Republitech

Leverging Google Apps

2010-03-02T23:44:00.003-05:00

Email seems to be the most common way to communicate, even for a political campaign. I know a lot of campaigns like to have their own email address with their own domain name (like john@smithforcongress.com). However, many campaigns either do not have email or have implemented costly and inefficient systems. I would like to suggest a very power and free solution: Google Apps.

I use Google Apps for many of my clients, political or otherwise. As long as you have fewer than 50 users the system is free. The domain (i.e. www.smithforcongress.com) is linked to a Google email server. The interface looks almost exactly like a gmail account. You have access to not only email, but docs, calendar, etc. The Google logo can even be switched out for your own. Furthermore, smart phone users can manage your emails right on your phone with Google's awesome phone application, Google Sync.

Moving from an existing system to Google Apps is really easy as well. I had one client that was using a Microsoft Exchange server for email. He was paying a monthly fee to run this service. He had been using Exchange for a long time and understandably was a little concerned about the transfer. His biggest concern was reaching email on his smart phone since it was Microsoft based. We eventually convinced him to switch and every thing transitioned quickly and smoothly. He has never looked back.

Google Apps is a great solution for any campaign. It is relatively quick to set up so if you have a simple site with a tight budget, you might as well tell your webmaster to go ahead and set it up. At the very least, having your domain name in your email address would be free advertising.

The next post will be March 16th.

The Sharing Network

2010-02-15T16:20:00.005-05:00

Technology has change how we gather information. It used to be slow and cumbersome, but now it seems we can just type in a few search terms on Google and get an answer. As easy as that sounds, information gathering may be become even easier - by outsourcing that responsibility to your friends. A recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle caught my eye discussing how Facebook is becoming a larger referrer than Google. More site traffic is coming from links posted on Facebook, than searches in Google. In other words, sharing is becoming more popular than searching.

Let us take a look at what I mean by sharing a link. On Facebook, this could be a status update, message on someone's wall, or a post on a group/fan page. Yes, it is really that easy. Just by putting a link somewhere in a message you will create interest. Why will you create interest? Simple, by posting a link you are claiming it is interesting and relevant. Voters who are interested in your campaign will then interpret that message as something that needs read. If they like it then they will repost it making a claim to their friends that it is interesting and relevant. This chain reaction can go on to infinity.

This does not mean whatever you post will get read and shared. You must have something that is actually worthwhile. No one likes spam, especially on social networks. You do not annoy your friends offline with constant talk about yourself, so why would you do that online. However, posting your links to you website with your press releases or upcoming events is perfectly acceptable. Furthermore, sharing goes both ways. If one of your constituents shares an interesting link with you, you can go ahead and share it with all your online friends. In that case make sure you give credit.

With a lot of my sites (both political and non-political) this trend seems true. While I would still say Google tends to be the largest traffic generator, Facebook still counts for a high percentage. Facebook is also a lot easier to spread the word. I have noticed spikes in traffic from Facebook and other social media site shortly after a post. However, this spike only lasts a day or two until the message becomes "old". Understanding how sharing works on social networks is a must.

The next post will be March 1st.

Lessons from "Ellie Light"

2010-02-02T15:06:00.004-05:00

Just the other week, The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio) discovered an interesting pattern with letters to the editor. Numerous newspapers from around the country were posting letters with nearly identical language all signed by "Ellie Light." The only real difference was that the author claimed a local address (in West Virgina, Ohio, Maine, California, etc.) each time. The letters were in support of Obama and asked America to be patient while he tries to solve tough issues. Here is The Plain Dealer's original story. After a week of rumors, theories, and some excellent investigation work done by Sabrina Eaton at The Plain Dealer it was discovered that Ellie Light was actually a man named Winston Steward from California. Here is the updated story.

There are still plenty of rumors flying around about Steward. Some think he is actually an operative for the Obama administration trying to plant grassroots support around the country. After all, Steward has gone through several lies to cover his tracks (at one point he claimed his name was Barbara Brooks) so there may yet be more to this story. However, I want to focus on the role technology played in this story and provide a lesson for campaigns.

Some are questioning the newspapers that published the letters for not insuring that the letters to the editors were authentic. Even the paper that broke the story, The Plain Dealer is guilty of this failing. The only reason the reporter at The Plain Dealer investigated Ellie Light's identity was because she happened to have had an old co-worker by the same name and wanted to see if it was the same person. The point I want to focus on is that whether this letter writing campaign is part of a larger conspiracy or not, it was going to be discovered no matter what.

The pattern of Ellie Light's letters was easy to discover. All it took was a quick search on Lexis-Nexis (online database of newspapers) to show the same letter by the same author in different papers across the country. In a matter of a few seconds Ellie Light was busted. Steward came up with all kinds of excuses but at the end of the day credibility was lost and he ended up doing damage to Obama's reputation.

I want to go back to a point I have talked about, especially when it comes to social media: honesty. Letters to the editor are nothing more than a primitive social media tool. Steward chose to send letters to newspapers, but he could have just as easily chose to set up a blog, Twitter, or Facebook account with the name of "Ellie Light." The result would be the same either way. When voters want to engage in a discussion they want to do it openly and honestly. If you are faced with losing your job, struggling with student loans, or just worried about the general welfare of your community and country, the last thing you want is a fictional person telling you what to think. There is a big difference between engaging the community and supporting grass roots organizations, and faking its creation. Technology has opened up opportunities to fake an identity, but it also has created a bunch of tools to catch those schemes. I cannot emphasize this enough: DO NOT TRY IT!

I have no doubt that this type of thing will be tried again. There are probably some cases where the instigator was never uncovered. However, the cost of being caught greatly outweighs any potential benefits. Ellie Light got national attention not because the original letters were well thought out or inspiring, but because the secret plot was discovered. While there is no official connection between Ellie Light and Obama to this date, just think of the real damage that would be done if a connection was confirmed.

The next post will be February 16th.

How Scott Brown Used the Internet to Change the World of Politics

2010-01-19T09:19:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow it will be the one year anniversary of Republitech and thus one year since Obama has been sworn in. It is rather fitting that today is the special election in Massachusetts to replace Senator Ted Kennedy. A Republican named Scott Brown looks like he might beat Democrat Martha Coakley in a state that has not sent a Republican to congress in well over a decade. While we won't know until later tonight who will win, it is an excellent lesson on how Republicans have an opportunity to seize the moment and leverage technology.

We have been hearing a lot about Brown's campaign. However, there are some things his campaign has been doing quite well that have not been highly publicized. The first comes from a CNN article that caught my eye - http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/01/15/first-on-the-ticker-gop-candidate-saturates-google-with-ads/. It was last month that I talked about the power of pay-per-click ads, specifically Google's tools (See post here). There are two things I want to highlight with Brown's Google ads. First, he started early. It got him name recognition, traffic to his website, and most critically donations in the early stage of his campaign. Second, his campaign clearly has spent time developing a pay-per-click strategy. They have a focused keyword strategy going after those searching for "Martha Coakley." Since Coakley is not buying advertising on Google at all, Brown has had free reign on both his name and his opponents. In other words, you are going to get pro-Brown ads no matter if you are searching for Brown or Coakley.

There is one "mistake" I noticed after doing some quick searches on Google. While the campaign is in Massachusetts, the race has become a national sensation. I could not find any ads on Google for either candidate. This is most likely because Brown has limited his ads to the state of Massachusetts (I am in Ohio). People all over the country have been motivated to lend support (money, phone banking from their house, etc). Why not reach out to them through Google ads? The only thing I found was this:

It is an ad with a link to a form to allow you to donate money to support Coakley (albeit somewhat indirectly through the DSCC). There should be Republican ads popping up.

The second facet of Brown's online strategy I want to discuss is that of social media. I read this interesting blog post just the other day written by Professor William A. Jacobson (Cornell Law School) - http://legalinsurrection.blogspot.com/2010/01/brown-massacres-coakley-online.html. The charts Jacobson provides are quite telling. Brown is a topic that people are finding very interesting and talking about. Some of this is probably due to the recent national attention the race has been given, but there are two candidates in this race. Voters are finding Brown's social media efforts to be engaging, helpful, and motivating. Coakley appears to be uninteresting. Interestingly enough, in the previous CNN article Coakley's campaign's excuse for not running Google ads was to focus on social media. Clearly her campaign has failed. I also want to point out that so many people have taken interest in Brown's social media outlets that he is receiving positive and free grassroots advertising. Take a look at the YouTube videos at the end of the blog post that were created by average citizens mocking Coakley's campaign strategies.

