube and email
connect ou directl with our donors and 8olunteers# pro8iding eas paths to distribute news#
tal)ing points# e8ent in8itations and appeals for time and mone. With planning and effort# the
connection can go both was# letting a campaign acti8el tap supporters1 social connections
and e8en their creati8it.
+olitical professionals trained in the broadcast era sometimes ha8e trouble wrapping their
heads around the bac)<and<forth nature of the internet ?!9 ads aren1t e"actl interacti8e@# but
the rewards for embracing it can be tremendous. 7s :arac) 5bama showed in 200C and
2012# campaigns that acti8el engage their supporters can as) an immense amount from
them in return.
The Bi ' $i cture
:ut before we di8e into the nuts and bolts# let1s tal) electoral :ig +icture for a minute. +olitical
campaigns e"ist to do one thing( win on Election 0a# e8en if b Bust one 8ote. Elections are a
$ero<sum game ; somebod wins# somebod loses# and e"cept in 8er rare circumstances#
there ain1t no middle ground.
!o win in 2014# most campaigns ?including ad8ocac campaigns@ will need to carr out three
basic tas)s online(
>ecruiting ; forming a connection with 8olunteers# donors and potential 8oters.
6obili$ation ; getting these supporters to do something# whether to gi8e mone#
phone<ban)# can8ass or simpl to turn out and 8ote.
6essaging ; getting the campaign1s political messages out to the right audiences#
whether it1s a broad swath ?all 8oters in a district@ or a narrow one ?Bournalists#
bloggers# -atinos o8er 40# women under %0# union members# !ea +artiers# etc.@.
7n time ou1re e8aluating a technological solution# as) ourself whether or not it helps ou
achie8e one of those three goals. E8erthing a campaign does ; e8erthing ; has a cost#
e8en if that cost is a few minutes of a staff member or 8olunteer1s attention. &uccessful
campaigns will be ruthless when it comes to scarce resources li)e time and mone ; i.e.#
the won1t waste them unless it1s una8oidable.
&o when someone sas# "he# we should be on 3our&=uare#" the first =uestion a campaign
manager should as) is whether or not being on 3our&=uare helps in an significant wa with
recruiting# mobili$ation or messaging ; and ultimatel# whether it1ll help ou win. !he ne"t
=uestion4 Whether or not being on 3our&=uare is the most efficient and*or effecti8e wa to
further that goal. If not# =uestion whether it1s worth the time and mone.
Thi s c&l culus &pplies to eer9 tool &n" t&cti c we2 ll "i s cus s in thi s book. I % it
&in2t worth it/ "on2t "o it. !hat is# if ou want to win.
B& si c 8tructure o% &n #nline C&mp&i 'n
&o what should tools &H5U-0 campaigns focus on4 -et1s brea) the tech down# again into
three basic elements(
7 central hub# usuall a website.
Was to sta in touch with supporters# usuall in8ol8ing an email<based /onstituent
>elations 6anagement sstem but also including 3aceboo)# !witter and ?possibl@ te"t
messaging.
5nline outreach# to shape the wider public discussion about our election ?or our
issues@ and to recruit new supporters and donors. 5utreach can include a wide arra of
channels# including online ad8ertising# digital 8ideo# 3aceboo)# !witter# direct outreach
to bloggers# etc.
'ow we1ll loo) at the essentials in each of these areas.
The -s s enti &l Tool s o% #nline $oliti cs
Website
E"cept in the rare case that 3aceboo) page will do# Bust about e8er campaign needs a
website if it intends to use the internet at all. :esides ser8ing as the campaign1s public front# a
campaign site1s primar purpose is to help build a supporter database ; remember goal D1
abo8e# recruiting. !his means that no 8isitor to the site should lea8e without an opportunit to
Boin our list and turn an instant of enthusiasm into the potential for real<world action on our
behalf.
!he first thing most people will notice when the arri8e on our site will be its appearance#
and a well<designed laout can help ma)e a good first impression# plus steer reader1 ees
toward essential tas)s li)e donating and Boining our list. Ultimatel though# most 8oters#
bloggers and Bournalists come to a our site for substance# not loo)s ; the want to )now
who ou are and what ou stand for. 7nd when it comes to the process of winning them o8er#
content is )e# as we1ll discuss again and again in the chapters to come.
:asicall# a website lets ou present our campaign1s case in the strongest possible wa#
telling our stor through words# photos and 8ideo. Integrating our site with other aspects of
our online outreach is important# too# since the site will be stronger when it gathers#
organi$es and features content from ,ou!ube# !witter# 3lic)r# blogs and the 8arious other
facets of our online presence. !hin) of the site as a hub around which the rest of our
outreach orbits. 7nother consideration( good content also ser8es as "2oogle bait#" helping
our website and other online channels ran) highl in search engines.
5f course# e8en the best content is useless if it1s hard to find or consume# so a campaign
website needs to ha8e straightforward na8igation buttons# with information clearl labeled and
bro)en into digestible chun)s. 0on1t forget those ?now ubi=uitous@ social media "share"
buttons ; ma)e it eas for readers to do the outreach wor) for ou.
/ompleting the connection# e8er scattered piece of our online content should refer bac) to
the main website ; people shouldn1t be able to encounter our campaign anwhere ?whether
on 2oogle# ,ou!ube# a blog post or an online ad@ without finding a wa to get in8ol8ed.
#nline content "oesn2t :ust persu&"e/ it recruits.
0&n&'in' C&mp&i 'n Websites
Websites can be a pain to maintain ; particularl if the software that runs our site suc)s.
3ortunatel# campaigns now ha8e access to a slew of reasonable options# from integrated
website*/>6 pac)ages to custom<built sites created using Wordpress# 0rupal or another
popular /ontent 6anagement &stem. 5ne thing to remember( ou1ll be spending a lot of
time updating our site# so be sure to test the pac)age ou1re going to bu. It needs to be
eas to use# both to create new pages on our site and to add content to e"isting pages.
:asic test( is it simple enough for our 8olunteers4 What about our spouse4
7nother rule( beware someone who claims that ou need a custom /ontent 6anagement
&stem that the1re happ to build from from scratch Bust for ou. !hat1s cra$ tal) ; a /6&
is a complicated business# and ou absolutel want one that1s alread had a sha)edown
cruise ?05'1! be the "luc)" soul who gets to find all the bugs in a new sstem@. &tic) with
website technolog that1s )nown to wor)# whether that1s because the consulting firm ou1re
wor)ing with has do$ens of clients alread using it or because ?li)e Wordpress and 0rupal@ it1s
widel adopted in the broader online publishing world.
0i crosites
:esides our main "hub" website# campaigns can emplo "microsites#" smaller sites designed
to reach a particular audience# support a particular program or reinforce a particular campaign
audience. 5ne tactic( campaigns often create microsites to launch attac)s on their opponents#
emploing a microsite partl to focus the message and partl to insulate the main site from
bac)lash. 3or some e"amples# see this Camaigns ! "lections piece on the role of microsites
earl in the 2012 presidential race.
Constituent 5el &tions 0&n&'ement;0&s s -m&il
5nce our website has done its Bob and new supporters ha8e signed up to help our
campaign# the1re in the hands of our />6*mass email sstem. 7 tpical />6 combines a
database and a mass<messaging program to automate the basics of communicating with
1* 4 How to Us e the I nternet to Win in 2014 4 epoliti cs.com
supporters o8er the internet 8ia email. !he1re almost alwas web<based tools rather than
software li8ing on our campaign1s own laptops.
While indi8idual platforms 8ar in cost and capabilities# Bust about an />6 is an
impro8ement o8er# for e"ample# hand<entering supporter information into E"cel and mail<
merging the results into 5utloo). : emploing standard web<based forms# />6s ma)e it
eas for people to Boin ?or lea8e@ our list and to ta)e actions li)e donating or signing a
petition. 5n the "bac) end" ?campaign<facing side@ the allow ou to format messages and
send them to some or all of our list at once# tpicall ?in the political world@ to as) them to
donate their mone or time. 'ote that />6 fees are generall based on features and list si$e
rather than usage ; ou1re rarel charged b how man messages ou send.
6ost />6s can also ma)e our life better b brea)ing our list into chun)s based on our
members1 geographic location# their demographic characteristics or their past interactions
with our campaign ?e"ample( segmenting b people1s donation histor@. !his capacit to
"slice and dice" data ma)es />6s a powerful targeting tool# since the help ou send
messages to people most li)el to respond to them ?assuming our communications strateg
is accurate@. -ist segmentation is also ideal for testing of subBect lines and content# as we1ll
discuss in more detail in the chapter on 0ata and 7naltics.
Where do />6s come from4 5f course# ou can use 6ail/himp# 9ertical>esponse or some
other standalone email<mar)eting tool# but to get the most out of it# ou1d need to be
constantl swapping data between the email sstem and our contact*supporter database
?annoing@. 6ore hand are general<purpose online organi$ing tools li)e 'ation:uilder# which
includes list management*mass email# campaign website# supporter databases and online
fundraising and is e=uall open to >epublicans and 0emocrats. 7 similar pac)age# &alsa# is
for 0emocrats*+rogressi8es onl# unless something changes drasticall b the time ou read
this boo).
6an digital politics consulting firms ?and data tools pro8iders li)e '2+97'@ also offer their
own custom online toolsets# usuall as part of a larger pac)age of ser8ices. :e sure to ta)e
our />6 for a test dri8e before ou bu it. ,ou1ll be spending a lot of time immersed in its
=uir)s between now and Election 0a# so ma)e sure it seems ?at least relati8el@ eas to use.
If possible# tal) with someone who1s alread tried it on another campaign.
/>6s designed for specificall for candidates tpicall incorporate an online fundraising
sstem and can also include more ad8anced modules that allow supporters to organi$e
e8ents# run personal fundraising efforts and download lists of neighbors to 8isit or phone
numbers to call. :ut regardless what cool add<ons the come with# most />6s still use mass
email as their primar weapon# though some now integrate social media channels such as
3aceboo) and !witter as well as cellphone te"t messages.
-m&il i s 8till <i n'
Wh the emphasis on email4 0espite the hpe about !witter and 3aceboo) in politics# email
is still the most effecti8e tool to raise mone# moti8ate 8olunteers and )eep supporters
engaged ; for e"ample# roughl two<thirds of the EF00<odd million that :arac) 5bama raised
online came directl from someone clic)ing on a "donate now" button in an email message#
?2012 wasn1t much different@. Email reaches man people who still ha8en1t Boined the social
web# for one thing# but it also turns out in practice to ha8e a much higher response rate than
other channels# sometimes b a factor of ten or more ?in part because ou can open an email
an time# but ou prett much ha8e to be 5' 3aceboo) or !witter when someone posts an
update to see it@. Email remains the ")iller app" of online politics ; particularl online
fundraising ; despite constant predictions of its demise.
.ote th&t we2re .#T t&lkin' &bout sp&m1 5nl use mass email onl to communicate
with people who ha8e "opted<in" to our list# for instance b signing up online or at an in<
person e8ent. E"cept for hand<tped outreach notes to bloggers# Bournalists and acti8ists#
email messages should ser8e as a relationship<management tool# not as an out<of<the<blue
recruiting tool. ?5f course# e8er respectable />6 does include "tell<a<friend" lin)s to help
our supporters spread the word for ou# but that1s different.@
Email1s mobili$ation power aside# it should also be an integrated part of our o8erall outreach.
I.e.# don1t thin) of 3aceboo) 8s. email# but 3aceboo) 7'0 email 7'0 !witter 7'0 the other
channels our supporters want to use. In fact# man campaigns ?and ad8ocac organi$ations@
find that their 3aceboo) and !witter followers also subscribe to their email lists. In practice#
the social channels become places to engage with supporters consistentl and o8er the long
1) 4 How to Us e the I nternet to Win in 2014 4 epoliti cs.com
term# with indi8idual emails spurring action at critical moments.
8 oci &l 0e"i &
Which brings us to 3aceboo)# !witter and the rest of the social media uni8erse# a much more
bac)<and<forth en8ironment than email. We1ll tal) more about how to U&E social channels in
chapters to come# but first# does a campaign absolutel need to worr about social media4 It1s
hard to imagine too man races in which social media W5U-0'1! pla a part# to be honest ;
with half of the U.&. population on 3aceboo) and most Bournalists# bloggers and political
acti8ists on !witter# campaigns would be foolish to ignore the social internet.
3or a start# most campaigns will need a 3aceboo) +age# regardless of whether the candidate
has a personal 3aceboo) profile ; 3aceboo) +ages are intended for institutions rather than
indi8iduals# and the ha8e features designed to help feed information to a fan base or
following. 'ote that 3aceboo) now places a premium on 8isual content# so be prepared to
post plent of photos to our page ?let1s feature some 8olunteers while we1re at it@. 6ost
campaigns will also need a dedicated !witter feed# and it ma also ma)e sense for indi8idual
staffers to ha8e campaign<affiliated fields of their own# particularl if the1re tring using
!witter to influence Bournalists# bloggers and others in8ol8ed in the ongoing public discussion.
7 crucial thing to remember about social media is the "social" part. Unli)e tele8ision ads#
these are interacti8e channels# meaning that campaigns can1t simpl dominate the
con8ersation ; ou ha8e to listen to what other people are saing. 7nd in most cases# ou1ll
benefit from doing so# since social media monitoring is an e"cellent wa to test which
messages are resonating ?and which aren1t@ and to pic) up earl warning of speedbumps
ahead. 7t the 8er least# campaigns will need 2oogle 7lerts to listen to when the candidate1s
name is mentioned online# and man 8endors offer much more sophisticated products that
can anal$e the man thousands of online con8ersations that a high<profile campaign can
generate.
#nline =i "eo
5nline 8ideo is a natural for most campaigns# accustomed as political professionals are to the
world of tele8ision ads. In recent ears# the proliferation of cheap cameras has combined with
1, 4 How to Us e the I nternet to Win in 2014 4 epoliti cs.com
the ad8ent of free online 8ideo hosting and widespread broadband access to ma)e online
8ideo a far more effecti8e proposition than in the past# both for attac) and for defense. 9ideo
often e8o)es a stronger emotional reaction than te"t or still images alone# ma)ing it a
powerful wa to tell stories or ma)e a political point# but online 8ideo isn1t tele8ision ; the
)inds of content that succeeds can be =uite different# with authenticit and topic tpicall more
important than polished 8isuals.
