7 digital things to do BEFORE launching your political campaign
Think of your digital presence as the front-line of your political campaign. First impressions matter: your website and/or social media may be the first (and perhaps only) interaction that voters have with you during the race. Make it count.
You should have the foundations of your online strategy ready to go before you launch your candidacy, and with two goals in mind: to increase awareness of your campaign, and to quickly build relationships with voters.
Here are the five things you must do before launching your campaign:
1. Purchase your domain name
The first thing you need to do as soon as you start thinking about running for office is purchase a domain name for your campaign. Simply put, a domain is the name of your website. It's what comes after “www,” “https://,” or “@” in an email address.
Choose a domain name that isn’t specific to either the year or office for which you’re running. If possible, choose one with your first and last name. Consider purchasing additional domain names similar to your own (using all the possible domain extensions), if only to prevent your opponent(s) from buying them. Ask Ted Cruz why. Even if you’re just thinking of running for office, you should go ahead and purchase the domains associated with your name.
Here's a list of some of the top domain registrars*:
Google Domains (recommended)
We use Google Domains or Squarespace (some subscriptions come with a free domain!) to manage our own domains.
*A registrar is simply a company that manages the reservation of Internet domain names.
2. Build your website (oh hey, we can do this for you)
Your website is the foundation of your digital presence and should play a critical role in your campaign's persuasion and mobilization efforts. The good news? You no longer need to spend $10,000 to develop one. It's never been easier to set up a professional-looking, customized website cheaply and with minimal technical knowledge.
Your website, at the bare minimum, should include:
Your campaign's contact information, including a physical mailing address for contributions;
The date of your election and the name of the office you’re seeking;
The ability to accept online contributions;
The ability to collect email addresses (usually a sign-up form) in order to start building your contact list;
An introduction to your candidacy that gives visitors the gist of who you are and why you are running. What do you stand for? How can voters support you?
Tip: You do not need to have a fully developed policy or issues page in order to launch your website (or your campaign). If you do, kudos! If you don't, launch anyway. There will be time to develop and refine your platform as the campaign progresses, so don't let this hold you back or make you feel "unqualified" to run.
You should be able to talk to voters about why you're running for office, and why the issues that matter most to you are so important, but you do not need to know everything about every possible issue.
3. Set up social media profiles
Start simple. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with content schedules, hashtag research, and finally figuring out what a meme is, but your initial social media strategy only needs to start with the essentials. Your campaign does not need to be on every single social media platform — especially at the very beginning.
Focus on doing one or two platforms really well. Which platforms you use will depend on your campaign's specific needs and target demographics. Our suggestions? Start with Facebook and Twitter. Here’s why:
Facebook is the best platform for creating a community around your candidacy and for directly reaching voters organically and through targeted advertising. Facebook is also the social media platform most frequently used by likely voters (voters over age 45).
Twitter is the best platform for interacting with journalists/news outlets and tapping into national networks of support.
4. Set up Your Email Game
Get that email list rolling from the get-go. Craft an email strategy that's all about staying connected with your supporters. Shoot out regular updates, shine a light on the big issues that matter, and rally your crew. Tools like Mailchimp and Constant Contact can be your sidekicks in keeping things organized. No need for a fancy approach—just a friendly way to keep your supporters in the loop and ready to roll with your campaign.
5. Sign-up with crowdfunding sites
Kickstarter-style crowdfunding for political campaigns has become widespread in recent years, and will only continue to grow as existing platforms expand and new ones emerge.
While it's likely that crowdfunding sites won't be your silver bullet to fundraising (*cough* call time *cough*), they can help your campaign spread your message to specific niches, build a national audience, and increase your donor base. Signing up is also quick, easy, and convenient.
Our recommendations:
You'll need to create a compelling crowdfunding page, with an emphasis on the policy issues or aspects of your candidacy that will most appeal to outside donors.
6. Do a digital audit
Google yourself. If you use social networking sites, or regularly post photos, videos, blogs, or comments online, review your content.
What information already exists about you online? What does your public profile say about you as a person or as a candidate?
Remove anything that may be problematic or should remain private. Consider changing the privacy settings on your social networking pages so that only your friends and family can see your personal information. You should consider asking your immediate family to do the same, for privacy's sake and because opposition researchers will most certainly review every social media account associated with your own.
7. Brace for impact
Think about the what-ifs in the digital realm and have a solid plan for when things get a bit hairy. When online hiccups come knocking, handle them with a cool head and professionalism. A well-managed crisis speaks volumes about your campaign's resilience and commitment to being straight-up with the folks out there.