Don't get me wrong, Scott Brown is a great candidate beyond what he has done with technology. He is active, motivated, respected, thoughtful and unlike his opponent, he is gaffe free. Even so, in a state like Massachusetts a Republican is going to have to be way above and beyond their opponent. The lessons from Brown's campaign are clear. Online campaign is not a theory. it is not a fad. It is a communication tool that gets the Republican's message out and it has put Obama in a very awkward spot.

Below are some of Brown's online resources. Please check them out!
Website - http://www.brownforussenate.com/
Twitter - http://twitter.com/scottbrownma
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Scott-Brown/178795233167
YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/user/scottbrownma

The next post will be February 2nd.

Technology Resolutions for the New Year

2010-01-05T09:26:00.005-05:00

Keeping with tradition, I would like to set a few resolutions for Republicans in terms of technology. With 2010 being an important election year, these goals become even more critical. Below I have 3 simple resolutions which I hope your campaign will adopt.

1. Master at least one social media platform
I have talked about many different social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, etc.). Many campaigns have adopted social media, but I feel that a good number of those campaigns need to develop their strategy more. There are often two mistakes campaigns make: one inexcusable, the other slightly more understandable, but should still be remedied. First, the inexcusable mistake. Many feel that "if you build it, they will come." Social media does not work this way. You must engage and build a community. The second mistake is having someone on your staff post content. It is understandable that candidates are extremely busy people and sometimes they will not be able to directly engage everyone who responds to them. However, the most ideal situation is to have the candidate engage social media. Voters will appreciate it more and take more interest in the campaign if they know they are interacting with the candidate (after all, that is the point of social media). Both of these mistakes can be prevented by mastering at least one social media. Know how to use it, follow the changes in that platform, and engage users and build followers.

2. Keep website content fresh
This is a challenge for any organization with a website. Adding content can be time consuming and tedious. However, visitors to your website expect to see up-to-date information. I have even seen sites that advertise the candidate running for the wrong position when they used their old campaign site for a run at a new office. This will only frustrate and annoy voters. On the other hand, voters will revisit your site if they know new information will be there. The site becomes a resource and will get bookmarked. Big campaigns especially need to keep their sites fresh, but it is important for even local candidates. A great example of a local candidate with lots of fresh content is Ohio State Rep. Ron Amstutz, http://www.amstutz.org

3. Develop a comprehensive online strategy
Too many campaigns do not have a comprehensive strategy for the Internet. In my experience, campaigns approach new media in bits and pieces without looking at the big picture. They also do not sit down with their staff and draw up a plan. Technology still is treated like an afterthought. I strongly recommend developing a plan, and then revisiting the plan every now and then. Analyze your options, discuss pros and cons, and decide the best way to execute the plan.

I hope you take these three resolutions into consideration, and above all else...have a happy New Year!

The next post will be January 19th.

Why Wikipedia Matters

2009-12-22T12:22:00.004-05:00

First off, I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season. We are just a few days away from Christmas and a week later it is New Year's Day.

Now for the exciting part of today's post: why Wikipedia matters. Wikipedia has become the standard for quickly looking up information. Google will most likely refer you to Wikipedia when performing a search. I was able to play around with Wikipedia recently while helping out Jim Renacci's campaign for the U.S. House race in Ohio's 16th Congressional district. His entry is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Renacci.

On a personal level, I have it say Wikipedia is a lot of fun. You add an entry with some information and a couple days later you find out other people contributed to the entry. It is literally a collaboration project with everyone in the world. I strongly encourage everyone to participate, even if it is on topics not relating to politics.

Before you jump into Wikipedia, you need to be aware of a few rules. First, Wikipedia is not an "encyclopedia of everything." You must prove your topic's importance. Often this can be done by linking the post to other Wikipedia posts. For example, Jim Renacci's was linked to the Columbus Destroyers Arena Football team because he is an owner of the team. However, this is not necessary. State Rep. Ron Amstutz has an entry at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Amstutz. His entry has been there for years and oddly enough has been simplified to one sentence. Secondly, Wikipedia is not a place to self advertise. This rule is mainly targeted at businesses, but still applies to politicians. The Wikipedia entry needs to come across as non-partisan with facts not opinions. For example, you can say "Mr. X has worked in the health care industry for many years," but not "Mr. X's experience in the health care industry will help us solve the looming health care crisis." There are people who work with Wikipedia who check all of the entries to ensure they do not violate either of those rules. Do not try to trick them. It will not work!

So if Wikipedia's rules are so strict and non-partisan what is the advantage. The truth is, for a campaign, a Wikipedia page is indispensable. As stated above, Google often likes Wikipedia entries. Most likely it will show up on the first page of results. Since it is non-partisan, you shouldn't have to worry about what it says. Furthermore, while the entry is suppose to be neutral and independent, a link to the campaign site is acceptable. In other words, Wikipedia will give your campaign lots of visibility. Furthermore, since search engines (e.g. Google) like Wikipedia so much, having a link to your website from Wikipedia will boost your site's rankings on search engines (good for search engine optimization). It great for rankings and it is a link that is relatively easy to get.

The next post will be January 4th, 2010.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Using AdWords to Raise Donations

2009-12-08T20:04:00.005-05:00

I have recently become hooked on Google AdWords. For those of you who are not familiar with AdWords, it is Google's system for managing online ads. Do a quick search on Google and on the right side you will see ads. Those ads are managed by AdWords.

Before I continue, I want to point out that this is not a free service. AdWords is the main money maker for Google. It is a type of advertising called "pay-per-click" (PPC). Every time someone clicks on your ad you pay a small fee. The fee is determined by numerous factors and can range from a few cents to a few dollars. There are choices of PPC. For example, Yahoo! and Microsoft have their own PPC systems. However, Google is such a dominate player in search (60-70% in the U.S. market) that it is the most efficient place to start.

So why would a political campaign want to run a PPC campaign? The answer is to raise donations of course. There are a few campaigns out there using PPC campaigns to raise funding. For example, take a look at this ad:

Many organizations use PPC to drive traffic to their website. AdWords allows you to target on a very specific level. There are a lot of technical considerations that go into writing and managing a good ad. I apologize if any of the following is rather technical, but I want this post to be helpful while pointing out that AdWords is not something you pick up in a day. The point is there is a lot of customization that can go into developing an ad.

You can target your ads on many levels. Take Rand Paul's ad for an example. He is running for U.S. Senate in Kentucky. Individuals in Nevada, Maine, and Canada are probably not that interested in his campaign (at least not enough to justify paying for traffic). However, Kentuckians would be very interested in both his website and would be willing to donate. AdWords lets you pick locations that the ad runs, right down to latitude and longitude coordinates if you wish to be that specific. The reason I see it is because I currently live in the Cincinnati area, whose metropolitan area extends into Kentucky. There are also other targeting options for more advance campaigns (you can even pick what type of computer you want to see the ad).

However, you must be careful. AdWords is not for every campaign. Smaller campaigns probably do not have a large enough constituent base to have a big impact. The ad also should be crafted carefully to ensure a positive return on your investment. I highly recommend finding someone who has run an AdWords campaign before and who understands how to interpret AdWords' reports. Having a professional run your campaign will help you understand trends and discover new information. I have even been able to use data from an AdWords campaign to improve a site's ranking on Google.

When you set up your ad, you can choose the page that the ad is linked to. This is where you can drive traffic to your donation page. You may be able to get an extra donation at the cost of just a few cents. Even though this sounds really great I do want to point out that just because someone clicks on the ad (and you thus pay for it) does not guarantee that you will get the donation. It will take a bit of marketing effort to convince voters to contribute after clicking on the ad and landing on your website.