While campaigns often embed ,ou!ube<hosted clips on their own websites and social
networ)ing pages# the ,ou!ube website has also become a useful outreach channel on its
own ; man people now bpass 2oogle to go directl to ,ou!ube to loo) for information#
ma)ing it effecti8el the second<most<popular search engine in the U.&. !o ma"imi$e the
chances of people finding their content# campaigns should carefull title# annotate and tag
each ,ou!ube clip when the upload it. !he should also be sure to include a lin) bac) to
their website in the clip description# and when possible "watermar)" clips with the site1s U>-
so that it1s 8isible as the piece plas.
5nline 8ideo can be a )e wa to le8erage acti8it in the real world# creating an online*offline
integration that can be =uite powerful. 3or instance# 8ideo of a campaign rall or e8ent ;
particularl if it includes one<on<one discussions with supporters# 8olunteers# staff or the
candidate ; can help people who weren1t able to attend deepen their emotional connection
to the campaign. &imilarl# 8ideo can help spur action# as when the 8ideo clip features a direct
fundraising appeal from the candidate or from an a8erage donor e"plaining wh he or she
decided to gi8e. 7nd# larger campaigns ?whose staff ma be spread o8er a state or the whole
countr rather than concentrated in a single district@ fre=uentl turn to 8ideo to help train
8olunteers or present messaging points to can8assers and phone<ban)ers.
!he "6acaca moment" ga8e online 8ideo a bad reputation in some political circles after the
200G election# with campaign professionals horrified at the thought of their clients1 e8er
public mista)e ending up as fodder for online hec)lers. :ut ,ou!ube actuall turns out to be a
good counter to embarrassing content# since a campaign can use its own 8ideos to respond
to an offending clip# or at least to push it farther down the list of search results ?a tactic
sometimes referred to as "flooding the $one"@.
1( 4 How to Us e the I nternet to Win in 2014 4 epoliti cs.com
0obile Technolo'9
/ell phones are li)el to be a )e part of the future of digital politics# and later on we1ll discuss
them e"tensi8el in the conte"t of !witter# ad8ertising and field organi$ing. &mart phones in
particular should pla a particularl big role in grassroots wor) in 2014# as we1ll see in the
pages to come.
7s for staing in touch with supporters 8ia te"t messages# most />6s can collect cell
numbers but so far relati8el few campaigns in this countr ha8e put them to use# in part
because of constraints built into the U.&. telecom sstem. +robabl the most common use of
te"t messaging in 2014 will be for pre<election and election<da 2et 5ut !he 9ote efforts#
though some will also use them as a two<wa tool b soliciting information from supporters
through polls and such. If our campaign does decide to emplo a te"t program# one good
wa to build our list is at li8e e8ents# if ou18e set up the capabilit for people send ou a
short te"t message to sign up at that moment.
7lso note that cell phones ha8e particular high penetration and usage rates in some
communities that aren1t as li)el to be on the traditional internet# ma)ing them potentiall an
ideal tool for reaching groups li)e urban blac) and hispanic 8oters.
6obile now means more than cell phones# though ; i+ads and other tablet computers are
proliferating on campaigns# particularl to help sign supporters up at li8e e8ents. 7lso# we1re
seeing increasing use of mobile fundraising through technolog li)e the &=uare# again often at
rallies and meetings.
#ther Tool s
&ome campaign somewhere will no doubt tr Bust about an online tool ou can thin) of in this
political season# from 3our&=uare to +interest to those fun) H> codes. :ut the ones abo8e
are most li)el to pro8e essential# and anone considering a shin new to should seriousl
loo) at the =uestions with which we started this chapter ; i.e.# is it worth it4
#ther T& s k s
Wait# what about fundraising4 5r ad8ertising4 5r field organi$ing4 !hese are )e
programs*proBects for political campaigns# absolutel ; but the1re more =uestions of
procedures and tactics than of technolog and infrastructure. We1ll co8er them and more in
the chapters to come.
Technolo'9 I sn2 t 8tr&te'9
7s we mo8e forward# alwas )eep in mind that tools are important# but onl fools ignore the
8ast difference between ha8ing the technolog and using it effecti8el. &uccessful campaigns
spend as much time planning their acti8ities and de8eloping procedures as circumstances
allow ; the )now that while anone can send a mass email# getting the most out of an email
list ta)es an actual strateg. 7s simple or sophisticated as a gi8en tool is# what reall matters
is how ou use it.
1+ 4 How to Us e the I nternet to Win in 2014 4 epoliti cs.com
*. $rep&rin' >our 5ecruitin' &n"
#utre&ch 8tr&te'9
7ll right# it1s time to start filling that supporter database ; let1s go fishing for 8oters. 5f course#
these das the sheer 8ariet of online channels can be o8erwhelming# so let1s start with a few
basic principles to help sort through the options.
I "enti%9 >our T&r 'et Au"iences ?I.e./ <now Who >ou2re Tr9in' to
5e&ch@
:efore ou start communicating with 8oters# )now who ou need to contact. 7 no<brainer( if
ou1re running in a geographicall defined district# ou1ll want to reach 8oters I' that district.
:ut which communities or demographic segments will matter most to our campaign on
Election 0a4 What messages are the li)el to respond to4 +olling# focus groups# 8oter data
analsis# online ad response and message<testing are li)el to )e to figuring those =uestions
out...though if ou don1t ha8e at least a basic idea Bust from loo)ing at the fundamentals of
our race# ou probabl shouldn1t be running a political campaign.
!o Where The Au"ience I s
5nce ou )now our targets# ou1ll want reach them in cost<effecti8e was so ou can get the
most bang for our outreach buc). 7nother no<brainer( go where the right people ha8e
alread gathered# since it1s usuall much easier to tap into an e"isting communit than to tr
to create one of our own.
5f course# the big audiences are on sites li)e 3aceboo) and !witter# but if ou1re loo)ing for a
concentration of potential supporters# be sure to consider niche political communities. +olitical
blogs are definitel worth a loo)# as we1ll tal) about in the chapter on &ocial 6edia# but also
pa attention to acti8ist communities li)e /are2# 0emocrats.com and -eft7ction on the
0emocratic side# /hange.org in the middle?4@# and >ed&tate on the >ight ?people see)ing
conser8ati8es can also loo) to content sites li)e World'et0ail# 'ews6a" and the 0rudge
>eport@. In some cases# campaigns run ads on these sites# while at other times the1ll reach
potential con8erts through email newsletters or "sponsored petitions." >egardless of the e"act
mechanics# the idea is the same( ou1ll find better hunting in a target<rich en8ironment.
Content 8upport s #utre&ch
7n outreach campaign doesn1t ha8e much to stand on without content( 8ideo# words and
images pro8ide the raw material to attract people1s attention and to ma)e our case. Without
good content ?a good stor# essentiall@# it1s hard to brea) through the constant online clutter
; if ou don1t ha8e something compelling to sa# people aren1t li)el to listen. 7 strateg to
produce and distribute good content in the form of photos# infographics and stories is
absolutel essential to online outreach these das.
7nother consideration( as we mentioned before# content is bait. Iust about an campaign can
also benefit from ha8ing a bod of clear# topical and targeted information published on the
web in a 8ariet of outlets. ,our audience4 !he 8oters# bloggers and Bournalists who1ll all be
turning to 2oogle# social media and ,ou!ube to learn more about our race or to decide
whom to support. When the go loo)ing# ou want to ha8e ,5U> spin on as much of what
the see as ou can.
H&e & Cl e&r Connection B&ck
7s we also mentioned earlier# regardless of how someone encounters our campaign online#
ma)e sure it1s eas for them to get connected and to sta that wa( e8er element of the
campaign1s online presence should ha8e recruiting in mind. 3or instance# our website should
ha8e clear and eas<to<find 0onate*&ign Up lin)s and social media "follow buttons#" while ou
should be sure to lin) bac) to our site from an content ou post on social media. 0on1t e8er
let a good recruiting opportunit pass b.
I nte'r&tion i s <e9
7s we18e seen again and again# the separate elements of our campaign should reinforce
each other acti8el. ,ou can use our email list to promote a new ,ou!ube 8ideo or
3aceboo) app# for instance ; cross<channel communications in action. 6eanwhile# outreach
to bloggers can introduce our campaign to new audiences# whose members might then go to
the our website# Boin our list and and start recruiting their friends and -i)ing our content on
3aceboo).
In effect# good campaigns create a "8irtuous circle" in which the different parts reinforce each
other. : contrast# campaigns whose 8arious pieces e"ist in isolation will li)el waste
resources and miss opportunities to turn 8oters1 passing interest into support ; and mone.
5nline*offline integration is 8ital too# since much list<building ta)es place in the real world...as
does 8oting. +ro tip( don1t forget to include the website address on ard signs# car magnets# t<
shirts and e8er other piece of collateral material possible.
3Inall# integration applies to concepts and messaging as well. 3or instance# when possible#
indi8idual "landing pages" for online ads should be tied to the theme of the ads( a 2oogle 7d
about a candidate1s polic on ta"es should lin) to a page that tal)s about ta"es ?and includes
a prominent signup form# of course@.
.ot All >our #utre&ch Will Be T&r 'ete"
&ometimes online outreach wor)s best when it1s directed li)e a rifle at a particular target# but
a good shotgun still has its place. !he ease of online self<publishing has created a whole new
class of "networ) influentials#" a categor that includes national and state<le8el bloggers#
prominent !witterers# indi8idual acti8ists with large personal networ)s and the administrators
of si$able email lists ; basicall# anone with a following. &ometimes a campaign can identif
and target the right indi8idual 8oices intentionall# but often it can be hard to predict which
stor will catch which person at the right moment to brea) through.
7lso# online targeting can hit a point of diminishing returns ; if ou target our outreach o8er<
precisel# ou ma miss a bunch of potential supporters completel. +lus# microtargeting
re=uires time# both to create the data models and to prepare indi8iduali$ed content for ads#
landing pages and emails# and the >eturn 5n In8estment sometimes simpl isn1t there. In
2012# 5bama1s online mar)eting team sometimes found that the actuall ac=uired new
supporters more cost<effecti8el through less<targeted means than through hper<targeted
communications. ?How1d the )now4 !he trac)ed the long<term >5I of list members brought
in through different channels.@
!he best answer seems to be a combination of targeted and untargeted outreach( online
communicators can use a sharpshooting approach when appropriate# deli8ering targeted
messages and ads to particular 8oters and connecting personall with chosen bloggers#
!witter enthusiasts and Bournalists. 6eanwhile# the1ll still be blasting information out 8ia mass
email# ,ou!ube# !weets# 3aceboo) updates and blog posts. !he targeted approach will often
gi8e the best results# but other times a random and potentiall o8erloo)ed channel can
actuall turn out to be the most producti8e.
I % >ou Buil" It/ 8 ometi mes The9 Will Come
&ome online supporters won1t need our outreach( the1ll hit our website# 3aceboo) page or
!witter feed entirel on their own and without an prompting from a campaign# dri8en b
word<of<mouth or b news in the race. 7fter &arah +alin1s con8ention acceptance speech in
200C# for instance# :arac) 5bama1s website saw a huge influ" of cash e8en before his staff
had time to send out an email solicitation ; people who li)ed him didn1t care for what the
7las)a go8ernor had to sa and were eager to let it be )nown. /onse=uentl# it behoo8es a
campaign to ma)e it as eas as possible for spontaneous donors and 8olunteers to act#
ensuring that the website1s "donate" and "sign up" buttons are prominent and that the
transaction itself doesn1t ha8e an speedbumps.
!o ma"imi$e the chances of capitali$ing on such "dri8e<b" support# as we mentioned earlier#
a candidate will want to be 8isible in as man places online as possible# either 8ia ad8ertising
or through campaign<created content. 5nce again# online recruitment is all about being where
the potential donors are# whether it1s on 2oogle# ,ou!ube# 3aceboo)# political blogs or local
media sites.
6ore often# though# politicians won1t need an umbrella to ward off an unanticipated rain of
support( the1ll ha8e to wor) for for e8er 8olunteer and e8er cent the get.
Communi c&tin' Behin" the 8 cenes
We18e mainl been tal)ing online outreach that ta)es place in the 8er public 8enues of blogs#
3aceboo)# ,ou!ube and !witter# but politicians and staff can also reach out behind the
scenes to connect with influential 8oices. :esides blogger outreach# ou can also tr to Boin in
on mass con8ersations going on behind the curtain on listser8s and discussion groups# but it1s
li)el to ta)e some creati8it to find and interact with them.
7nother possible strateg( guest<posting on a niche publication# for instance approaching the
administrators of the email newsletter of a union or trade association in our state or district.
What about an online chat with its members4 6ore often# though# ou1ll connect with less
ob8ious online communities li)e these as a bproduct of our o8erall outreach ; our
supporters will be our 8oice in the indi8idual channels the use.
'ow# let1s e"plore a couple of particularl powerful recruiting channels in detail( social media
and online ad8ertising.
4. 8oci &l 0e"i &
If ou want to go where the people are in 2014# social media1s a powerful place to start ;
more than half of 7mericans are on 3aceboo)# and man of them chec) it e8er da. +olitical
con8ersations are ta)ing place in social media spaces all around us ?whether or not ou )now
it@# and if ou want to shape the discussion around our own campaign# or e8en to monitor it#
ou1ll need to be present where it1s happening.
8 oci &l 0e"i & i s 8 oci &l
Unfortunatel# ou can1t Bust hop on 3aceboo) and !witter and e"pect people to come
flooding to read our feed. 5ne common mista)e( to treat 3aceboo) and !witter as Bust
another set of broadcast channels. 5f course# ou /7' Bust post our content and sit bac) to
watch the results# but ou1re li)el to see a more robust response if ou actuall interact with
people when ou can.
