If you’re running this year, every second is precious — and the early seconds are the most precious of all for digital organizers. Most online outreach is incremental, trench warfare rather than blitzkrieg. We recruit a few people today, a few people tomorrow, and eventually (if we’re lucky and good) we end up with a solid list of voters, volunteers and donors. But if you wait until the last minute to make those connections, you’re likely to fall short.
With that imperative in mind, my most recent Campaigns & Elections post looks at three things digital that campaigns should be doing now, well before most will face their opponents in the primary and general elections. Here’s a hint:
- Build those lists. Email’s a priority of course, but social media connections matter, too.
- Run digital ads now, while many voters may not have heard about you. For down-ballot races, voter-file-targeted ads can build name recognition for candidates among voters who turn out regularly in primaries and off-year elections. For all campaigns, supporters recruited now may be crucial once the polls open.
- Build digital capacity, both on the consulting front and in-house. Train your people while there’s still time! On that note, I have a book you may be interested in, with a new version coming soon.
Of course, none of these tactics guarantees victory, but they should help ease your path. For details, check out the full article in Campaigns & Elections. You’ll be glad you did.
– cpd