All aspects of AdWords cannot be described in a single post. However, I hope at the very least you have gained an interest and awareness in the technology. It will take thoughtful consideration on your campaign's part but the pay off could be big. Not only can you increase your donations, but you will also have greater awareness of your campaign.

The next post will be December 22nd.

Impact of Social Media

2009-11-24T14:56:00.005-05:00

Today I would like to share with you what is perhaps my favorite video of all time. It was created by the blog Socialnomics which is managed by Erik Qualman. The video is called Social Media Revolution:

The stats which you see are well researched. I have seen similar numbers from multiples sources and Socialnomics does provide a list of citations if you would like to look them up.

While the video focuses on business, many of the same principles apply to campaigns. A campaign's "product" is the candidate and his or her platform. Finding people to volunteer and work for the campaign is not that much different from finding potential employees (although you are looking more for a specific passion rather than a specific skill). All this information should at the very least show the vast opportunities that lay out there in social media.

I could go into detail about each statement the video made, but that would create a ridiculously long post. I have in the past touched on many of the specific issues, but I would like to address an important concluding point of the video. It states "We no longer search for the news, the news finds us..." That, in summary, is the point of social media. Campaigns have the ability to send out information and news through social media and deliver it straight to the voter. And if that does not happen, then someone's friend, family member, or co-worker will forward those news items to them. Part of any social network, even off-line and in person, involve sharing ideas and opinions. The Internet has just enabled this to happen effortlessly on a massive scale.

I do want to end with one word of warning. Consider demographics before buying into social media. Know how your constituency reacts to various social media outlets. Additionally, those voters on Facebook, Twitter, etc are going to have a different demographic make up than your district in general. A couple of years ago I would have said the main difference is age. Today that is a difficult claim to make. Some polls suggest that Twitter is having difficulty being popular with teenagers because too many of their parent's generation are using it (thus of course making Twitter "uncool"). In any case just be aware that the audience on social media may be different.

I encourage you to visit Socialnomics, read some of the posts, and watch the other videos.

The next post will be December 8th.

The Wayne County Young Republican Website

2009-11-10T14:28:00.002-05:00

One of the many organizations I am part of is the Wayne County Young Republicans. WCYR was formed early in 2009 in response to the high level of Democratic youth votes in the county. My role is the Marketing Chairman which means my challenge is to find young Republicans in the county and get them to join a new organization. My first task was to put together a website and online strategy for the organization. We recently completed the first phase of the website at http://www.WayneCountyYRs.com and I wanted to share a few key elements of the website.

First, take a look at the home page. We have a large image that shows something the organization has done. Right off the bat, the organization looks active. Then, we have two columns on the top right: Events and the Twitter Feed. Visitors can keep up to date on what the organization is doing and are invited to follow the organization's events and Twitter feed. To further reinforce the concept of staying connected, just below that area is a form to sign up for the email newsletter and a cluster of links to all the WCYR's social media.

On the topic of social media, we can now look at the organizations strategy for social media. We have included a number of social media elements including YouTube, Flickr, Facebook, blogging, and Twitter. These are all possible points of contact with the community which mean possible points of recruitment. They also each serve a different function. Facebook events have been a great way for WCYR to organize and advertise events. Flickr will be the main repository for pictures of events. This will help show how active and involved members are in events. The blog helps focus on the ideals of the organization. I could go into much more detail on each element but the point is we are providing multiple ways for members to find us and interact with the organization.

Another important part of the site is the Committees link. This page has a list of all the current executive committee members and information about each. The idea was to try to break down the "stranger" factor with joining a new organization. If there was a young Republican who wanted to join, they could become familiar with some of the officers. Not only would they know what they look like from the pictures, but also certain information about the person. This makes the officers more relatable and approachable. Just think about how much easier it will be at the first meeting you attend to start up a conversation with Doug Deeken when you know he is the guy who is not only an engineer, but also is a stay at home dad in Doylestown who often calls into the Matt Patrick show to talk about issues Doug brings up on his YouTube channel.

There will be more to this site in the future. More connections to local campaigns, more information on events, both past and up-coming, and new features. The site is to the point where we can advertise it heavily and it provides a good resource to members. Hopefully, some of the ideas and tactics that went into building this site can be easily transferred to other political organizations.

The next post will be Nov. 24th

The Power of the Mobile Phone

2009-10-26T13:36:00.012-04:00

Last Saturday there was a Tea Party in my home town, Wooster, Ohio. The problem was that I was on the other side of the state in Oxford. While I was disappointed I was not able to attend personally I was still able to see a lot of the afternoon's events. How? With Facebook and many mobile phones.

While I will admit that it is better to actually be at an event in person, logistics tend to get in the way. The next best alternative is to use social media to be connected. During the Tea Party, many of my friends, family, and co-workers took pictures on their mobile phones and submitted them to Facebook during the event. It was moving seeing downtown Wooster filled with people sharing a common belief in limited government along with all their witty signs. There was even the occasional Twitter update sent via the phone.

The point is, anyone in the world had access to experiencing the Wooster Tea Party in pretty close to real time. I did not have to wait until a newspaper report was made. In fact the next day when our local paper reported on the Tea Party, http://www.the-daily-record.com/news/article/4696290, it did not capture the event's atmosphere (although they did include a nice slide show) as did all the first hand accounts I saw during the Tea Party.

Mobile phones with a camera and Internet capabilities are quickly becoming a standard. Moreover, individuals are utilizing these resources more and more for personal and political reasons. This means that the connection I had to a distant Tea Party is going to become common place. We should not only be aware of the fact that at political events there will be people taking pictures, videos, and texting (Twitting, Facebooking, or otherwise), but encourage it. Thousands of people got to hear the message of the Wooster Tea Party loud and clear even though they were not in attendance. We are seeing a shift of importance from the number of people at the event to the number of people that can see the event. I am by no means saying we should not work on bringing more people to political events, my point is simply that you can make a big splash with a little event.

I would also like to make an important differentiation in the posting of material on social networks. I did not look at anything the organizers of the Tea Party posted (I hope they did though). All of my information came from people I trust: friends, family, and co-workers. I can relate better and place a higher value on the campaign when my Facebook friend news feed is stuffed with people posting comments and pictures about the event. It is the same concept of seeing a campaign sign in your friend's yard versus a total stranger. Republicans need to realize that web 2.0 is not just about what websites can do, it also means what mobile phones can do.

The next post will be November 10th.

Jim Renacci and Ohio's 16th Congressional District

2009-10-12T12:06:00.006-04:00

Earlier last week I had the pleasure of interviewing Matt Hutson, the campaign manager for Jim Renacci. We had a good discussion on the direction politics is taking in terms of technology. But before I get to those details let me introduce Jim Renacci first.

Jim Renacci is a Republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's 16th Congressional District (Canton, Media, Wooster, and Ashland areas). He has an impressive resume as Mayor of Wadsworth, accomplishing 100% of his goals and left office with a budget surplus. He is a CPA who started his first company when he was 24 years old. Renacci has owned and managed a wide array of businesses from car dealerships, to nursing homes, to arena football teams. This is a man who knows how to add value to an economy and create jobs. I have met Renacci a couple of times and continue to be impressed with his openness and honest concern for his constituency. Renacci has a deep commitment to serving the American people with a long line of successes in business and politics to pull insights from. Coming from a simple coal mining town in Pennsylvania, Renacci epitomizes the American spirit while remaining humble. I can think of no other trait that a candidate for Ohio's 16th district needs to have. Jim Renacci is the best man for the job hands down.

After a conversation with the campaign manager Matt Hutson, I have become convinced that this is one campaign that at least understands the fundamental shift in communication that has occurred due to the Internet. Mr. Hutson loves using social media to build a following of Renacci supporters. He points out that social media is less intrusive then more traditional campaigning methods. Some times voters get annoyed with phone calls and knocks on the door. With social media, it is easy to send out multiple campaign updates that simply show up in voters Facebook and Twitter feeds. Every night Renacci personally updates Twitter and Facebook on the status of his campaign including events he goes to a people he sees. It is a great way to show activity and remind voters that he is working hard to represent his constituency.