:ut going bac) and forth with people ta)es time. Which is one reason that campaigns tend to
focus on the big 8enues li)e 3aceboo) and !witter and ignore the plethora of smaller
networ)s unless the meet a particular need ?for instance# connecting with an ethnic< or
interest<based communit@. 5f course# man campaigns will pla in spaces li)e Instagram and
+interest ?each of which has political uses# as ou1ll see if ou clic) those lin)s@# but the1ll
usuall be posting content there that the were alread planning to put on 3aceboo)
?reccling is a 8irtue.@. 7s in e8er other area we tal) about in this boo)# each tool has an
opportunit cost( spread ourself too thin b building profiles on too man social sites and ou
won1t use 7', of them well. &o in this chapter# we1ll focus on the big plaers( 3aceboo) and
!witter.
3&cebook
While political campaigns at all le8els can benefit from 3aceboo)# it1s probabl most important
for down<ballot candidates# who don1t ha8e as man resources to pour into ad8ertising and
field organi$ing. 3or a maoral candidate or a state legislator# 3aceboo) can wor) as a 8irtual
campaign office and a place for supporters to gather.
3aceboo) pages are eas for campaigns to create# but the re=uire follow<on wor) to reach
their full potential. 3or a start# ou1ll want to populate our following with people ou )now( it
helps to connect aggressi8el ?though perhaps not !55 aggressi8el@ with potential "friends#"
perhaps starting with the candidate1s own social connections and mo8ing on to part acti8ists#
local officials# bloggers and the members of our own supporter list ?include a lin) to our
profile pages in mass emails and people will do some of the wor) for ou@. 5nce ou hit a
critical mass of supporters# the1ll start interacting with each other on our page# often
"shouting down" critics# trolls and cran)s.
'e"t# ou1ll need to feed the beast with content. >egular updates )eep a campaign in front of
supporters1 ees# and as)ing people to repost our content to their own profiles will e"pose it
to their own e"tended social networ)s. What to post4 $hotos &n" other i su&l content
such &s in%o'r&phi cs wheneer pos si ble ; 3aceboo)1s current content<displa
algorithms fa8or images and b default will show them to more of our followers when ou
post them.
+hotos from rallies# pictures of the candidate1s famil and photos of 8olunteers hard at wor)
can all be e"cellent choices ; and featuring 8olunteers can be a great wa to reward people
for their time and energ. 5ne important note( the more that people interact with our content
?-i)e*&hare*/omment@# the more li)el 3aceboo) is to highlight it for them in the future.
Engagement is )e. &o tr to post engaging content....
:esides imager# what other content wor)s4 -in)s# 8ideos# short notes ; an tpe of te"t or
image ou might consider posting to our own profile is potentiall good# assuming the actual
content reinforces our messaging. :ut campaigns are now learning to engage social media
supporters# for instance b as)ing =uestions on the page and b participating in discussions
ta)ing place in the comments on posts.
5f course# there1s alwas that "time" problem...and if regular posting ta)es time# regular
interaction re=uires e8en more. 7 common =uestion( how often should a campaign post to
3aceboo)4 E"cept in rare circumstances# don1t post new content li)e photos and status
updates more than three or four times per da ; an more# and ou1re li)e to dri8e down our
"engagement rate" ?the percentage of our followers -i)ing*&haring*/ommenting on our
content@.
5ne final rule of thumb in 3aceboo) outreach( mo8e people onto our email list as =uic)l as
possible# because email appeals ha8e a much higher response rate than 3aceboo) posts or
6&pace messages. 'ot e8er one of our "friends" will Boin our list# but a campaign is li)el
to get more wor) and more donations out of the ones who do. &till# campaigns will fre=uentl
find that their most<committed supporters "hang out" on the campaign1s 3aceboo) page
whether or not the1re also on the email list. 7s we18e said before# don1t thin) of email and
3aceboo) as an either*or proposition ; ideall# the pla well together. Here1s a brand<new
de8elopment on that front( tools li)e 7ction&prout that help people ta)e actions ?li)e Boin our
email list@ WI!H5U! lea8ing 3aceboo). 7lread in 201%# we18e seen political groups using
7ction&prout to boost their engagement rates and 3aceboo)<to<email con8ersions.
Twitter
!he e"plosion of !witter mar)s one of the biggest changes in the digital political landscape in
the last few ears ; in 200C# :arac) 5bama had all of 100#000 followers b Election 0a# a
number that was well abo8e 20 million on Election 0a 2012. !hough the !witter and
3aceoo) are often lumped together in the popular mind# !witter isn1t =uite a mass medium in
the same wa 3aceboo) has become ; it1s more of a channel to reach those "influentials"
li)e bloggers# Bournalists and acti8ists. 7lso different( ou can prett much post as often as
ou want on !witter# while ou1ll probabl want to limit ourself on 3aceboo) to )eep from
burning out our audience.
7n e"ample of !witter1s abilit to influence the political discussion4 In 2012# 5bama and
>omne campaign staff regularl engaged in "!witter duels" online# with reporters and
acti8ists the intended audience. !hough these bac)<and<forth e"changes probabl didn1t
change an 8otes# the got plent of media attention ; mission accomplished.
3unctionall# !witter is the 8er short e=ui8alent of blogging# with a dash of social networ)ing
thrown in( indi8idual !witter messages ?"tweets"@ are limited to 140 characters in length# and
people generall ha8e to choose to "follow" someone1s !witter feed in order to see their
updates. 7s with 3aceboo)# essentiall anone or an organi$ation can create a !witter feed#
but in some sense !witter lac)s the reciprocal nature of a true social networ) ; plent of
feeds ha8e thousands of followers but follow far fewer people in return themsel8es ?do ou
thin) that -ad 2aga reall pas attention to what ou sa4@.
5ne important consideration ; !witter1s a useful tool for campaigns# but its real political
power ma lie in what campaigns /7'1! do on it# which is to dominate the con8ersation.
!witter is trul a democratic medium ?with a small "d"@# and content and opinions spread on
!witter often find their wa onto blogs and cable news and into newspapers. !witter helps
create the sea of information in which modern campaigns swim# and whether or not the1re
acti8e on !witter themsel8es# it1s li)el to shape the political communications en8ironment in
which the operate.
Wh&t to Tweet 4
7 common perception of !witter is that it1s an inherentl tri8ial medium ; it1s often spo)en of
as a wa to tell the world what ou had for brea)fast. :ut in practice# normal people who fill
!witter1s "airwa8es" with self<indulgent dri8el generall don1t pic) up much of a following ?for
celebrities# that1s unfortunatel '5! so true@. In fact# perhaps the most common single use of
!witter is to spread lin)s to blog posts# 8ideos# news articles and other pieces of in<depth
content# ma)ing the 140<character limit less of an issue.
In general# as in so man other parts of the online ad8ocac space# readers aren1t li)el to
pa much attention to ou unless ou ha8e something of 8alue to offer them. +eople who
tweet too much tri8ia too often can find their followers dropping off in dro8es# so be sure to
pa attention to the AI'0 of information ou distribute. 'ot e8er tweet needs to be a hai)u<
li)e gem of wisdom# but it rarel hurts to thin) for at least a minute or two about our ultimate
communications goals before messaging the world. How often people !weet 8aries
immensel ; I ha8e friends who18e sent out 10 or 20 times more messages o8er time than I
ha8e# for instance. It reall depends on what ou ha8e to sa.
Buil"in' & 3ollowin'
5nce ou18e established an initial base of content on !witter# ne"t start building our
following. Unfortunatel# short of being mentioned in the !witter feed of someone famous#
finding an audience tpicall ta)es time. &tart b following the people ou want to follow ou
; our staff# political acti8ists in our state# district or area# local bloggers# Bournalists# etc.#
since at least some of them will follow ou bac) right awa. 5nce the do so# ou ha8e the
opportunit to reach them ; and potentiall# their own audiences through them.
8upporters A Am&b&s s &"or s
5f course# ou1ll want as man of our supporters to follow ou as well# particularl if their
own following is large and*or acti8e. &o as) them. 7 "follow us on social media" email is a
nice brea) from a string of fundraising as)s# and our supporters ma appreciate a chance to
help the campaign without ha8ing to open their wallets.
B5eplies &n" H&sht &'es: -n'&'in' the Communit9 &n" Connectin' with
$rominent =oi ces
!he most effecti8e wa to build our following o8er time is to acti8el engage the !witter
communit# a process that can ta)e se8eral forms. !he most straightforward is to use an
"Jrepl#" in which ou reference another !witterer in our own post ?i.e.# "Jepolitics wh
don1t ou Bust shut up about this crap"@. ,ou can use Jreplies to hold a bac)<and<forth
con8ersation with someone# plus the1re a good wa to get the attention of someone with
whom ou1d li)e to connect ?!witter.com and other !witter<management tools ; li)e
Hootsuite ; tpicall ma)e it 8er eas to see who1s Jreplied ou@.
Jreplies also pla a role in "retweeting#" which is the forwarding of someone else1s posts to
our own followers. >etweets are one of the signature characteristics of the ongoing !witter
con8ersation# since the let people pro8ide 8alue to their readers without ha8ing to write new
content themsel8es. +lus# retweeting someone more prominent than ou can be a good wa
to come to his or her attention# particularl if ou use the old<school ">! Jrepl" method
rather than !witter1s newer built<in retweet function ?>!1ing a tweet as an Jrepl also lets ou
add a comment# another 8aluable feature@.
:esides >!1s# the other common bit of !witter shorthand ou1ll commonl encounter is a
"hashtag#" a word or abbre8iation preceded b the "D" sign. !witterers use hashtags to refer
to a topic that1s being discussed b se8eral people at once# for instance an issue# e8ent or
public figure# and people often use !witter1s search function to follow the e"tended discussion
around a particular tag. !his tendenc ma)es hashtags a 8aluable wa to gain e"posure to
new followers and to find ourself retweeted# assuming of course that ou ha8e something
interesting to sa. &ome websites attempt to )eep trac) of common hashtags# but the easiest
wa to find the hashtags in general use is to use a !witter search around a topic and loo) for
the tags terms people are using when the tal) about it.
Engaging the !witter communit is ob8iousl time<consuming# since ou ha8e to pa attention
to what man different people are saing ; ou can1t participate in the con8ersation unless
ou1re actuall listening. :esides hashtags# dedicated !witter<management tools li)e
Hootsuite and !weet0ec) let ou brea) the feeds ou1re following down into 8arious groups#
for instance based on topics the co8er or the )ind of author the are ?hint( trac) rele8ant
Bournalists@# and the also tend to speed up the process of posting content 8s. going through
!witter.com itself. 7 good tool will tpicall allow ou to pre<schedule !weets for publishing#
something that1s particularl hand if ou ha8e content that needs to go out o8er the wee)end
or while ou1re tra8eling.
:esides public con8ersations# ou can also "0irect 6essage" someone behind the scenes if
ou are following each other reciprocall# and I18e )nown people who18e been able to connect
with a blogger or reporter 8ia 06 whom the1d ne8er been able to reach 8ia email.
A"&nce" T&cti cs
!witter has gi8en rise to an impressi8e arra of different tactics and practices in its short time
on Earth. "-i8e<!weeting" an e8ent in8ol8es co8ering it comprehensi8el as it happens# and
social media<friendl conferences and seminars tpicall promote the use of certain hashtags
to facilitate the process. 7cti8ists or groups can also pre<arrange !weet/hats# which are
public discussions at a particular time and around a particular hashtag. 6an people pa
attention to the hashtags that are "trending" on !witter# i.e.# becoming widel discussed# and
the goal of a !weet/hat or li8e<tweeting is often to either encourage a topic to trend or to ride
the wa8e of a subBect that1s mo8ing up the popularit ladder. 3inall# a !witter inter8iew can
be an interesting wa to run a one<on<one public con8ersation# though it practice it can feel
li)e competiti8e poetr or a freestle rap showdown ; i.e.# a public balancing act on a 8er
narrow wire.
*0 4 How to Us e the I nternet to Win in 2014 4 epoliti cs.com
Twitter &n" Cell $hones
7 common =uestion about !witter( wh the 140<character limit4 !he answer is cell phones ;
!witter is designed to be used li)e &6& te"t messages# ma)ing it one of the few online tools
commonl and easil wor)s on handheld de8ices. &ome organi$ers ha8e ta)en ad8antage of
this fact to use !witter to help rall communities in which cell phones are more common than
access to the traditional internet. 5thers ha8e used the !witter*phone connection for on<the<
spot co8erage of rallies and other e8ents# particularl as a means to distribute photos and
8ideos shot with their phones. 3inall# some campaigns in 2012 emploed "protected" !witter
feeds ; ones that can onl be followed b people "appro8ed" b the feed owner ; to
organi$e field staff and 8olunteers on the fl.
A"erti sin' on Twitter
!witter1s still relati8el new as an ad8ertising platform# but political campaigns can pa for
"promoted tweets" to put themsel8es in front of potential followers. In 2012# we saw
campaigns using promoted tweets to tr to shape media discussion after debates b paing to
highlight a tweet that incorporated their spin. 5thers turned to +romoted !weets to publici$e
earl 8oting# boost rall attendance and to encourage Election 0a 25!9.
W&rnin': W&9s to 8tumble
!he most important !witter rule to remember4 0on1t be an idiot# since something ou post on
!witter will li8e fore8er# e8en if ou tr to delete it ?Bust as) 7nthon Weiner@. E8en if ou1re
smart enough not to send topless photos o8er the internet# a big mouth can still get ou into
trouble. 7s a friend of mine once said of a 0emocrat challenging &en. /huc) 2rassle# "as
long as he has a !witter feed# she has a chance."
7nother note of caution( electoral campaigns in particular need to be careful to distinguish
between a candidate or officeholder1s !witter feed and one updated b staff# since !witter as
a communit tends to 8alue authenticit. If !witterers find out that a "candidate1s 8oice" is not
actuall his own# the campaign1s credibilit can ta)e a hit. /ampaigns can use both
approaches in a single feed if it1s clear whose 8oice is spea)ing at an gi8en time# and can
e8en turn a relati8el rare candidate appearance on his or her own feed into an e8ent to
promote. 3inall# don1t forget that once a campaign has a !witter feed# people will e"pect to
be able to follow it and interact with the author?s@. 0on1t start a feed and let it die of neglect.
Bl o' s
If social networ)s are the modern town s=uare# blogs are more li)e watering holes# places
where the li)e<minded stop b for news and gossip. /ampaigns often tr to reach blog
readers b connecting with authors behind the scenes to pitch stories and influence co8erage#
and since man ?most4@ bloggers ha8e also Boined !witter# it can be a good 8enue in which to
tr to catch their attention.
/ampaign staff can also Boin in the discussions ta)ing place in the comments sections of most
blogs# while candidates themsel8es can ta)e ad8antage of opportunities to guest<publish or
answer =uestions in li8e chats on popular or rele8ant sites. 3inall# campaigns can consider
ad8ertising on political blogs# particularl since ads on state< or local<le8el blogs are often a
cheap wa to reach a concentrated political crowd ?plus# bloggers tend to notice who1s
ad8ertising on their sites...@. /hec) out :log7ds.com or contact the blog owner directl to
discuss.
:log outreach ma be more of a priorit for a local candidate than a national one# since state
and regional political blogs ?Bust li)e !witter@ pro8ide con8enient gathering places for local
political acti8ists# somewhere ou can reach them without necessaril ha8ing to spend
mone. -i)e man other forms of social media outreach# blogger relations is usuall cheap
financiall but e"pensi8e in time# a good fit for scrapp campaigns with more enthusiasm than
cash.
!he first step in blogger relations is research# since time spent contacting the wrong sites is
wasted. 2oogle is a great place to start ; Bust run a search for "political blogs" and our state
or region and ou1ll be on our wa ?most bloggers acti8el lin) to others in their interest area#
so finding one site can introduce ou to an entire networ)@. /ampaigns can also see) out
blogs that focus on a particular issue dear to the candidate1s heart# whether it1s immigration#
ga marriage or science funding# hoping to pic) up financial or other support from outside
their immediate districts.
&hould a campaign ha8e its own blog4 7 blog can be a good wa for a candidate to show a
more personal side than a press release# but the can also consume an immense amount of
time. 3ew campaigns not gifted with a natural writer on hand will be able to de8ote the
resources to )eep a blog up to date.
Custom 8 oci &l .etworks
&ome campaigns pro8ide additional opportunities for 8olunteers b creating custom social
networ)s along the lines of 6:arac)5bama.com. :ob 6c0onnell1s 200K campaign for
9irginia go8ernor featured a communit based on the 'ing platform# as did that of 2010
6assachusetts senatorial candidate &cott :rown# both of which pro8ided an outreach and
fundraising hub for acti8ists.
7 custom social networ) turned out to be a useful tool for 5bama 8olunteers in 200C#
particular when it let them organi$e themsel8es in places where the central campaign1s
infrastructure wasn1t full built out. :ut 5bama1s campaign also had an enormous supporter
list to populate 6:5 from the moment it launched# and other political social networ)s ris)
sputtering out if the can1t reach a significant scale right awa ?a site is neither social nor a
networ) if no one1s using it@. 6ost down<ballot campaigns will be better ser8ed b focusing on
reaching people in the online spaces the alread fre=uent# rather than tring to get them to
Boin a new one. &omething else to note( 6:51s 2012 e=ui8alent did '5! include a social
networ) function.
#ther #nline Communities
7s we discussed earlier# plent other online communities besides 3aceboo) and !witter do
e"ist# and man cater to people with particular interests or who belong to particular ethnic
groups. 0epending on the demographics of our district or our issues# it ma ma)e sense to
ha8e a presence in one or more of them. 7n eas wa to find out4 7s) the 8oters. :esides
3aceboo)# what online sites*networ)s do the use4 If one or two turn up again and again as
ou1re tal)ing with people# chec) 1em out.
** 4 How to Us e the I nternet to Win in 2014 4 epoliti cs.com
). #nline A"erti sin'
5nline ad8ertising options ha8e e"panded e"ponentiall o8er the past few ears. -i)ewise
their targetabilit( ; some 8endors can e8en match 8oter databases with commercial
ad8ertising networ)s to hit# sa# onl past 0emocratic primar 8oters in a gi8en /ongressional
district. E8en 2oogle 7ds can actuall be targeted on se8eral le8els# not Bust b topic
?")eword"@ but also ?for instance@ geographicall or b time of da.
5nline ad8ertising can be remar)abl effecti8e at 8olunteer*donor recruitment# so much so
that man online organi$ers argue that recruiting ads should start running as soon as a
candidate announces# so that no potential support is wasted. ,ou can also use digital ads to
persuade 8oters and spread messaging# and as election da closes in# dri8e 8oter turnout.
How do ou pa for ads4 &ometimes online ad8ertising is li)e tele8ision or radio# where
ou1re paing for a particular number of impressions ?tpicall measured in /+6# or cost<per<
thousand@. With 2oogle and 3aceboo) ads# howe8er# ou onl pa when someone clic)s.
#nline A"erti sin' Ch&nnel s
Ci spl &9 A"s
0ispla ads are the descendents of the banner ads that sprang up e8erwhere in the earl
das of the web# but the famil has now e"panded to include sophisticated 8ideo pieces#
animations# database interactions and "floating" pop<o8ers. 0ispla ads remain popular for
recruiting and message<distribution# but the can present one significant difficult( the often
ha8e to be tailored to the particular re=uirements of a gi8en website or publisher# particularl if
the include higher<end features.
7lso depending on the publisher# displa ads can be targeted at particular site users#
particularl on sites li)e web portals and social networ)s as well as newspapers and others
that collect financial# demographic and usage data on their readers. 7n ad8ertiser on
Washington +ost web properties# for instance# can aim ads at emploees of indi8idual
companies# showing them onl to readers coming from the selected .com domain?s@. 5f
course# ad8ertisers can target b interest as well as b demographics b running ads on
special<interest sites or on special<interest sections of mass<audience and news sites.
7 big de8elopment o8er the past few ears( the reselling of displa ad in8entor. 'owadas#
unless ou1re buing on a blog or a local media site# ou1re tpicall going through a 8endor to
purchase ad space on man different sites at once. 7s we1ll discuss below# man political
8endors now offer the abilit to target particular 8oters regardless of the sites the1re on ;
where8er the go online# the1ll see our ads.
ConteDtu&l ?!oo'l e 8e&rch@ A"s
6ost of us are familiar with 2oogle &earch 7ds# the solicitations that appear on 2oogle1s
search results page based on what ou were loo)ing for. &imilarl# 2oogle also sells te"t ads
on thousands of sites across the web ?including Epolitics.com@# also targeted based on the
content of indi8idual pages.
/onte"tual ads ha8e pro8en to be 8er effecti8e for both commercial and political ad8ertisers#
with eas and ob8ious targeting based on a 8ariet of factors including )eword and reader
location. 6ost also feature eas testing of alternati8e ad message*)eword combinations and
the abilit to change ads and ad runs mid<stream. In practice# 2oogle 7ds ha8e turned out to
ha8e an e"cellent >eturn 5n In8estment when used to build fundraising lists.
!o get the most out of conte"tual ads# it1s 8ital to test ad 8ariants and trac) the results. &ince
ads on a particular page are arranged and emphasi$ed based on the amount each ad8ertiser
has "bid" to purchase those )ewords# ou ma be able to reach more people for the same
amount of mone b ad8ertising on more<specific =ueries. 3or instance# ad8ertising on the
word "outdoors" is li)el to be e"pensi8e# since lots of different retailers# outfitters and
ad8ocac groups will be competing for it. 7d8ertising on "alternati8e fuel biodiesel#" ma be
much cheaper# and its superior targeting ma also ield more clic)s. &mart ad8ertisers will
test man different )eword*ad combinations to find the best and most cost<effecti8e results
?see the chapter on 0ata and 7naltics for more@.
!wo other considerations about 2oogle and other conte"tuall targeted ad sstems( first# if
ou target well# the1ll reach people at the moment when the1re potentiall interested in our
*) 4 How to Us e the I nternet to Win in 2014 4 epoliti cs.com
issues# since the1re either searching for it or the1re on a page that1s somehow related.
&econd# 2oogle ads ha8e a secondar branding effect# since the put our message in front
of web searchers and readers regardless of whether the actuall clic) on them. &ome
research has e8en shown that it1s beneficial to ha8e a 2oogle 7d show up on a page that also
has our site in the organic 2oogle search results ; if a page contains both our ad and our
lin) in the 2oogle search results# more people clic) on our lin)# as if the ad somehow
deli8ered e"tra 8isibilit or credibilit.
3&cebook A"s
3aceboo) has significantl e"panded its place on the online ad8ertising plaing field# in part
because ads on the social networ) can be easil targeted at people based on their location#
past beha8ior# interests and demographic characteristics ?"men aged 2F<%4 in Hawaii who li)e
football" would be an targetable group# for instance@. Unfortunatel for our purposes#
3aceboo) constantl changes its features and offerings# ma)ing it difficult to write about
definiti8el. Websites li)e 6ashable# 7ll3aceboo) and Inside3aceboo) trac) these changes
closel# ma)ing them essential resources for people running social ad campaigns.
!hough the specifics ma change b the time ou read this# we /7' tal) about some basics.
3irst# classic 3aceboo) ads are eas to bu ; anone with a 3aceboo) profile and a credit
card can set up a campaign. &econd# the creati8e elements are e=uall simple# with a small
image and a few words of te"t# along with a "-i)e" button and a lin) to the appropriate landing
page ?ads can point to a 3aceboo) page or to an outside website# with those pointing to a
3aceboo) page tpicall getting higher response rates ; most of us use 3aceboo) 7ds
specificall to build a following for a page@.
Up to this point at least# 3aceboo) ads ha8e been relati8el cost<effecti8e# with the price<per<
clic) sometimes as low as a few tens of cents. 'ote that the cost is highl 8ariable# and that at
least for now# 3aceboo)1s price structure rewards success( the higher the rate at which a
particular ad run is clic)ed# the lower the cost becomes o8er time. 7s a result# 3aceboo)
effecti8el rewards e"perimentation# and as with 2oogle ads# 3aceboo) ad8ertisers fre=uentl
test man different combinations of images# te"t and targeting to find the final 8ersions on
which to concentrate resources. ?3or inspiration# see this e"cellent case stud of how
*, 4 How to Us e the I nternet to Win in 2014 4 epoliti cs.com
3aceboo) 7ds helped defeat a 3lorida ballot initiati8e in 2011.@
7 more recent de8elopment4 !he abilit to pa to "promote a post" in 3aceboo). 7s we
mentioned in the chapter on &ocial 6edia# onl a fraction of our fans will see our new
content in their 3aceboo) feeds b default. "+romoting" a post ma onl cost a few dollars#
but it can e"pose a good piece of content to a larger percentage of our followers. 7nd as
!HE, interact with it# !HEI> friends can see their -i)es# &hares and /omments...and our
content along with them. &ome campaigns will pa to promote E9E>, post# but others will
reser8e that pri8ilege for higher<priorit ?or 8er timel@ content li)e endorsement
announcements. 5ne approach( tr promoting a few posts and see how it goes. 0o the get
significantl more e"posure4 0o the seem to bring in new page followers4 If the do#
promoting more posts in the future ma be a cost<effecti8e wa to grow our page and )eep
our followers engaged.
3&cebook Custom Au"iences
>ight before the 2012 elections# 3aceboo) un8eiled a new feature called "custom audiences"
that has real promise as a political tool. 7 custom audience is basicall a list of email
addresses# which ou upload to 3aceboo) and use to refine our targeting ?3aceboo) doesn1t
charge e"tra mone for custom audiences# btw@. 7 few political uses(
Upload a list of our e"isting supporters ?or a subset of that list@ to target them with
25!9 or fundraising ads within 3aceboo).
Use that same list to EL/-U0E our supporters from an ad bu# for instance sa8e our
recruiting dollars or their patience.
Use that same list but do "loo)ali)e targeting." 3aceboo) will match our supporters
across a huge uni8erse of criteria with people somehow li)e them...people who would
seem to be good candidates for recruiting.
Upload a list of Bournalists1 emails and then target the reporters with persuasion ads. 7
subtle ?and cheap@ wa to influence their perceptions of the race.
5f course# custom audiences aren1t perfect# since the1ll onl wor) if the people in =uestion
used the same email address in 3aceboo) that ou1re using in our custom audience. !pical
match rates are in the F0<MFN range# though# and man political ad8ertisers are using custom
*( 4 How to Us e the I nternet to Win in 2014 4 epoliti cs.com
audiences to good effect alread.
Twitter A"erti sin'
7s we noted in the &ocial 6edia chapter# !witter offers a "+romoted !weets" ser8ice that1s
similar to 3aceboo)1s +romoted +osts and would be used in similar was. 7 =uic) 2oogle
search for "!witter ad8ertising" will start ou on our wa.
=i "eo A"s
5ne interesting trend for 2014 and beond is the stead growth of opportunities to place
ad8ertising on web 8ideos. 6an ,ou!ube clips now ha8e a te"t ad o8erla or are preceded
b a 8ideo ad# for e"ample# and another opportunit lies in "pre<roll" ads on the internet
8ersions of !9 shows. &ites li)e Hulu.com# stream thousands of programs to people across
the countr# and campaigns ha8e begun placing web 8ersions of their !9 commercials at the
beginning of web clips on the sites. 5ther opportunities e"ist on sites for networ)s or
indi8idual shows ?on episodes hosted on the 0ail &how1s website# for instance@# and it1s li)el
that pre<roll 8ideo will onl increase in popularit. 3or one thing# it1s close enough to traditional
tele8ision ad8ertising that media consultants can adapt their content to it =uic)l. In 2012#
battleground<state pre<roll 8ideo ad in8entor sold out fast....
Bl o' A"s
7s we discussed in the chapter on &ocial 6edia# campaigns can bu ad8ertising on blogs#
either through the :logads.com site or through other blog ad8ertising networ)s. !hese ads
are naturall targeted based on each blog1s particular niche# and ads on speciali$ed sites
such as local or regional political blogs fre=uentl reach 8er influential audiences at a low
relati8e cost. 'ote that 8er large sites li)e Huffington+ost sell ad8ertising directl rather than
through a third<part ser8ice# Bust li)e Washington+ost.com and ',!imes.com.
0obile A"erti sin'
5ne de8elopment in the 2010 election ccle was the first significant use of mobile ad8ertising#
particularl ads on the cell phone<optimi$ed 8ersions on websites and search engines.