Mr. Hutson also describes the personal nature of the Internet. Whenever an individual signs up to the Facebook group, Mr. Hutson replies with a personal email with some suggestions as to how to have a positive impact on the campaign. He suggests that each of the recommendations (there are four if I remember correctly) will take under a minute. The reason they take less than a minute is that, for the most part, they focus on inviting other friends to join the group. The thinking behind this tactic is that people are more likely to respond positively to a friends suggestion than someone they do not know as well. Mr. Hutson is looking for individuals on Facebook to help promote Renacci as it is more meaningful to other voters.

Renacci understands that his voters are his boss. He also realizes that it is a challenge to effective communicate with every singly constituent. As Mr. Hutson put it you "must figure out how to reach your bosses" and he sees social media as just that. Renacci has a commitment to being open and approachable. His campaign has built up these social media communication channels not just to promote his campaign, but to listen. Too many candidates use the Internet purely for self promotion. This turns potential voters off and leads to "defriending." Renacci wants to sincerely engage his constituents and wants them to know they have a voice. Using social media ensures that he is reachable through as many methods as possible.

To ensure engagement, Mr. Hutson frequently encourages individuals to blog and/or post comments on either the campaign's material or what other voters have said. He wants voters to be involved and to be engaged because to the campaign it matters. He checks blogs daily to follow what the local opinion is. He wants to engage the local community for ideas, thoughts, and discussion. Renacci has been a resident of the district for well over 25 years and is interested in a campaign for Ohio's 16th, by Ohio's 16th, and of Ohio's 16th. Residents of the 16th may notice this as a different approach.

Finally, Mr. Hutson discussed how he sees the campaign's online resources shifting in purpose if Renacci were to be elected. He points out that not much will change. Renacci will still use social media to reach out, engage, and listen. Mr. Hutson really emphasized the word "hear." Renacci wants to know what voters' issues are. Renacci would ensure that he could get discussion and opinions on bills being proposed in the House. Mr. Hutson claims that this type of communication aids in accountability. He believes that there is too little accountability of representatives at any level of government and that the Internet provides a reasonable solution. He also suggested that it could be a platform to help sway other representatives. For example, if there was a close vote with a few representatives on the fence, he could post their names and office numbers to encourage voters to call in and voice their opinion.

Jim Renacci's campaign to be the Representative from Ohio's 16th Congressional District should be exciting to watch. Renacci has hired a top notch campaign manager who has a good grasp of how to leverage the Internet to be a more competitive campaign and a more responsive legislator. I again thank Matt Hutson for taking the time to share his insights with me. Below are links to some Renacci online resources.

The campaign's home page:
http://www.renacciforcongress.com/

Renacci's Wikipedia page which I helped get off the ground:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Renacci

Renacci's Facebook group:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=113705578897

Renacci on why he is running:
Part I - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWnMlZIN4Rs&feature=youtube_gdata
Part II - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQn3zecpGhY&feature=related

Renacci on health care:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y17Hm7RX5ls&feature=related

The next post will be October 27th.

Republicans and New Media

2009-09-29T14:06:00.002-04:00

About a month ago the Ohio Erie County GOP Chairman Mathew Old asked be to put together a document with my ideas on how Republicans can leverage new media. My hope is that this document can help campaigns begin to think about new media and ask important questions. Below is the link to the document and the summary.

Republicans and New Media (pdf)

Many will argue that "traditional" media has evolved over time. In many ways, it has. From the written word, to the radio, to the television it seems the dynamic of media is on a continuous and steady march. However, in the past few years there has been a fundamental revolution in media. It is the advent of the Internet. Traditional media is all one way communication; the advertiser has all the power, controlling the information while the public is at the mercy of billboards and commercials. The majority of the public does not have the resources to broadcast their thoughts and opinions to millions of people. With the arrival of the Internet, individuals have just as much power as the advertiser. They can write a post on a blog that will reach just as many people, if not more, than a TV ad. They can tweet and Facebook their friends about their positive or negative opinions. Many organizations fail to understand the multidirectional nature of communication on the Internet. They are stuck in the traditional media mentality and end up annoying customers with spam and failing to address complaints that are instantly shared with millions of fellow users.

Corporations are just now realizing that the Internet has given their consumers more power than their own PR departments. For the most part, political campaigns are even farther behind. The 2008 election gave rise to one political organization that clearly understands and respects the complex and powerful nature of the Internet: the Obama team. Obama’s new media campaign demonstrated that these technologies are relevant but no single organization can control the discussion. To be successful, a candidate must participate in the discussion, not lead it. They must use the opportunity to listen, not shout. They must sincerely engage voters, not spam them. A candidate must genuinely understand the paradigm shift, rather than simply jumping on the band wagon without understanding where the band wagon is going.

Republicans and New Media (pdf)

The next post will be Oct 13th.

Conversations from the Wayne County Fair

2009-09-15T13:31:00.007-04:00

This past weekend I returned home to attend the Wayne County Fair. I spent a significant amount of the time at the Republican's booth discussing politics and technology. While I could write a post on each of my conversations I am going to give a broad overview of some of the things I discussed that I think are relevant to share in this blog.

The first candidate I ran into was Craig Sanders who is running for Wooster City Council At-Large. His concern was that his website,http://www.craigsanders.net/ , still advertised he was running for Ward 1, which he did in the past. The problem was his campaign had no way of directly changing content. They had to call up their provider and ask that they change it, who were not very responsive. I checked today and it looks like they managed to change what is advertised on the site. However, the title tag still says "Ward 1." While no organization should tolerate this kind of dysfunction, the demands of a political campaign require responsiveness. This is why campaigns need to be very careful about how they set up their site. If Sanders was using a content management system (CMS) he could change it himself without worrying about time delays and contacting a programmer. All the intricacies like the title tag would be fixed instantly and automatically.

The next candidate I talked to was Ron Amstutz. He is currently the chair of the budget committee in the Ohio State House of Representatives and is from Wayne County. Amstutz seems to always be experimenting with technology. Here is what he tried and had lots of success. First, Amstutz created a short survey about state issues designed to be released around the time of the fair. Then he got on Facebook and created a list of all of his constituents. Finally, he invited all of his Facebook friends on that list to take his survey online. He also had paper version at the Republican booth at the fair. Just in the first few days he got a ton of feed back and there are still three more days left for the fair.

Now that you know what Amstutz did, let me walk you through why it was awesome. First, Amstutz reached out to his constituents through an online survey. He is able to ask his roughly 110,000 constituents to directly participate with him on state wide issues. Voters will take note of that kind of interaction and will feel more valued by the candidate. Furthermore, Amstutz leveraged social media by reaching out to his Facebook friends. He didn't just send them a message, he invited them to a week long event (the fair survey). He also did not send it to everyone. He targeted his own constituency using Facebook's list feature. With a different project he may want to target a different group, such as his Facebook friends in Columbus. This use of the list allows him to only get the group he wants and cuts down on spam. Too much spam and messages about things that do not apply to the individual will always result in "defriending."

Finally, I had a short conversation about Internet tools with Jim Renacci's campaign manager Matt Hutson. Jim Renacci is running for the Ohio 16th District for US House of Representatives. This is the same district that State Senator Kirk Schuring ran in last year. His website is http://www.renacciforcongress.com/.Even though I had a short discussion with Matt, I feel pretty confident that this campaign understands that they have to use all these new and exciting online tools. First, he recognized the importance of having YouTube videos show up under certain search terms. In this case, they managed to have a positive video of Renacci as the top result when you search "Boccieri" (Boccieri is his Democrat rival). He was also very interested in integrating social media into their new website. Right now Renacci's Facebook and Twitter accounts have a long way to grow, but the campaign is putting effort forth 14 months before the election. Finally, Matt recognized the value of bloggers. He pointed out a positive post that was written just the other day and is excited about connecting Renacci (not a campaign staff member) directly with other bloggers.

There are a lot more to discuss on each of these candidates. The basic point however, is that there is a lot going on in the world of political technology. Candidates are realizing there are problems and opportunities associated with the Internet. This is a topic of discussion that we must always engage.

The next post will be September 29th.