:ecause of the location features built into modern "smart" phones# mobile ads can be geo<
targeted as well as aimed at people based on their search =ueries. /ongressmember
6ichelle :achmann reportedl bought ads aimed at people at the 2010 6innesota &tate 3air#
and other candidates attempted to reach people finding their polling places or e8en
researching candidates while standing in line to 8ote.
A"erti sin' &n" 0es s & 'eETestin'
+ollsters beware( 3aceboo) and 2oogle ads gi8e campaigns the abilit to test messaging
without focus groups or phone<ban)s ; while also recruiting supporters in the process. 3or
instance# a campaign might test se8eral different messaging options around a single set of
interests ?as re8ealed b )ewords@# with the rates at which the different messages are
clic)ed re8ealing which ones resonate and which don1t. If no one clic)s on a certain headline#
that1s a good sign that it1s not wor)ing.
-i)ewise# a campaign can define a demographic on 3aceboo) ?women o8er 40 who li)e
5prah@ and target se8eral different ads at them and see which ones the clic). Which te"t is
most effecti8e4 Which images draw the eeballs and resulting clic)s4 !he best part( if no one
clic)s on a 2oogle or 3aceboo) ad# ou don1t pa anthing.
Ci spl &9 &n" =i "eo A" T&r 'etin' #ptions
Wow# that1s a lot of channels to )eep in mind ?and we ha8en1t e8en tal)ed about internet
radio.@. E8en more bewildering4 !he options now a8ailable to target 8oters with ads.
We18e alread discussed "interest<targeting" through 2oogle and 3aceboo) and demographic
targeting on 3aceboo)# but as alluded to earlier# se8eral ad 8endors on both political sides
now go farther( the use "coo)ies#" I+ addresses and other identifiers to reach 8oters down to
the precinct or e8en indi8idual le8el# hitting them with displa ?banner*rich media@ or 8ideo ads
designed to moti8ate# recruit or persuade. "/oo)ie targeting" has recei8ed a lot of attention at
political<industr trade shows and in the press# but other microtargeting options are also
a8ailable# Bust about all of which combine political data ?li)e a 8oter file@ with information on
indi8idual consumers purchased from commercial data 8endors.
*+ 4 How to Us e the I nternet to Win in 2014 4 epoliti cs.com
,ou can1t HUI!E target an indi8idual person through coo)ies or I+ addresses ?"get me fi8e
pre<roll 8ideo ads aimed at Iohn &mith and ma)e it fast"@O instead# ou usuall define
demographic characteristics and the ad networ) ser8es our content to the targets in bul).
!he )e to these new sstems is accurac down to the personal le8el# meaning that the ads
are getting in front of e"actl the right people# fre=uentl at a G0<M0N match rate. ,ou1ll
ob8iousl pa more for targeted ads# but the can be a real resource<sa8er for campaigns
running in districts that are geographicall comple" ?i.e.# gerrmandered@ and hence hard to
target through other means. 6 ad8ice( chec) out 8arious 8endors1 targeting options and see
if the1re a good fit for our campaign.
A"erti sin' &n" #nline Bu"'et s
7s online ad8ertising options ha8e grown# so has campaigns1 dependence on being able to
spend mone and reliabl reach an audience of persuadable 8oters# donors and
8olunteers.-oo) for online ad e"penditures to increase significantl with e8er future election
ccle in the United &tates# as we1ll discuss in the chapter on -ogistics# :udget and &taffing.
:ut first( field.
,. !r&s sroot s &n" 3iel" #r'&ni6in'
7nother aspect of digital politics that1s reall de8eloping fast is online<enabled field organi$ing.
5bama1s massi8e national grassroots operations were decisi8e in 200C and 2012# but tech<
dri8en field is going local# too. In the 2010 senatorial special election in 6assachusetts# for
instance# both >epublican &cott :rown and 0emocrat 6artha /oa)le deploed tools that
le8eraged the internet to impro8e the classic on<the<ground campaign acti8ities of bloc)<
wal)ing and phone<ban)ing# connecting indi8idual 8olunteers with information from the
0emocratic 9oter 7cti8ation 'etwor) ?now '2+*97'@ and the >epublican 9oter 9ault. :oth
campaigns made it possible for supporters to phone<ban) from home# for instance# with
:rown using technolog from an independent 8endor and /oa)le an e=ui8alent de8eloped
b the 0'/ to connect 8olunteers with potential 8oters1 phones without disclosing personal
details in the process.
:oth campaigns also produced database<generated "wal) lists" for local 8olunteers to use
while can8assing their communities# but :rown supplemented them with a web<based
application optimi$ed for i+hones. : geo<locating users through nati8e i+hone features# the
app could show 8olunteers the nearest house to 8isit# directions to get there and tal)ing points
to use during the con8ersation.
5nce the1d gathered the responses# organi$ers entered them into a 2oogle 0ocs
spreadsheet# a free online tool that helped the :rown campaign assemble the same )ind of
granular data that benefited the 5bama campaign during the 200C and 2012 races.
In 201%# 9irginia1s 0emocratic campaigns demonstrated an e8en higher le8el of field
sophistication# with 200 staff based out of do$ens of offices across the state# where the
o8ersaw data<dri8en grassroots outreach that included 1%#000 8olunteers )noc)ing on doors
the wee)end before Election 0a alone. +articularl 8aluable( a "8oter data feedbac) loop"
much li)e 5bama1s# in which 0emocrats used data models to target their field and online
outreach and then fed the information generated b 8oter contact bac) into the models. !he
result4 In the case of 9irginia# 8ictor in tight statewide races ; including an 7ttorne 2eneral
race won b literall do$ens of 8otes.
3iel" Te&m 8tructure
If ou1re going to create a robust grassroots operation# it ne8er hurts to loo) at the best for
inspiration. 7nd of course# the best model we ha8e is :arac) 5bama1s twin campaigns of
200C and 2012. 3rom the "-earning 3rom 5bama" e<boo)# which co8ers the 200C campaign(
=olunteer 0&n&'ement F ConteDt/ Tr&inin' &n" Ac count&bilit9
How the 5bama field operation organi$ed their 8olunteer teams deser8es special mention# in
part because their grassroots 25!9 technolog depended on it and also because it pro8ides
an e"cellent model for communit<based organi$ers of all fla8ors. !he structure e8ol8ed in the
primaries and went national during the general election season. Its critical features(
!he campaign de8eloped a clear team structure for the 8olunteer operation# replicable
Bust about anwhere and with standard roles for each member. Each 8olunteer team
included a leader ?to hold e8erone accountable@# a data manager ?because data
doesn1t e"ist unless it gets in the sstem@# a phone ban) coordinator# a campus
coordinator and a 8olunteer coordinator.
!raining was absolutel 8ital# both for team members and for the indi8idual
neighborhood 8olunteers the organi$ed.
!eams had clear 8ote<getting and 8oter<contact goals and were held accountable for
them.
E"ample( for the general election# the 5bama organi$ation fielded 400 teams in the
state of 6issouri# super8ised b paid campaign staff# with each team co8ering C<12
8oting precincts and starting wor) wee)s or months before 'o8ember 4th.
5ne thing stands out about this sstem( it re=uired a lot from 8olunteers# both in terms of
training and in actual sweat. !o )eep them wor)ing# the campaign was careful to let them in
on the )ind of strateg details that campaigns usuall stri8e to hide. 5ne tric) to moti8ating
people( let them )now how their efforts fit into a larger framewor)# in this case 8ia 0a8id
+louffe1s online 8ideo briefings# so that the )now that their wor) has conte"t and is actuall
8alued. If ou want to create a successful national grassroots outreach effort# focus on
conte"t# training and accountabilit. I.e.# ta)e our people seriousl and the1ll return the fa8or
; the want to )now that the aren1t Bust blindl ma)ing calls or )noc)ing on doors.
'ote that much of the training discussed abo8e too) place 8ia online 8ideo# particularl in
areas outside of battleground states# where the campaign in8ested less in on<the<ground
staff.
What about 20124 5bama again relied hea8il on data<dri8en field# and the basic structure
didn1t change ; though of course his campaign team steadil refined their practices to create
a more<efficient machine. 7 replicable one# too# Budging b the success of 9irginia 0emocrats
in turning out the 8otes the needed in the 201%.
0obile Technolo'9
With the computing power of cell phones increasing with e8er shin new model#
campaigners across the world are finding creati8e was to use them for political mobili$ation.
In 7merican campaigns# field has seen the most producti8e application# primaril 8ia
can8assing apps and "8irtual phone ban)s." /an8assing apps li)e '2+97'1s 6ini97' will
direct people to targeted houses# pro8ide tal)ing points ?sometimes tailored to that particular
8oter@# facilitate email signups and pro8ide an immediate wa to record the 8oter1s responses
to =uestions and update the campaign1s 8oter file. 3ield P mobile Q a data<gee)1s dream.
9irtual phone ban)s are another powerful wa to put supporters1 time to wor)# since the
allow people to ma)e calls on their own schedule and without ha8ing to go to a campaign
office ?the depend on the fact that most of us ha8e cellphone minutes we1re not currentl
using@. &ome 8irtual phone ban)ing sstems will be web<based# but others emplo a
smartphone app ; which ou use will depend on our technolog 8endor.
7s an alternati8e to platform<specific grassroots*can8assing apps# :!W# man 8endors are
turning to mobile<optimi$ed websites# which can pro8ide similar functionalit without re=uiring
different technolog for i+hones# 7ndroids# etc. We can e"pect these tools to be widel used
in 2014 b campaigns up and down the scale( sophisticated field operations are no longer
limited to the big plaers.
8 oci &l Tool s %or 3iel" #r'&ni6in'
What about social media for grassroots4 Indi8idual field organi$ers can ob8iousl use
3aceboo) and !witter in their own wor)# but a new de8elopment in the last couple of ccles is
the ad8ent of tools that mine followers1 social connections for data useful to the campaign.
5bama 2012 put this )ind of technolog to use to reach ounger 8oters in particular# as we1ll
discuss in more detail in the 0ata*7naltics chapter.
7lso growing fast( dedicated platforms li)e 'ational3ield ?now part of '2+97'@ that use a
social model to create behind<the<scenes channels for field organi$ing. 3or more on both of
these de8elopments# see this C!" Technology Bytes column discussing how political data is
going social.
(. 0obili6&tion &n" !#T=
5)a# we18e built a powerful online following through social media# ad8ertising and in<person
signups. 'ow# let1s put those people to wor).
6obili$ation is simple in concept( it in8ol8es persuading people to do things ; donate# 8ote#
8olunteer# ma)e phone calls# whate8er. 3or instance# as the e"perience of the 5bama
campaigns showed# one of the most effecti8e was to spread our message online is to get
someone else to do it ; e8er one of our supporters is a potential outreach hub in his or her
social uni8erse. :ut first ou ha8e to as)# and therein lies the comple"it( how# when and what
do we as) of people to help them reali$e their true political potential4
0oti&tin' Conors &n" =olunteers
If political support ultimate comes down to emotion ; how a potential donor or 8olunteer feels
about a candidate# race or issue ; each contact people ha8e with a campaign influences
their propensit to gi8e time or mone. E8er interaction matters( their e"perience at an in<
person e8ent or a storefront office# what the see online# the ads on their !9s and radios# and
of course an direct communications the recei8e 8ia email# 3aceboo)# !witter# phone or
direct mail. &uccessful online organi$ers reali$e that the are essentiall managing 8irtual
relationships with man people at once.
-i)e an friendship# a political relationship that heads downhill can be hard to sal8age
?disillusioned donors are unli)el to open their wallets again@# and unless a campaign is
entirel short<term and doesn1t mind burning bridges# properl managing and moti8ating
supporters o8er the course of a race will be paramount. -ist si$e matters# and campaigns
should ta)e e8er opportunit to grow their own# but list response is Bust as important# since a
relati8el small number of moti8ated people can outperform a much larger group whose
members don1t ha8e much coordination or reason to care.
5ne e"cellent wa to turn people awa o8er time is to treat them li)e cash machines#
something that1s entirel too eas for political professionals to do. In fact# earl in the 200C
5bama campaign# manager 0a8id +louffe fre=uentl had to mediate between a fundraising
team eager to ma"imi$e short<term re8enue and a new<media team with an ee on the long
game.
7t a basic le8el# not e8er communication from the campaign should as) for mone. Instead#
campaigns should thin) of was to pro8ide 8alue to supporters in the form of news# personal
connection# information and gi8eawas# as well as of non<monetar was supporters can
contribute. 2etting people to recruit ten friends 8ia email# for instance# is an eas wa for
them to participate without ha8ing to part with a dime ; and once the18e ta)en that action#
the1re more in8ol8ed and committed than the were the da before.
The G&""er o% -n'&'ement
7 common approach to supporter management is to pro8ide acti8ists with escalating le8els of
in8ol8ement. -i)e a the rungs of a ladder# each higher engagement le8el re=uires more wor)
and holds fewer people# but it ideall also creates more 8alue for the campaign or cause.
58er time# list managers will ob8iousl tr to mo8e people to higher tiers# con8erting casual
list<members into donors# donors into 8olunteers# and 8olunteers into precinct leaders. With a
sophisticated />6# campaigns can get creati8e in how the trac) supporters# noting the most
reliable acti8ists in the database and putting these "super<8olunteers" to wor) in was that use
their s)ills# connections and time.
!iers of engagement wor) in the other direction as well ; if ou1re planning a social media<
stle create<a<8ideo contest# for instance# find a wa to in8ol8e people who 7>E'1! actuall
doing the shooting and editing# perhaps b as)ing them to rate or comment on the
submissions. !he o8erall goal( )eep the most casual supporters wor)ing at a basic le8el#
while also pro8iding more strenuous outlets for the smaller core of true acti8ists.
0ore Th&n 0one9: 0obili6&tion 0e&ns =otes
+olitical campaigns often focus on wringing donations out of their online supporters ?and we1ll
discuss online fundraising in depth in a later chapter@# but real people are are worth more than
Bust the contents of their ban) accounts ; smart campaigns will tr to tap their brains and
time as well ?mmmm# brains....@. !he 200C and 2012 5bama campaigns relied on 8olunteer
enthusiasm to a remar)able degree# with hundreds of thousands of people downloading "wal)
lists" of houses to 8isit in their neighborhoods and phone numbers to call. !he reported the
results of their outreach wor) through a comprehensi8e grassroots data collection sstem# in
turn gi8ing the leadership priceless data about how the campaign was plaing out at a
neighborhood le8el.
!his )ind of sophistication has been out of the reach of most state< or local<le8el campaigns
?a situation that1s rapidl changing@# but regardless of our le8el of technical sophistication#
ou can still use online communications to mobili$e the masses to perform Bust about about
e8er traditional political tas) ; and plent of new ones# too. 7mong other things# campaigns
can as) people to(
&how up for in<person e8ents ?rallies# house parties@ and in8ite friends and famil.
9olunteer at local offices.
+hone<ban)# either at a campaign office or o8er their own cell phones ?8irtual phone<
ban)ing@.
/onnect with their neighbors door<to<door ?can8ass@.
&pread the word about a fundraising push.
>ecruit friends 8ia email# 3aceboo) or !witter# or -i)e*&hare*/omment on campaign
content.
9iew a ,ou!ube clip# infographic blog post or other online content and spread it 8irall
?social media profiles Q "8irtual ard signs"@.
+ut up ?actual@ ard signs.
/reate content such as blog posts# !weets or online 8ideos all on their own.
7nd of course# ote1
!he importance of that last bullet cannot be o8erstated for down<ballot candidates# particularl
if the1re tring to buc) a national trend in their own districts. !he upcoming chapters on 3ield
5rgani$ing and 0ata*7naltics go into detail on how a modern# data<dri8en grassroots
operation can ma)e a real difference on Election 0a.
5&pi" 5esponse
Earlier we discussed the role of online 8ideo in "flooding the $one" to push unflattering content
down in search results# but this )ind of online pushbac) doesn1t spread itself ; and when the
political shit hits the fan# a campaign1s supporters can be its best defense. 3or one thing#
people tend to ma)e political decisions based on the opinions of friends and famil# and how
the react to a scandal or other negati8e e8ent ma be filtered through what1s said b people
the trust.
If our supporters are out there spea)ing on our behalf# either in person or on 3aceboo)#
!witter and their own blogs# it1s li)el to be a better defense than an "facts" ou can muster.
7s an e"ample# 5bama 10C went to great lengths to recruit their followers to fight bac) against
the 6anchurian 6uslim /andidate meme# to some success ; though that particular little
legend had long legs and refused to die.
C&n'er C&n'er1
5f course# once ou18e fired up our supporters# ou1d better li8e up to all that energ.
>emember 5bama1s lac)luster performance in his first 2012 presidential debate4 7fterwards#
Ion &tewart ?among others@ s)ewered him for not matching "the urgenc and passion of RhisS
fundraising emails" ?ouch@. If ou1re going to raise e"pectations# be prepared to follow through
on our end of the deal.
7. #nline 3un"r&i sin'
What 0ean and Aerr suggested in 2004# :arac) 5bama pro8ed in 200C and 2012( an arm
of moti8ated online donor*8olunteers can be a trul decisi8e force in politics. 7nd with
software designed to allow campaigns to tap the enthusiasm ?and the wallets@ of supporters
both within their districts and around the countr now widel a8ailable# 2014 will see a flood of
online fundraising at the state and local le8els.
Here1s one reason( a campaign benefits immensel if most indi8idual donations# e8en the big
ones# come in online rather than as paper chec)s. 3or one thing# mone collected 8ia credit
cards is a8ailable instantl# allowing a candidate to ta)e immediate ad8antage of an o8ernight
surge of income. +lus# online donation details automaticall end up in a database# simplifing
accounting and reporting. : contrast# phsical chec)s present a logistical burden# since each
has to be processed indi8iduall whether it1s collected at a fundraising dinner or arri8es in the
mail.
7s the 5bama campaigns found# online fundraising also lets ou tap the 8ast number of
politicall interested people who can1t donate hundreds or thousands of dollars at time but
whose smaller donations can add up to a princel sum. 5bama1s grassroots donors tended to
send relati8el small amounts repeatedl# which in turn shows wh a small<donor list is such a
8aluable resource ; it1s the gift that )eeps on gi8ing# =uite literall. Unli)e traditional big
donors who often reach their =uota for a gi8en candidate with a single chec)# small donors
can contribute again and again# pro8iding a financial consistenc that1s useful in a short
campaign and priceless in a long one.
The B& si c s
&o# how does online fundraising wor)4 Essentiall# gi8ing to a candidate is Bust li)e buing a
product online ; aspiring donors go to a website and enter a credit card number and the
necessar personal information# then clic) the "donate" button. 5nce the transaction is
processed# the mone passes to the campaign1s ban) account# either immediatel as a single
transfer or periodicall as donations add up. 5b8iousl# the easier this transaction is for users#
the more li)el the are to complete it. +ro tip( don1t hide the "0onate" button on our website.
0epending on the details of the campaign1s /onstituent >elations 6anagement sstem and
the e"tent of its integration with the fundraising sstem# donation details ma automaticall
populate the same database used to trac) supporters and 8olunteers. 5therwise# staff ma
ha8e to download the data and integrate it into the />6 as a separate step ; something that
would definitel suc). 5b8iousl# the closer the two sstems wor) together# the more easil a
campaign can trac) top donors. !esting is absolutel )e ; successful fundraisers test which
messages perform well o8er time# separating out when possible how well the resonate with
particular demographic segments of their lists. !est# rinse# repeat ; a digital fundraiser1s
mantra.
8uc ces s%ul -m&il 3un"r&i sin' C&mp&i 'ns
>egardless of what a campaign is as)ing supporters to do# the1re li)el as)ing it 8ia email.
7s we18e co8ered before# email remains the most effecti8e wa to sta in consistent online
contact with man people at once# despite the growth of 3aceboo)# !witter and other social
tools ; and it1s the best online fundraising channel we currentl ha8e.
5f course# anone can send an email message as)ing people for mone# but getting the most
out of a list o8er time ta)es s)ill# planning# good e"ecution and testing. -et1s loo) at some
basic principles that help ma"imi$e a list1s long<term performance(
Emails should perpetuate core messages and goals of the campaign. 7 )e idea( the
three 6s of political email are messaging# mobili$ation and mone.
Emails must also do no harm ; list managers must ta)e care not to alienate people on
the list.
!he more personal# informal and direct a message is# the better ?usuall@. 6essages
ma appear to come directl from the candidate# from staff# from prominent supporters
or from indi8idual campaign 8olunteers# depending on whose 8oice the campaign
needs to amplif at that moment. >egardless of the apparent sender# authenticit
matters.
6a)e the as) clear and the action lin)s eas to find.
!argeting helps get the most out of a list. 3or instance# list members might recei8e
)0 4 How to Us e the I nternet to Win in 2014 4 epoliti cs.com
messages with different content based on their locale# their interests# their
demographics or their past pattern of actions on behalf of the campaign. 7 good />6
is a targeter1s friend.
Email ma start the process# but the landing page finishes it# so ma)e sure that each
message lin)s to a donation or action page that matches the as) in the message.
Use the email initiation se=uence to start a relationship off on a good foot# sending new
list members a pre<set series of messages after the sign up. !he se=uence might
steadil "scale the as)#" encouraging newbies to mo8e up the ladder of engagement.
:esides scaling the as)# sa88 fundraisers also tailor the as) o8er time# for instance
soliciting different amounts based on a person1s donation histor ; a E10 donor might
be as)ed to donate E20 the ne"t time around# but someone who1d donated E1F0 might
be safe to hit up for E200.
/ampaigns should also 8ar the as) ; as discussed before# not e8er communication
from the candidate or his surrogates should be about mone. &ome might deli8er
tal)ing points# others strateg or conte"t# while a few ma be straightforwardl
inspirational.
When possible# staff should map out email narrati8e arcs in ad8ance# with each
message forming part of the stream while also able to stand on its own. :ut this
approach shouldn1t preclude sei$ing on emotion and the moment# such as capitali$ing
=uic)l on an opponent1s mista)e.
/ampaigns should also consider the "8alue proposition of fundraising#" being careful to
portra donations as doing more than Bust pro8iding abstract support. !o that end#
campaigns often ma)e it 8er clear where mone is going# for instance raising funds for
a particular stated tas) such as running !9 ads or supporting grassroots organi$ing in
a defined area.
E8en if a campaign is o8erwhelmingl reling on email# content integration can be )e#
with online 8ideo and social networ)ing outreach in particular ser8ing as a powerful
adBunct to email fundraising. 3or instance# a particular message might as) people to
watch a 8ideo and spread it 8ia 3aceboo)# with the 8ideo itself and the landing page on
which it1s hosted doing the hea8 lifting of soliciting donations.
0espite the best targeting# different emails acti8ated different people at different times.
'o one message has to connect with e8er supporter or e8er 8oter ; if ou miss 1em
this wee)# ou might get 1em ne"t wee).
How 0uch i s Too 0uch4 ?The I mport&nce o% 0etri cs &n"
Testin'@
How man messages can a campaign send to supporters before the clic) the "unsubscribe"
button4 !o find out# email communications managers can monitor statistics# since modern
/>6s will trac) when people sign up# when the drop off# which messages the open and
what )ind of actions the ta)e.
-ists turn out to ha8e their own =uir)s( while one could be 8er open to tell<a<friend or
8olunteer re=uests but not so good at gi8ing mone# another might respond in e"actl the
opposite wa. Each mass email ou staff sends pro8ides raw data about that campaign1s
specific supporters# helping to identif the )inds of appeals that wor) and which to a8oid.
6etrics and list segmentation can e8en assist with message de8elopment# since campaigns
can tr out different ideas on relati8el small groups first ?for details# see the chapter on 0ata
and 7naltics@.
5f course# as an election or other deadline approaches# managers can get awa with sending
man more messages than usual# since people will understand the urgenc. 0on1t forget to
follow up after the 8ote# particularl if our candidate plans to run again.
8 oci &l 0e"i & 3un"r&i sin'
7lthough email has pro8en in practice to be the most effecti8e tool to raise mone
consistentl# online fundraisers shouldn1t ignore 3aceboo) and !witter completel. It1s eas to
post appeals to the campaign1s social channels at the same time that the1re sent o8er email#
and e8en if the amounts raised aren1t li)el to be high# a dollar is a dollar regardless of where
it comes from. /ampaigns are li)el to find that 3aceboo) and !witter are more useful as
engagement channels# howe8er# )eeping loal supporters in8ol8ed and therefore primed to
respond when an email or direct mail appeal arri8es.
=i r&l 3un"r&i sin'
7n aspect of the 5bama fundraising machine that other campaigns should consider coping
is its peer<to<peer component# the personal fundraising campaigns that indi8idual 8olunteers
launched through the campaign1s online tool)it# alongside all of their other online outreach.
&upporter<dri8en distributed financial outreach raised a few tens of millions of dollars directl
for 5bama1s campaign# but perhaps more important is that it helped mine indi8idual
fundraisers1 social connections for new donors# who would then find themsel8es on the main
email list and subBect to the )inds of "encouragements" described abo8e. !hough li)el less of
a priorit for smaller<scale campaigns# the capabilit to create friend<to<friend donation dri8es
is included in man />6s and is built in to the technolog of sites li)e 7ct:lue.
)* 4 How to Us e the I nternet to Win in 2014 4 epoliti cs.com
+. C&t& &n" An&l9ti cs
"+olitical data" became a magic phrase in 2012# largel because of the 5bama campaign1s
emphasis on using it to target and test its communications with supporters# donors and
potential 8oters. While 5bama had do$ens of statistics e"perts wor)ing for him# e8en one<
person campaigns can use basic data analsis to get more bang for e8er buc) the spend
on 8oter outreach. -et1s loo) at how.
Website An&l9ti cs
&tep one( )now how people are finding our campaign website and what the1re doing when
the get there. 6ost website hosting arrangements ha8e some )ind of usage statistics
pac)age# but most of us use 2oogle 7naltics as well ; ou Bust need to create an 7naltics
account and then add a snippet of code to our page template ?or ha8e a techie friend do it@.
3rom there# ou can use the 7naltics dashboard to answer se8eral important =uestions(
What pages are people accessing on our site4
Where are the coming from4 ?i.e.# what "referring sites" are sending ou traffic4@
7re speedbumps slowing people down at an point on the site4 3or instance#
comparing page<8iew data and our email list*/>6 data can show ou if a significant
number people are accessing the "donate" or "8olunteer" pages but not actuall gi8ing
mone or signing up. In that case# ou1d want to ta)e a close loo) at those pages and
tr to figure out what1s stopping people.
What1s the o8erall traffic trend o8er time4 What does it tell ou about the attention our
campaign is generating4
What campaign news and e8ents generate bursts of traffic to the site4 7nd# is the site
doing a good Bob of con8erting those new 8isitors into supporters# donors and
8olunteers4 Huic) measure ; compare "new 8isitors" numbers with our email
signups o8er the same time period to find ?roughl@ the percentage of "new 8isitors"
sign up for our email list.
/ampaigns with more time and resources can use website analtics to answer more comple"
=uestions ; for instance# trac)ing users1 tpical paths through the site ; but for most local
races# these basics will be enough. !he nice thing4 2oogle 7naltics reports ta)e Bust a few
minutes to s)im through once ou1re used to them. /ampaign staff can ?and should@ chec)
them e8er da.
-m&il An&l9ti cs
Email mar)eters care Ta lotT about data ; the right subBect line on an email appeal can
double the donations it ields. 7s we discussed earlier# an mass email*/>6 sstem worth a
damn will let ou trac) basic information about our messages# including the percentage of
messages opened b recipients ?"open rate"@# the percentage that clic) on the action in the
message ?"clic) rate"@# the percentage that follow through with a donation ?"action rate"@# and
the percentage who drop off our list with each message ?"unsubscribe rate"@.