Why Spend on Graphic Design

2009-09-01T21:34:00.003-04:00

Today I have a new logo for Republitech. Rather than having something that I threw together I decided to use a real graphic designer. Like a lot of people, I do not have a graphic design talent. However, I do know the elements that make a good design. I thought today, in honor of my new logo, I would discuss why investing in a good graphic designer is a good idea.

First, it is only a good idea to have a designer that knows what looks good, but one that knows what works well for websites. As I have stated many many times, the Internet is interactive. Your website should be designed with interactiveness in mind. That is, understanding where a user's eyes are drawn, what users imply certain colors mean on the web, how to visually navigate your menu system, how to segment content, etc. I could write long posts on each of the issues mentioned in the previous sentence, but the point I am trying to make is that there is more to design than just what looks pretty. I have seen several good graphic designers struggle with designing for the web. The problem is there are designers out there who were trained and practiced in graphic design before the Internet really took hold. They do awesome print material, but struggle with the interactive nature of the web. Having something that works well on the web also requires a certian organic process. If you have a tracking system set up (I highly recommend Google Analytics) then you can test many minor changes. For example, you can answer questions like "How many more people click on my donate button if I change it's location on the home page?" and "What is the optimal font size for my menu?" My suggestion is to find a designer who has had a lot of online experience and can work with you over the course of the campaign to continue to improve and optimize the user experience. I highly recommend Greg Peterson of L'Atelier Muetpointe located in my home town of Wooster, Ohio.

Secondly, in politics it is always a good idea to develop a "brand." Companies do it all the time with colors and images. Developing a clean look that conveys your message is critical. Let us take a look at Obama's logo.

The colors used are red, white, and blue. These are common colors used in American politics and blue and white are Obama's colors. The logo is also rounded yet sharp. This conveys a sense of modernity, or as many others saw it a change from the old way of politics to the new. The logo itself looks like a sun raising over farmland, like a new day over the heartland of America. This implies "change" and gives a sense of "hope" for a symbol of America: farming. I would say Obama's logo is the most brilliant piece of graphic design work I have ever seen. I could go on and one about how brilliant the rest of his graphic design work (from websites to posters) but I think you get the point.

The biggest challenge for a campaign and graphic design is expense. I am not going to lie, good graphic design is not cheap. Expect to pay hundreds of dollars at minimum just for a good logo. This is a decision that has to be made by you. However, I strongly advise campaigns to seriously consider the benefits. For a small campaign with a well known local candidate graphic design will not be on top of their list. However, good graphic design may make the difference in a tight House race. I am by no means suggesting that simply because your site looks awesome people will vote for you. What I am saying is that good graphic design will help consistences relate to you, understand who you are, and feel at ease using the resources you provide them with online. Those are legitimate reasons that will make you better at your job.

Using an RSS Feed to Stay Ahead

2009-08-18T15:43:00.003-04:00

A common question I get is "What exactly is an RSS feed?" In technical terms it is a simple xml formatted file which is commonly used to update data. To add to the confusion RSS is sometimes interpreted as meaning "Really Simple Syndication" but also can be interpreted as meaning "Rich Site Summary." In either case, it is the same thing: raw xml data coming from a website. So with all this technico mumbo jumbo why should you actually care about RSS feeds?

An RSS feed can be used to deliver real time updates for events, news, and blogs. It is essentially a stream of data directly from the data source (e.g. your website). This is very critical for political campaigns. RSS feeds can handle delivering all the event updates and press releases straight to the voter (assuming the voter has subscribed). It is a great way to keep people informed about what your campaign is doing.

Subscribing to an RSS feed is quite easy. The user can subscribe to particular feeds using a variety of feed readers. I recommend Google Reader. Subscribing is as simple as copying and pasting a link into your reader. The user will then be sent updates when you enter them into the feed.

The sharing of these data streams not only informs readers but they can also appear on websites. I highly recommend having the feed displayed on your own website. A common trick I do is turn my Google Calendar into an RSS feed so the information about events is easily given to the voters in multiple formats. RSS feeds can even be integrated into other's websites. For example, you may include the state party's RSS feed or they may include yours on their website. The great thing about RSS feeds is that they give you flexibility.

RSS feeds keeps everyone informed. They is easy to participate. And they gets the information seen in multiple places in multiple formats. Political campaigns need to be providing up to date information on events, positions, etc. and RSS feeds are an excellent way for a campaign to keep a competitive edge.

The next post will be on September 1st.

Choose the Right Web Designer

2009-08-04T09:16:00.003-04:00

Choosing a web designer can be difficult, especially if you do not know what to look for. Far too often I hear of web developers getting work because they know the right people. Frequently, this leads to the developer overcharging for services since the client does not really know what all goes into building a website. Here are a few issues you should explore before settling on a web developer.

First, does the developer actually have solid web experience. I know of several traditional marketing agencies that claim to know the online business when in fact they do not. Frequently, marketers (and far too often graphic designers) believe that a web site works similar to a pamphlet. It is easy to see where this fallacy originates. Both a pamphlet and web page are informational in nature. But here is where that logic breaks down: a website is interactive, a pamphlet is not. A pamphlet provides information that you can read and that is the end of the story. A website is a "place" where people do things such as clicking on links or signing up for mailing lists. A website has traffic which can be measured and refined. Through the web you can actually reach out and interact with your constituency. The possibilities extend way beyond just providing information (note: you cannot sign up for a mailing list or donate through a pamphlet). Make sure to ask your potential developer why a website is different from mailings, television ads, and other traditional media outlets. The answer "Well, it is just another place to provide information" is never good enough. You developer should have a deeper understanding of the Internet.

Secondly, capability and scalability. A certain developer may meet your needs today but tomorrow you may need to scale up your site and add certain features. Check their work to see if there is diversity in the type of sites they have built. Furthermore, talk to your developer about how easy it will be to add new systems or pages in the future. If the site is done right, it really should not be much of an issue to scale up and add new features to the site.

Finally, ask about pricing structure. A good Internet strategy and a well developed website can be expensive. However, you need to ask questions to make sure your developer is not taking advantage of you. For example, embedding a Twitter feed should not cost a fortune. I can do that in under a minute. Designing the page to integrate Twitter feeds and styling the feed to look nice is a legitimate expense. I could give you an endless list of examples and there would still be many more I would miss. The point is to have a discussion with your developer about what all will be involved.

By no means am I suggesting all developers out there will take advantage of you. I am merely suggesting that you shop around. Above are a few topics to begin you discussion with potential developers.

The next post will be August 18th.

The Public versus Private Solution

2009-07-21T08:40:00.001-04:00

Recently, Audra Shay got into a bit of trouble leading up to the National Young Republican elections. Shay was running for the chairman's position and was favored to win. However, a few days before the election, a leftist blogger allegedly discovered what was described as racist comments on Shay's Facebook page. You will not find any of the comments on Shay's profile. The leftist blogger claims she cleaned her profile up after the contents became public. Whether or not Shay's Facebook comments were as "ignorant and racist" as the blogger claimed, there is still a lesson to be learned: the Internet, specifically social media like Facebook, is public.

Our society has faced difficult issues between the Internet and privacy. Politicians have also struggled with the public's right to know and privacy. By campaigning online, those two struggles have combined to create a tangled mess of ethical and moral issues. That is, is Facebook a private communication channel? But, if so, does the public have a right to see the contents of a public figure's Facebook? This post is not about what should be public realm and what should not, it is about risk management with your online resources. After all, an answer to the debate of politicians' rights to privacy and the public's right to knowledge has been waging long before the invention of the word "politics."

So what is a good risk management strategy? In my view it is actually pretty simple. If you are a politician, assume everything online is public. If you work for a politician, assume everything online is public. If you are related to a politician, assume everything online is public, et cetera. Traditionally, family was considered off limits and this was generally respected by opponents and most media outlets. However, bloggers are a different story. They are individuals who can say whatever they want. In the week leading up to the Young Republican elections, one of the top results on Google for "Young Republicans" was a blog post entitled "Young Republican Leader Audra Shay Is Crazy, Illiterate, Racist." Even the left wing media would not be so bold in naming their articles.