,our goal is tpicall to ma"imi$e our open# clic) and action rates and minimi$e our
unsubscribe rate ?a few people will almost alwas unsubscribe when ou send a message#
which is one reason ou need to constantl add more supporters to our list@. !rac) our
messages o8er time to find out( which subBect lines did supporters clic) on4 What appeal
language generated the most indi8idual donations4 What appeal language generated the
largest 765U'! of mone in total4 &imilarl# which appeals generated the most 8olunteer
signups4
E8er email list is different# and trac)ing statistics will help ou find out how our particular
uni8erse of supporters beha8es ; and what tactics ou can use to persuade them to gi8e ou
concrete help with our campaign. !he humble spreadsheet can be a powerful tool in this
fight# since creating a chart that shows email subBect lines# send dates# open rates# action
rates# donation amounts and unsubscribe rates lets ou e8aluate trends at a glance.
Gi st 8 e'ment&tion
7nother common use of email analtics( segmenting our list based on some set of
characteristics# tpicall members1 past beha8ior but also where the li8e. &ome simple
e"amples(
)) 4 How to Us e the I nternet to Win in 2014 4 epoliti cs.com
1. 8 e'mentin' b&se" on p&st 'iin' hi stor9. 3or instance# campaigns often target
non<donors with a small<dollar as) ?E% or EF@ to get them mo8ing up the ladder of
engagement. 5nce someone1s donated# campaigns will often tailor future as)s based on
donation amounts. 3or instance# EF donors might recei8e a message as)ing for E10# while
ou might as) those who last ga8e EF0 to donate EMF this time around. >eall sophisticated
campaigns will hit each donor with a custom as) e"actl tailored to their past gi8ing# but most
of us will brea) donors down into bands ; i.e.# people who ga8e under E10 in the past
recei8e a E10 as)# those in the E10<E20 range recei8e a E2F as)# etc.
2. 8 e'mentin' b&se" on other p&st beh&ior. If ou18e sent out issue<based
messages in the past# for e"ample# ou might segment our list based on which messages
people opened and target them accordingl ; hit people who opened an education<related
message with a fundraising as) that focuses on the candidate1s education agenda.
*. !eo'r&phi c s e'ment&tion# which is particularl useful when ou1re tring to get
people to come to a local e8ent or when ou1re tring to recruit 8olunteers in a particularl
town or neighborhood.
4. 5&n"om s e'ment&tion %or A;B testin'. 5nce our list reaches a good si$e ?at
least a few thousand members@# ou can start the ?admittedl time<consuming@ process of 7*:
testing 8arious aspects of our indi8idual email messages.
How does 7*: testing wor)4 3irst# ou identif the 8ariables ou want to test# tpicall things
li)e email subBect lines# appeal language# photos*images# etc. !hen# ou create two ?or more@
separate messages that incorporate the differences# send them out# and measure the
responses. ,ou1ll usuall find out right =uic)l which one performs better.
,ou might send our 7*: 8ariants to our full list rather than an initial test segment# hoping to
learn more about what tactics will wor) on future messages. :ut if our list is big enough# ou
can send those test messages to a small subset of our main list# using the results to decide
which subBect lines# images# etc# go in the final message ou send to e8erone. I.e.# if our list
includes 100#000 people# send one 8ariant to a random sample of F000 and the second
8ariant to another random sample of F000. When ou )now which one does better# send it to
the remaining K0#000 email addresses.
), 4 How to Us e the I nternet to Win in 2014 4 epoliti cs.com
!he 5bama 2012 campaign used the latter tactic e"tensi8el( at times# the tried do$ens of
message 8ariants on test recipient uni8erses# often finding that the subBect lines the
!H5U2H! would do well# didn1t. 7t times# testing allowed them to double the amount of
donations that a gi8en message generated# simpl b finding the 8ariant that people
responded to most 8igorousl in tests ?their most successful single subBect line( "He"@.
7cross the life of the campaign# testing ielded !E'& 53 6I--I5'& 53 05--7>& in e"tra
donations.
5ne measure of 7*: testing1s popularit( as political />6 pro8iders update their wares# more
and more ha8e incorporated eas 7*: testing and 8ariant<selection into their sstems1
architectures. When ou1re e8aluating email*/>6 technolog# be sure to as) about 7*:
testing ; ou1ll than) ourself later.
8 oci &l 0e"i & C&t&
7nother area in which metrics are both a8ailable and useful( social media. 7t a basic le8el#
campaigns should note how man people are following their !witter feeds and 3aceboo)
pages# but these two numbers won1t tell ou much in isolation ?in fact# the1re fre=uentl
referred<to as "8anit metrics#" because people tr to dri8e them higher 1cause it loo)s good@.
Here are a few analtics that 05 matter on social media# which are fortunatel usuall
relati8el eas to trac)(
Who1s following ou4 ?3ollow up =uestions( 0o ou recogni$e them4 7re the in our
district4 7re the "influencers" ou1re tring to reach4@
Is our following increasing# decreasing# or holding stead4 What1s the trend o8er
time4
7re people interacting with our content4 5n 3aceboo)# are the
-i)ing*/ommenting*&haring4 5n !witter# are the retweeting our info or repling to it4
Which of our posts are generating acti8it on 3aceboo) or !witter4 /ertain issues4
+articular )inds of content# for instance photos*images 8s. lin)s to articles4
3aceboo) gi8es +age owners access to an analtics tool it calls "Insights#" which ?li)e
e8erthing else on 3aceboo)@ changes constantl. 7s of this writing# this article pro8ides a
)( 4 How to Us e the I nternet to Win in 2014 4 epoliti cs.com
good o8er8iew# but )eep in mind that the ma be different b the time ou read this boo).
!o trac) the performance of our 3aceboo) content# ou can alwas create a spreadsheet of
our 3aceboo) posts# Bust as with our fundraising and other emails. In the case of 3aceboo)#
ou1d list the post title ?or some other information that1ll help ou identif it@# the date posted#
and the indi8idual numbers of -i)es*&hares*/omments each post generated.
-i)ewise# a spreadsheet is our friend on !witter ; again# ou1d list our tweets and when
the were posted ?include a U>- for the !weet for later reference@# along with how often the
were retweeted. If possible# ou might also list WH5 retweeted them# a measure of whom
ou1re influencing on !witter.
:ut )eep in mind that social media analtics are Bust means to an end( understanding our
audience and the content that engages them.
3&cebook Custom Au"iences
3aceboo) /ustom 7udiences are a new wa to tie data to 3aceboo) outreach# since the let
ou upload an email list to use to target 3aceboo) ads. /hec) out the chapter on digital
ad8ertising for more details.
8 oci &l =oterEtoE=oter Tool s
7nother relati8el new de8elopment# which the 5bama 2012 campaign used to tap 8oters it
couldn1t reach through other channels( tapping our 3aceboo) supporters1 social connections
b comparing their "friend" lists with the 8oter file ou1re tring to contact. /riticall# our
supporters need to /H55&E to allow our campaign to access their friends# but once the18e
agreed to do so# the technolog matches them with indi8idual 8oters the campaign has
prioriti$ed for contact based on its 8oter file data. !hen# ou can as) those supporters to email
or call the targeted 8oter or post content to his or her 3aceboo) page.
!he 5bama campaign apparentl de8eloped their own platform to accomplish this tas)# which
particularl helped them reach 8oters under age %0 in battleground states. 5ther 8endors ;
'2+97' was the first that I )now of ; offer similar technologies# with >epublican Aen
/uccinelli using one 8ersion in 9irginia in 201%.
5f course# these tools will onl help if ou18e first done the wor) of 1@ building a si$able
3aceboo) following# and 2@ creating a list or data model of the 8oters ou need to reach.
0es s & 'e Testin'
/ampaigns traditionall test their basic messaging using polls# focus groups and their own
Budgment. +ollsters beware# though( online data now gi8e staff new tools to e8aluate the
themes# issues# framing and wording the use to define their candidate.
Website and email analtics can help# since page traffic can gi8e a sense of the subBects local
8oters are interested in# while email response rates show which appeals wor) with a
campaign1s e"isting supporters. 5nline ad campaigns can tell ou much more# though# e8en
for a local campaign using 3aceboo) and 2oogle 7ds. 7s we discussed earlier# testing
multiple ad 8ariants helps focus resources on the 8ersions that turn out to wor)# increasing
the effecti8e 8alue of e8er ad dollar spent. 7d<dri8en message<testing e"tends this approach
to gathering data about their o8erall communications themes.
7 common techni=ue( run separate ads with different messaging options 8s. 8arious )eword
combinations on 2oogle# to identif the themes that resonate with people searching for
information related to those particular )ewords. &imilarl# campaigns can run ads against
different demographics and interests on 3aceboo)# gathering data about which messages
and imager each separate target audience responds to. !he best part( ou gather useful
information 7'0 new supporters with the same clic)s.
=oter 0o"elin' &n" T&r 'etin'
7s the data options a8ailable to campaigns impro8e# more and more are beginning to use
predicti8e models to decide which indi8idual 8oters are priorities to contact. !he 5bama 2012
campaign used this techni=ue to an unprecedented e"tent# assigning e8er 8oter in priorit
areas a numerical score based on 1@ their li)elihood to 8ote for the president# and 2@ their
li)elihood to turn out to 8ote.
/ampaign staff based these scores on a combination of factors# including 8oter<file
information on past election turnout# cross<referenced with census information and data about
)+ 4 How to Us e the I nternet to Win in 2014 4 epoliti cs.com
past consumer choices obtained from commercial pro8iders. +lus# the campaign reached out
directl to 8oters themsel8es# collecting information from phone calls and can8assing 8isits.
!heir priorit4 >eaching 8oters with a high li)elihood of 8oting for 5bama but a spott record
of going to the polls# since the promised the highest return on the campaign1s in8estment of
resources. While their data wor) was far from perfect# a clear sign of their success was the
high turnout of )e demographic groups in battleground states.
!he rest of us won1t ha8e 5bama1s arm of analsts and data scientists to run numbers and
create 8oter models# but most campaigns can get access to at least a 8oter file ?sometimes
with associated demographic data@ from their state part. 3rom there# it1s a =uestion of
identifing the demographic groups most important to win o8er in our district and targeting
them with online ads# direct mail# phone calls and can8assing.
6eanwhile# as we18e discussed before# campaign outreach wor) pro8ides e8en 65>E data#
in the form of ad response rates and answers to can8assing =uestions. 7 )e strength of
good data<management sstems4 !he e"tent to which the ma)e it relati8el eas for ou to
feed new data into the sstem and ha8e it update =uic)l ?see( 9irginia 201%@.
.eer %or'et/ thou'h: "&t& c&n proi"e t&r'etin' coor"in&tes/ but it "oes
9ou no 'oo" until it2 s put to work. Con2t inest s eriousl9 in "&t& &n&l9si s
unles s 9ou &l so h&e the resources to use it.
T= T&r 'etin'
7lso new in 2012( the 5bama campaign emploed sophisticated 8oter modeling to optimi$e
their tele8ision ad bus. 7s described in more detail in this Camaigns ! "lections article # the
campaign1s !9 buers wor)ed with cable companies and other pro8iders of ad in8entor to
identif the most cost<effecti8e times and channels to reach 8ital 8oters. In the process# the
cut their cost<per<8oter<contact b up to F0N. Watch for other large<scale campaigns to tr to
emulate this practice in 2014.
,0 4 How to Us e the I nternet to Win in 2014 4 epoliti cs.com
10. Go'i sti cs/ Bu"'et &n" 8t &%%in'
"7mateurs tal) strateg# professionals tal) logistics" ; it1s an old militar adage# but it has
some truth in the world of digital politics as well. !he tools are onl as good as the human
sstems that ma)e them wor).
7s we18e seen# a modern online campaign can get intricate fast. 7t the 8er least# most
campaigns will need to create a website# administer a supporter list 8ia />6# create a
3aceboo) +age and !witter account# run digital ads# post 8ideos to ,ou!ube# connect with
bloggers and other online acti8ists# and create the infrastructure to raise mone online. !hose
are Bust the tools ; to put them to wor)# the campaign will need an email strateg# a
recruitment strateg# a social media strateg# a grassroots strateg ?often including a mobile
component@# an ad8ertising strateg# a fundraising strateg# and last but ne8er least# a turnout
operation to actuall get people to 8ote. 7nd that1s prett much the minimum# at least for a
/ongressional or statewide race. Whew.
8t &%% s Consult&nt s
&o who should do the wor)# campaign staff or consultants4 I don1t )now 8er man
e"perienced digital campaigners who would argue that a campaign should outsource its entire
online operation ; unless those e"perienced campaigners are consultants and their own
bread and butter depends on them saing so. !he internet has become such a central part of
how we communicate with each other in 2014 that it1s prett much essential to ha8e the
online staff full integrated into a campaign. In fact# talented friends of mine in the field argue
that a campaign1s 3I>&! hire should be a digital director# supplemented as needed b a big<
donor fundraiser ; because what the digital team does is effecti8el the bac)bone for the
rest of the campaign.
&imilarl# it doesn1t ma)e sense for a modern campaign to launch without a basic digital
foundation in place# starting with a website# />6 and search ad8ertising. Wh announce
without a wa to le8erage that initial burst of attention4 Wh hold e8en the 8er first e8ents
without a wa to sign people up and )eep trac) of them4 Wh let 8oters# bloggers# Bournalists
and acti8ists hear our candidate1s name without a wa to find him or her online4 7 missed
connection e=uals a missed 8ote ; or a missed donation.
:ut where should the digital staff "li8e" inside a campaign4 If ou could as) the 5bama
operation# the most successful internet political machine to date# the1d sa that the online
team should be at the leadership table and e=ual with field# fundraising# communications# I!#
etc ; it should be a entit of its own# not stuc) under the tech director and hidden in a
basement somewhere. 7t the same time# digital staff should also be integrated with the rest of
the campaign# wor)ing closel with their peers on other teams. &eparate# but integrated.
3or an e"ample of wh# I once heard an online ad8ertising consultant for a top<le8el 200C
>epublican presidential campaign tal) about how he could see trends in the political
en8ironment das in ad8ance b loo)ing at how different 2oogle ad 8ariants performed. :ut
because he was functionall off in a silo and not interacting regularl with the rest of the staff#
the could rarel ta)e ad8antage of the trends he saw.
5f course we1re tal)ing about campaigns of a certain si$e ; someone running for maor in a
small town li)el won1t ha8e staff at all# Bust famil and 8olunteers. :ut serious /ongressional
candidates and man people running at the state and local le8el will need to hire dedicated
digital talent if the1re going to ta)e full ad8antage of the opportunities the internet offers.