This problem also relates to a post of mine not to long ago about search engines, Be Seen With SEO. These blog posts were everywhere and a lot of them made it to the top search results for "Young Republicans." Even if what Shay was accused of was not true, it is still embarrassing to the organization and to the Republican Party. It is true that after a while most of these posts will lose their position in Google searches, but some will still linger. For example, The Huffington Post has enough traffic and enough weight for Google to continue ranking it's anti-Young Republican post about Shay pretty high.

Really you should consider the Internet and public speech the same thing. This goes for all forms of online resources: Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and even email. Just as a private written letter can be leaked, so can an email. In some ways the Internet is even more dangerous then the other forms of communication as it automatically creates a record of every little thing you do. The point is: pay attention to what you and those around you say and do online!

This post should not discourage you from using the Internet. If you have considered your risk management strategy for the Internet, it should be no more harmful then when you give a speech. I have stated before that the Internet is a wonderful thing for politics. It helps you engage and interact with thousands of people you would have otherwise never met on the campaign trail. You just have to be responsible online.

Internet Independence

2009-07-07T15:11:00.003-04:00

Last weekend, the United States of America celebrated the day independence was declared. A lot has changed in the 233 years since our forefathers forged a new nation: new states, new allies, new enemies, and new technology. But with all of these changes, America has never deviated from the sense of independence. In fact, I will argue that new technology has has advanced independence and civil liberties to new heights.

The Internet has allowed us to communicate and express ourselves like never before. Blog are full of ideas, Facebook is full of petition groups, and Twitter is full of opinions. Anyone can post their idea online and have it read by anyone else. There are no restrictions like there were in the past. You do not need to know the right publisher. You do not need resources to print material. You do not need to physically travel around to give speeches. All you need is a computer with an Internet connection. Even if you do not own a computer, you can still access one at your local library to blog, participate in forums, etc. Everyone is connected to the world and no one can shut you out of speech.

This fact is not only reflective of the American spirit, but it is rapidly becoming a reality around the world. Even in places that are traditionally thought of as authoritarian by clamping down on speech, are being liberated by the Internet. Earlier this year, China blocked YouTube because someone had posted a video of the Chinese military beating Tibetans. I was in China at the time and while it was annoying YouTube was generally blocked, every now and then we could still get through. Even if the Chinese could not see what was happening, the rest of the world still had access to the evidence against China's human rights record. Furthermore, anyone who has been on Twitter recently knows that not even the Ayatollah of Iran can block a tweet. Scores of Twitters users put a green overcast on their profile image to show their support of the Iranian people and the election stolen from them.

The lesson for campaigns is that you should not only encourage the use of online resources, but that there is a massive conversation happening on the Internet. You should not try to control the conversation, but rather be a participant. You cannot promote your ideas, defend your candidacy, or raise questions of your opponents if you never show up to the largest forum of discussion man has ever conceived. At the very least you should listen to what your constituency is saying online.

I encourage you to participate in these discussions. Sure, sometimes it can seem like irrelevant rantings about nothing in particular, but it is our freedom to do so. There are plenty of other discussions online where valid opinions and the solutions to future problems may lie. We should embrace this new form of communication. Nothing is more American then speaking up about your concerns freely to the rest of the world.

Be Seen with SEO

2009-06-23T11:30:00.003-04:00

A common theme of this blog is "Have a website that is not just a website." In this post I am going to talk about something that is a little more behind the scenes then usual: SEO. SEO stands for search engine optimization which is techy jargon for having your website be favored by search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, or Bing. Each search engine has an algorithm that is applied to all the sites on the Internet to figure out which sites are relevant to which search terms. When you type in a search term, such as "political campaigns," the search engine will run the algorithm and display the results in the form of a list. The first link in the list is what the search engine considers to be the most relevant. As a website owner you always want your site to be listed first.

Several of the organizations I work with have recently become very interested in SEO and The Ohio State University even sent me for a week long conference and training seminar on the subject. SEO is a multimillion dollar industry. The big problem is that these algorithms are closely held secrets of Google, Yahoo!, Microsoft,
etc. Many organizations will just pick out a few key words to target in their SEO strategy and build those key words into the site. At this point you are probably wondering why such a technical issue should be the concern of campaign in general, after all is that not what you hire a tech guy to do? Well there are several answers to that question.

First, you need to be aware of this issue before you pick a web developer. This goes for smaller campaigns that do not have the funding to hire someone, but still have a website through volunteer work. In any case you need to insure that who ever is doing the site is up to date on SEO issues. Even if you do have a volunteer who may not know much about SEO, the least he or she can do is some research. There are plenty of forums out there where experts discuss SEO tactics.

Secondly, you need to understand certain aspects of SEO if you want the technical part of SEO to work. Your web developer may not be a marketer. At some point before the site is built, decisions have to be made about what type of search terms you think the site needs to be built around. Will it be just your name? Or perhaps your district name? Your intended office title? These are decisions that you, not the developer, need to make. Furthermore, one big factor in these algorithms is links to your site. We do not know how exactly the search engines calculate the weight of a link to your site but we do know it will have a noticeable affect. Again your developer cannot get you links. You will have to encourage other site owners, I recommend starting with bloggers, to include links on their site. This will take personal networking and communication skills, not technical ones.

Finally, it is just plain important even for small campaigns to rank well in search engines. Let me put it this way, if someone were to search for your name on Google would you rather have your site appear first on the list, or some blog post from an individual who is "not" affiliated with your opponent? You should not let your opponent control the debate by having his site or sites listed before yours. Voters will also be happier if they can find the content they are looking for quicker.

Hopefully the trick describe above will not happen to you (but I have worked on enough campaigns to see plenty of "creative" strategies come out of the Democratic machine). The actual technical aspect of coding websites for SEO will probably be left to professionals. However, SEO will not work without a basic understanding and support from the rest of your campaign staff.

The next post will be on July 7th

Josh Mandel and YouTube

2009-06-09T23:22:00.004-04:00

State Representative Josh Mandel recently announced he would run for Ohio Treasurer. He made his announcement on his website, www.joshmandel.com, using a YouTube video. It is an excellent video and Mandel obviously took advantage of professional help (good idea).

Mandel's video is simple yet powerful. He is able to show his background as a public servant. The video is displayed predominately on the home page and is about six minutes long. Not only does Mandel speak but various community members are interviewed on his behalf. He also shows images and footage from his previous campaign for the Ohio House and from his time as a Marine. Now the question of what should be in a video is probably better left to an expert in video production. What I am interested in is why YouTube is the method used.

First of all it is easily accessible. As long as you have a web browser, you can see the video. There is no software and no special plug-ins involved. YouTube is also efficient in displaying the video, so even those constituents that may have slow internet connection can see the clip. Millions of people visit YouTube's main site daily, so as an added bonus your video can be found outside of your own site. Finally, your YouTube video is easy to embed into any site. YouTube automatically builds a line of HTML code that you can put into your site. It is just copy and paste.

Secondly, uploading your video to YouTube will increase your searchability. YouTube is another place someone might type your name into a search bar. You can now type "Josh Mandel" into both Google and YouTube and get results. When running a campaign you want your name in as many places as possible. Using YouTube to host your own video kills two birds with one stone.

Lastly, it is a free service. You can post as many videos as you like, but the size of the videos are limited (think of this as a tool to keep your videos concise and too the point). Hosting video on your own server can be expensive. Videos typically take up lots of disk space since they are big files. Depending on your arrangement with your host, this could severely limit what you can do on your server. There is also the potential that you would slow down traffic to your site with a bulky file to download.

http://www.joshmandel.com/

Sign of the Times in Honolulu

2009-05-26T09:07:00.002-04:00

While not necessarily a demonstration of campaign possibilities, the recent Internet vote in Honolulu does reflect a change in voter attitudes to technology and government. Considered a minor story by most news outlets, Honolulu's neighborhood council election was determined by a combination of Internet vote and phoning in. It was considered a minor story because there were only 115,000 voters. But, according to Yahoo! News, this marks the first all digital election in the United States.

So, what does this mean for your campaign? After all a vote submitted online counts just as much as one marked on a piece of paper. Ignoring the lessons from this election would be a big mistake. The lessons I am talking about have more to do with voter attitudes and less to do with the actual outcome.

First, in a democracy, elections are sacred. All people receive one vote. No outside circumstance is allowed to disfranchise a citizen. This means you cannot create obstacles to voting based on such things as race, gender, and religion. But it also means you cannot block an individual's voting rights based on ability, i.e. the method of voting should not excluded any group. Poll taxes and literacy tests were attempts at disfranchising targeted groups which often did not meet required
thresholds of a certain ability. Ten years ago, one could make the argument that an all digital vote was also excluding those that either did not have access to a computer or were not comfortable using one. Honolulu's election has marked a turning point. Most people own a computer and they are also comfortable using it. Even if you do not own a computer, going to the local library to vote on a computer is just as difficult as going to the local library to vote on a piece of paper. To be honest, I believe that using the Internet as the method to vote is the ultimate expression of usability. Computer knowledge is no longer a barrier in our society, but on the list of standard competencies and expectations. In other words, your Internet resources will have the same potential reach as the election itself.

A second point, perhaps not as significant as the first but nevertheless important, is that of security. We are a society that values privacy. Along with our personal data, we have the right to a secret ballot. Individuals' voting records cannot and will no be kept in elections. On a related note, during an election, the voter must confirm their identity. Nonexistent or deceased people cannot vote. This has been a concern about the Internet for some time: how to do we confirm you are who you say you are and then how do we protect your data? Honolulu has shown us that society is beginning to get over that fear and that we now the technology to do both. The firm that put together the system, Everyone Counts, has pointed out that their system is more secure than Internet banking. This is a comfort everyone can relate to.

The final point is efficiency. This is a story that any organization can appreciate. By voting online, the city saved about $100,000. Looking at preliminary estimates, this would mean the city saved about 56% on total election costs. Just because you are taking a totally new and different approach to campaigning by moving to the Internet does not mean it will be expensive, it may even be more cost effective. I cannot say it will always be cheaper but it is worth looking into.

The next post will be June 9th.

References:

Yahoo! News Article:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090523/ap_on_re_us/us_web_voting_1

The Minimalist Website

2009-05-12T07:55:00.002-04:00

So your campaign does not have all the resources in the world to support a super fancy website. This is a common problem. I know all campaigns want to find a cheap solution but also want to make sure they get some bang for their buck. The natural question thus becomes "What is the bare minimum I should have on my site?"

The biggest obstacle here is overcoming a common fallacy in terms of the Internet. Too many people think the Internet is just another place to post "billboards." Information, often copied straight from the campaign pamphlet, is placed on static websites. A related problem arises where Facebook and Twitter accounts are created and then just sit idle during the campaign. I have seen this mistake done by organizations and businesses, but it is especially troubling when politicians fall victim to this error. The Internet can be used for so much more, and it makes little sense to hand out fliers with the website that contains the same information that the flier did.

What needs to be done to overcome this common reaction to the Internet is to sit down one evening with your committee and ask "How does the Internet relate to our campaign strategy?" Try not to think of the Internet as some sort of remote, detached, and amorphous part of the campaign. It is a tool that should be kept very close to you and used to accomplish specific, well defined goals. It can do so much more then just announce you are running for an office.

Now that there is an understanding of purpose, we can go back to the original question. "What is the bare minimum I should have on my site?" Part of the answer will depend on the office you are running for and where you have deemed the Internet to fall in you campaign strategy. However, there are a few things that you should consider. First, what sort of information can be posted on the web that cannot easily be put on a pamphlet, commercial, etc.? This could be a more personal biography. This category tends to be the one that is most used, but often leans towards the side of being a "billboard." It is important and should be present, but will not make your website as useful can it could be. Secondly, and more importantly, add resources that encourage voters to visit more then once. This could be news, a blog, or a Twitter feed. It will get voters more engaged (and see your name and face more often) and show that you are actively committed to solving the needs of the constituency. Finally, a little interaction cannot hurt. For example, have a place for voters to submit comments or questions. It will help make the website part of your campaign, and not just another advertisement.

I hope you are not too disappointed that I am not providing a concise formula for what is the bare minimum needed in a campaign website. The truth is there is no one formula. Like I mentioned before, you have to determine what function your website will serve in your campaign. The minimalist website should be unique. What I have done is provide a rough outline to determine what that formula is for your own website. It may also help to talk to someone who has experience with websites. They can help you generate ideas. To often the extent of the strategy is simply just to have a website, period. The Internet deserves a bit more attention then that.

One final note: I know what you are probably thinking - "Doing more then just static information sounds expensive." In some cases it may be, but if you get a developer who knows what they are doing and are honest about costs, the expense should be marginal. Embedding a Twitter feed just takes a few minutes and you should not be charged much if anything more for one. Talk with your developer or someone else who knows the Internet to find ways to reduce costs. Weigh the costs and benefits of each proposed element to the website in order to find what the minimum you will need. And what every you decide do not just have a website, have a useful "minimalist" site.

The next post will be May 26th.

True Grassroots

2009-04-28T09:09:00.002-04:00

The growth in online social networks have created what could be described as true grassroots movements. The recent examples are the Tea Party protests that have been occurring the past couple of months (concentrated on or around Tax Day) across the country. There protests were not coordinated by a political party, organization, or by one single individual. They were started and organized by the local population.

Traditionally to hold events like this across the country, all with significant turn out, you would need an organization and a lot of resources. Communication would be slow and one way (top down). There would be a few individuals as the leaders and spokespersons which all the ideas and direction would come from. However, as the Tea Parties demonstrated, social networking tools enable a network to be created over night by ordinary people. The tools that were used were Facebook, blogs, text-messaging, chat forums, and the like. This has allowed the movement to be truly reflective of what citizens want. No established organization is giving them mission statements or talking points. It is just people expressing their opinions. Although the Tea Parties had common themes and messages, each demonstration was uniquely organized and independently run.

The Republican Party should approach this true grassroots movements with caution but optimism. On the caution side, these types of movements can be directed against a party itself, including the Republican Party. Economic conservatives do not hold a monopoly on true grassroots movements. Their cause and the emergence of technology simply aligned at the right time to make them one of the first major users. Republican leaders need to recognize that this is a movement lead by citizens, not elected officials. The Wall Street Journal reported on a few Tea Party demonstration including the one in Chicago. RNC Chairman Michael Steele asked if he could speak at the event. Organizers politely turned him down saying "With regards to stage time, we respectfully must inform Chairman Steele that RNC officials are welcome to participate in the rally itself, but we prefer to limit stage time to those who are not elected officials, both in Government as well as political parties. This is an opportunity for Americans to speak, and elected officials to listen, not the other way around." A true grassroots movement should be spoken by the people and listened to by elected officials.

But this is where the optimism for the GOP can come in. Republican leaders and elected officials should listen and really listen to the true grassroots movements within their constituency. Michael Steele was asked not to speak, but he was invited to listen. Republican officials should always accept opportunities to listen. With awareness to new technologies this should be easy. Keep an eye on blogs within your community, stay active on sites like Facebook, and always have an eye out for new and creative ways your constituents come up with to use technology to organize. With true grassroots movements, leaders should be able to be more responsive and better address the concerns of their constituencies. By no means am I suggested elected leaders should stick their finger into the wind of grassroots movements to make the decisions. But an elected official is a representative of his/her constituency. The Tea Parties were about excessive government spending and fortunately the Republican Party is listening and looking for solutions while the Democrats did not hear anything.

The next post will be May 12th.

References:

The Wall Street Journal Article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123975867505519363.html

Small Campaigns can Think Big

2009-04-14T05:38:00.001-04:00

Much attention has been focused on what the major campaigns are doing. For example, we see thousands of dollars and whole technical teams dedicated to the technology aspect of campaigns for President. But what about the smaller campaigns? If Republicans truly want to revolutionize how they campaign with technology, every campaign from the bottom on up needs to take a moment to look at their options.

First, let us take a look at what a small campaign may have. Money is probably not one of them, but that does not preclude an Internet strategy for that campaign. Small campaigns also have smaller constituencies (geographically and population). Small campaigns need to look at technology somewhat differently because of these two facts.