:ut it 05E& often ma)e sense to outsource tas)s that re=uire particular technical s)ills or
speciali$ed )nowledge. 6obile strategies are a good e"ample# since relati8el few people in
the business )now much about the comple"ities of campaigning 8ia cell phone. 0igital
ad8ertising is another# since e8en 2oogle and 3aceboo) ad campaigns benefit from e"tensi8e
e"perimentation with )ewords and demographics# something that1s difficult to do well if
ou1re learning on the fl ?and don1t e8en !HI'A about doing "coo)ie targeting" on our own@.
:ut campaigns shouldn1t treat e8en the best consultants as "blac) bo"es" into which to pour
mone in e"change for results. Instead# the should wor) closel with their outside e"perts to
get the most benefit from e8er dollar the spend.
Technolo'9 =en"ors
!en ears ago# as we discussed earlier# most online campaigns were minimal or hodge<
podge affairs. !he websites were usuall custom creations# done b a random 8endor or b
someone1s nephew# and />6 sstems were in their infanc. 7s was online fundraising ; the
masses had et to become comfortable gi8ing up their credit cards to the internet demons.
'owadas# man state< and local<le8el campaigns still piece together an online presence#
perhaps combining an email sstem li)e 6ail/himp with a website built b their media
consultants or a local firm. :ut candidates can also choose from an arra of tailored
professional offerings# since most online consulting firms offer their clients websites# />6s
and similar technologies as a pac)age.
:esides proprietar technologies specific to particular consultants# campaigns can also ta)e
ad8antage of standardi$ed and widel used sstems. Hundreds of state<le8el 0emocratic
campaigns ha8e used a website*/>6 pac)ages pro8ided through the 0emocratic -egislati8e
/ampaign /ommittee ?integrated with fundraising site 7ct:lue@# and as we discussed earlier#
campaigns on both sides can turn to 'ation:uilder# an integrated website*/>6 pac)age that
also includes robust trac)ing of social media interactions.
7 word to the wise( it 8er rarel ma)es sense to ha8e custom technolog de8eloped to
perform standard tas)s# unless our name is :arac) 5bama. 'ewt 2ingrich1s EC00#000
website*/>6 combo4 He could ha8e bought the same capabilities off the shelf for ne"t to
nothing and li)el paid a few thousand dollars for configuration and customi$ation. 5opsie.
#nline Bu"'et s
7 big =uestion( how much should campaigns spend online4 In past ccles# most campaigns
spent relati8el little# perhaps a percent or two of their o8erall budget. E8en the 5bama
campaign1s 200C online spending was a tin fraction of what he in8ested in !9 ads. !his
situation is finall changing ; b 2010# man campaigns were starting to allocate 10N of
their total spending to online channels# particularl ad8ertising. In 2014# a comparable number
ma be 1F<20N# again with the biggest chun) going to pa for ads.
:ut hard numbers will 8ar depending on the specifics of a race. !9 ads are usuall still the
best wa to reach uncommitted 8oters ?though not alwas ; what if ou1re running in a small
district buried in a big media mar)et4@# but the internet builds connections that can be tapped
again and again# ma)ing the two hard to compare. +lus# costs aren1t alwas costs# since an
,* 4 How to Us e the I nternet to Win in 2014 4 epoliti cs.com
online fundraising program can pa for itself ?as the 5bama campaign pro8ed@# and man
campaigns ha8e found the >eturn 5n In8estment from targeted 2oogle 7ds to be surprisingl
high.
>ather than thin)ing of "online" as its own separate world# smaller campaigns should follow
5bama1s e"ample and integrate the internet more broadl into their operations. 3or instance#
traditional media relations and blogger relations re=uire most of the same s)ills and emplo
man of the same tactics# so e8en if resources aren1t a8ailable for a standalone blog team#
the press fol)s could include bloggers and !witterers in their outreach portfolio. 5n other
fronts# campaign1s media consultant can produce online 8ideo clips# though the1ll ha8e to
adapt to a 8er different world than that of campaign commercials# and field organi$ers can
embrace 3aceboo)# !witter and te"t messages.
In some was# more important than the resources de8oted to online outreach is WHE'
the1re emploed# since list<building and much of the rest of online outreach are incremental
and reward an earl start. 3or instance# e8en if campaign has et to pic) a full<fledged />6# it
should still collect names and email addresses whene8er possible. !he candidate can alwas
bring a laptop*i+ad and a staffer or 8olunteer to real<world e8ents.
3or a small or e8en solo campaign# aggressi8e online acti8ism ma not ta)e up too much
time. 5nce the website is created and the />6 configured# social media channels li)e
3aceboo) ta)e onl minutes to set up# and e8en buing 2oogle 7ds can be relati8el
straightforward if ou1re not tring man )eword*content combos. &ince an acti8e campaign
should be creating a constant stream of content in the form of announcements# press
releases# 8ideos# photos# position papers# etc.# the main time commitment ?beond direct
outreach to online influentials@ is usuall )eeping the 8arious channels fed# egos massaged
and incoming messages answered. 5f course# we1re tal)ing about the bare minimum ; real
engagement will ta)e time.
If ou1re a small campaign with a single staffer# tr to spend at least eight hours planning and
e"ecuting our online<specific strateg per wee)# particularl at the beginning# remembering
that those earl hours can be far more 8aluable than time spent right before the election.
In an case# )eeping up with a campaign1s internet presence needs to be someone1s defined
responsibilit# since otherwise it tends to fall through the ine8itable crac)s. 5b8iousl# as we
mo8e up the scale campaigns should de8ote more resources to online outreach# particularl
to the process of turning passi8e followers into acti8e donors and 8olunteers. >egardless of
their si$e# campaigns will constantl be buffeted b outside e8ents# but the should ta)e care
to )eep the stead process of building a supporter base on trac) ; e8en as da<to<da crises
scream for attention.
$uttin' It All To'ether
!hat1s it for the essentials of internet political campaigning...not bad at all. 'e"t# let1s pull it all
together into a basic online communications plan.
,) 4 How to Us e the I nternet to Win in 2014 4 epoliti cs.com
11. A 8 &mple #nline C&mp&i 'n $l &n
7s we18e seen# smart campaigns can turn to the internet to increase the effecti8eness of
almost all of their acti8ities and shift the odds in their fa8or in 2014. 5f course# online tools
are1t li)el to win man elections on their own ?fundamentals li)e the actual candidate do
matter@# but campaigns that emplo online strategies intelligentl and with real<world goals in
mind should ha8e a significant edge o8er their ri8als# particularl in tight races. 'ot<so<bold
prediction( online ads# online recruiting# online messaging# online mobili$ation and online
fundraising can ?and will@ ma)e a difference in elections for the &enate# /ongress and state
and local offices in 2014. !9 still matters# field organi$ing 0E3I'I!E-, still matters# but for
more and more political fights the )e battlegrounds are in 8irtual space. Ignore them at our
peril.
An" i% 9ou w&nt to know more/ or &re & :ourn&li st workin' on & stor9/ let2 s
ch&t.
A B& si c C&mp&i 'n #nline #ure&ch $l &n
'ow that we understand the essential tools and tactics of online political organi$ing# let1s put
them together into a coherent plan to win an election.
$h&se #ne: !ettin' -st &bli she"
7t the start# campaigns need to focus on getting the basics right# a process that ma ta)e
from a few das to a few wee)s. 3or a presidential race# this stage should ha8e ta)en place a
ear before the first primaries. 5ther campaigns are li)el to get a much later start# ta)ing
these steps between a few months and a ear of the primar or the general election#
depending on which will be contested. !he initial steps(
:egin monitoring the raceO set up 2oogle 7lerts on the candidate and opponent.
:uild and launch website with integrated supporter signup*/>6*fundraising sstem.
Establish 3aceboo) page and !witter feed and connect with local political acti8ists.
Establish ,ou!ube channel with initial content ?e8en if onl a single clip@.
Identif rele8ant ?usuall local@ political blogs based on audience and topic.
,, 4 How to Us e the I nternet to Win in 2014 4 epoliti cs.com
Identif other prominent online 8oices# including those on !witter and blogs and
fre=uent commenters on local political sites.
:egin connecting with these online influentials and persuade them to support the
campaign when possible.
:egin running 2oogle and 3aceboo) ads to build the campaign1s list# e8en if the initial
bu is onl a few dollars per da.
Identif other online communities that ma be good recruiting channels.
$h&se Two: 3ee"in' the Be& st
With an infrastructure in place# a campaign mo8es into the long middle period between the
candidate1s announcement and the actual 8oting. -ist<building and fundraising will be usuall
be the highest priorit# supported b outreach and content creation.
+romote website in all print materials and broadcast ad8ertising.
>ecruit new supporters*list members at in<person e8ents.
/ontinue online ad8ertising aimed at recruiting donors and 8olunteers# particularl on
2oogle and 3aceboo) but also on blogs and local media sites if possible. &ophisticated
campaigns ma start using hper<targeted online ads for recruitment and message<
testing as well.
:egin comprehensi8e email<based online fundraising 8ia />6.
&olicit and organi$e supporters1 8olunteer time# also 8ia />6 but possibl through
custom social networ) or other tools.
E"pand*impro8e campaign website content.
E"pand connections on 3aceboo) and !witterO post new content regularl.
Encourage supporters to spread the word and recruit friends through their online and
offline channels.
+ost additional online 8ideos to ,ou!ube profile and campaign website as needed and
as a8ailable
:uild relationships with and aggressi8el court local bloggers# !witterers and other
online influentials# with an ee to pitching stories and arranging opportunities to spea)
directl to their audiences.
,( 4 How to Us e the I nternet to Win in 2014 4 epoliti cs.com
/ontinue monitoring independent online content posted about the raceO respond as
necessar and able.
:egin grassroots can8assing operation# facilitated b data analtics and mobile
technolog if possible.
$h&se Three: 5unEUp to -l ection C&9
5nce an election is close# an online campaign will shift into full mobili$ation mode. !his phase
tpicall begins roughl a month before 8oting starts.
:egin final field<organi$ing push# including can8assing and phoneban)ing.
5rgani$e 8olunteer teams for turnout operation.
:egin earl*absentee 8oting push# if applicable.
&end urgent fundraising appeals# stressing urgenc of race.
Encourage last<minute supporter online e8angelism on 3aceboo)# personal email# etc.
>amp up email campaign intensit 8ia />6 to support all of the abo8e acti8ities.
&witch emphasis of online ad8ertising from recruitment to persuasion of fence<sitters.
3in&l $ush
3ield organi$ers switch to pushing 8oter turnout# particularl in targeted neighborhoods
and demographics.
5nline ads switch to a mi" of persuasion ?to reach 8oters still ma)ing up their minds@
and turnout<boosting. 7d targeting becomes )e to reaching the 8oters the campaign
needs for 25!9.
Email*3aceboo)*!witter program pushes last<minute donations.
Email*3aceboo)*!witter program also pushes 8oter turnout# with an emphasis on tell<
our<friends as)s.
5n Election 0a# send final appeals 8ia email# social networ)ing outlets# te"t
messaging# campaign website# !witter# semaphore# smo)e signal and all other
a8ailable channels. 3ield teams get people to the polls. Hope for the best.
7fter the election# send follow<up message to supporters.
5el &te" Arti cles;3or 0ore I n%orm&tion
Each chapter abo8e contains lin)s to rele8ant content# articles that often go into more depth
than room allowed in this guide. ,ou can also email author /olin 0elan at
cpdJepolitics.com with =uestions.
#ther !ui"es %rom -politi cs.com
-earning from 5bama( -essons for 5nline /ommunicators in 200K and :eond
5nline +olitics 101
A Us e%ul #ut si"e 5esource on #b&m& 2012
Epolitics.com doesn1t et ha8e a comprehensi8e guide to the 5bama 2012 campaign# but ou
can chec) out "Inside !he /a8e#" prepared b >epublican consulting firm Engage. It1s good
stuff.
,+ 4 How to Us e the I nternet to Win in 2014 4 epoliti cs.com
About the Author
/olin 0elan is a digital strateg consultant and the founder and
editor of Epolitics.com# a site that focuses on the tools and tactics
of Internet politics and online political ad8ocac. Epolitics.com
recei8ed the 2olden 0ot 7ward as ":est :log < 'ational +olitics"
at the 200M +olitics 5nline /onference# and 0elan participated
in 0/ 3o" affiliate W!!2<2F1s li8e co8erage of the 200C general
election night. He was honored as one of "!en Who 7re
/hanging the World of +olitics and the Internet" at the 2010
World E<2o8 3orum in +aris.
:esides "Winning in 2014#" Epolitics.com features two additional
e<boo)s# "5nline +olitics 101( !he !ools and !actics of 5nline
+olitical 7d8ocac" and "-earning from 5bama#" the definiti8e
guide to :arac) 5bama1s 200C online campaign. "5nline +olitics 101" and "-earning from
5bama" together ha8e been downloaded from Epolitics.com o8er M0#000 times. He spea)s
often at conferences and in front of uni8ersit classes and writes a regular column for
Camaigns ! "lections maga$ine.
0elan started in politics in the earl 1K0s in the !e"as /apitol ?where public ser8ice is
considered a contact sport@ and mo8ed into the online political world in 1KKF. In 1KKK# during
the first internet boom# he helped to start a targeted search engine for politics and polic#
which lasted about as long as such ideas usuall do. &ince then# 0elan has wor)ed as a
consultant and trainer to help do$ens of political and ad8ocac campaigns promote
themsel8es in the digital world# along the wa ser8ing as digital director at the 'ational
En8ironmental !rust and 'ational Women1s -aw /enter.
/urrentl# besides editing Epolitics.com# 0elan helps nonprofit organi$ations# political
campaigns and companies achie8e their communications# electoral and ad8ocac goals using
digital tools. He li8es in the Washington# 0/ neighborhood of 6ount +leasant and
occasionall plas bass in a roc) and roll band.
(0 4 How to Us e the I nternet to Win in 2014 4 epoliti cs.com
3or media or consulting in=uiries# please email /olin 0elan at cpdJepolitics.com. ,ou can
follow him on !witter at Jepolitics.
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