So how does a small campaign leverage what it has to create a meaningful campaign online? Due to limited resources, they should focus their purpose. Larger campaigns have the luxury of being able to pursue multiple strategies and directions on the Internet simultaneously. Smaller campaigns probably will not have the money to invest in server space, custom programming, and high end database software. My recommendation for small campaigns would be to focus on a communication strategy on the Internet. That is, focusing on informing rather then networking. You should still have a social networking strategy, Facebook and LinkedIn are both free, but do not invest a lot of time and efforts in those areas. While communication can be done outside the Internet, things such as electronic newsletters, blogs, and articles on your website make informing your constituency far easier.

The reason I say that you should focus on communicating rather then networking is, since you have a small constituency, you can do a lot of networking in person. Shaking a person's hand leaves a bigger impression then Facebook "friending" them. The Internet should be used as a supplement to networking. People can forgive Obama and McCain for only reaching out to them in cyberspace because it is difficult for a Presidential candidate to meet all 350 million Americans. Social networks help big campaigns connect individuals with their communication channels. They do not state their positions on current issues, but they do show links to their web sites, blogs, and video that does explain. However, for a local campaign, people expect the individual to be seen in the community. You already have a way for you constituency to find your communication channels, the physical world. Social networking online can be done for smaller campaigns, but, depending on your constituency, you may not get a lot of excitement or support. I do not want to discourage you from creating a Facebook profile (you should have one to begin with) but I also do not want the Internet to sound like a cure all in politics.

Focusing on communication will strengthen your constituency's loyalty. Hometown offices deal with hometown issues. These issues have a bigger impact (or at least a more tangible impact) than national ones. Sure, people care about diplomatic relations with the European Union, but more likely individuals will have a stronger opinion about local zoning laws with that new factory coming into town. Communicating on a regular basis with the community will strength you relationship with local citizens. It will show you are engaged, and that you intend to engage and involve them on these issues.

Smaller campaigns not only lack the funding, but also are limited to a small number of part time volunteers. Now, I do not want to downplay the role of volunteers in a political campaign. They are the heart and soul of the campaign. The problem I am pointing out is that for someone running for a position like city council member of a small town, the likelihood that one of the volunteers understand programming or social networking is small, not to mention one who has enough free time to get meaningful projects turned around in a reasonable time. But, being a small campaign you may have a way of finding some volunteers. Use you personal network to see if you can find anyone to help you out. A lot of times you might find a high school or college student who is willing to help for free. That is how I first got involved in online political campaigning. I volunteered to do some web work for free for a couple of local campaigns. If you have a little extra money, it may pay to hire a graphic designer to make you sites a little sleeker.

Finally, a small campaign should think in the long term, especially if you are early in your political career. If you build a website, the domain name should not be tied to the particular campaign you are in. What I mean is rather then picking "www.smithforcitycouncil.com" you should pick something like "www.votesmith.com." That way when you move along your political career you save money and the hassle of switch names. Also, voters will be familiar with the site already and wont have to go digging around for your new URL. This is one place where online social networking might be more worth the time. You will have a prebuilt network every time you run. Even if the network is small compared to the size of your constituency, starting with a network will make it easier to expand then if you were starting from scratch.

Whether you take my advice or not, the important thing for Republicans is that the discussion on technology takes place at every level of the party. Smaller campaigns may need to prioritize, but campaign strategies involving the Internet should still be included as options.

The next post will be April 28th.

The Database

2009-03-31T00:08:00.004-04:00

Today's post is going to build off of the ideas of virtual networking from the last post. However, rather then using pre-existing websites, I am going to explain the power of building your own custom internal database. The pre-existing systems such as Twitter and Facebook are cheap and easily assessable to both the politician and the voter. However, they have their limits and are dependent on decisions made by external third parties (namely the developers) whose goals and objectives may not align with your campaigns. Creating your own database gives you total control of the information which can be used for benefit a political career in both the short and long term.

First, I want to clarify one thing. I am not suggesting in any way that you must choose between pre-built external systems and having your own custom internal databases. Both strategies should be employed given that a campaign has the resources. Furthermore, I am not suggesting building your own social networking site. While your own site may have social networking features, you should not create something that rivals pre-existing sites like Facebook and MySpace. If you want to use something like Facebook, use Facebook. Your constituents are already using Facebook so there is little cost to them to connect to you. If you have the resources to use both external pre-existing and internal custom systems, do so, but use them in a way that takes advantage of each in their own unique ways rather then creating unnecessary and costly redundancies.

So what exactly do I mean by a custom internal database? The simple explanation is that it is a list of voters and information related to each voter. The more complex explanation is creating a set of interrelated tables linked by relational elements that contains information about various groups of voter data sets. These data sets can be subjected to programmatic equations and expressions to create a report that interprets the raw data as facts and trends. I am not trying to show off with how complicated I can make it sound, but I want to emphasize that creating a useful database is not something you can do in an afternoon. To have your own system be helpful it should lean more on the complex side. It will pay off in the long run to hire someone who understands relational databases really well rather then have someone on staff figure it out. The point of this post to explain the application of such systems, not their interworkings, so my first definition of a database being a list of voters and information related to each of those voters will be the most useful.

A well designed database can give you extremely useful information. Most obvious is streamlining communication such as emailing, phone banking, door-to-door, and even old fashion mailings. Creating a list of voters and their addresses should be as simple as a click. Each report can be custom tailored which can have criteria such as party affiliation or geographic location. Rather then compiling a new report for every event, a few search terms and a click can get you there. Even more exciting is that your internal database can use public data such as voting trends in particular areas during primary season and combine it with on the ground experience your volunteers have with phone banking or going door-to-door. Have your volunteers keep track of how receptive the voter is to your candidacy. Later, assuming your database has been designed well, you can mine your own database to discover trends. You may need to target your message more to a certain area or demographic, or perhaps a certain city is donating more then others. I could go on and on about all the different types of analysis, but right now I just want to demonstrate how vast the possibilities are.

Let us take a look at the most famous internal database, the one Obama built for his Presidential Campaign. Take a look at a few of the facts regarding his database. According to NPR, his database has over 13 million email address. This includes those who volunteered on his campaign, attended his rallies, donated, or just signed up for his newsletters. With a simple click of a button, Obama could send out an email to each address to keep the votes focused on his message and ask loyal followers for donations.

And what has happened to Obama's database? Mike Allen of Politico.com recently explained "The database...will now be used as a unique tool for governing, with former canvassers now being enlisted to mobilize support for the president’s legislative agenda." He is now using his network to help him lead the nation as President. One could make the argument that this is responsible governance. He is using his campaign network to help the nation, not just himself. To a certain extent you must give him credit for a creative approach. However, this will only reinforce the Democrats agenda and will limit the extent of the debate. We should be on the look out for it turning into a government funded propaganda machine. In any case, this new use of the database will help Obama come November 2012. His followers from 2008 will continuously receive information and invitations to participate in government. This will make those voters feel respected by Obama and they will be more likely to turn out with the same amount of energy as they did for him the first time. They will also be constantly told how great Obama's plans are. Obama is not going to use his own database to be critical of himself.

Even though an internal custom database sounds like something only major campaigns use, it could be applied to smaller campaigns. The idea should be very appealing to up and coming politicians looking at establishing relationships with constituents for the long run. This election cycle you are running for city council, next you may be running for state senate. Having your database by your side will give you research about your constituency and access to contact information to those who have and will continue to support you. Moreover, any campaign that has a constituency spanning multiple geographic or demographic groups can benefit from the information that can be generated from voter data. It will help you run a more focused and engaging campaign.

What ever you may do, I have two points that you should consider before embarking on a project of this scale. First, pay attention to election and privacy laws when it comes to saving voter information past election day. Second, this should not be considered a do-it-yourself or simple job. The design of the database is extremely important and generating truly useful reports will require someone with a background in coding. You will quickly be frustrated with a poorly designed database.

The next post will be on April 14th.

References:

NPR article on Obama's database -
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97722217

Mike Allen's Politico.com article on Obama's database -
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0309/20007.html