On March 16th, I moderated a Politics Online panel covering online tactics for campaigns with limited resources. Below are background materials, starting with a drive-by look at the pluses and minuses of some typically low-cost tools, continuing with video clips of two great presentations from last week’s NOI training and ending with links to pertinent articles.
Pro
Still the most effective tool for staying in touch with supporters
Con
List exhaustion; declining effectiveness over the coming years?
Blogs
Pro
Good way to raise the profile of your issues; helps engage other bloggers
Con
Time-consuming; content must be compelling
Blogger Relations
Pro
Helps you spread the word and shape the online discussion; raises your profile
Con
VERY time-consuming
Video
Pro
Visceral medium; video-sharing sites can spread your message
Con
Good video is hard — your content must be compelling
Social Networking
Pro
Way to reach new supporters; can be a communications channel in its own right
Con
Low response rate; possibility of platform change (witness Friendster)
Social Media
Pro
Can yield more and better content than you could generate on your own; helps bond supporters to your campaign
Con
Requires heavy promotion; requires filtering
Wikis
Pro
Good internal campaign communications tool, particularly when married to an email list
Con
Can be hard to get people using it
Cell Phones
Pro
Allows you to reach supporters where they are; quick response
Con
Provider limitations; message length
Sites
Recent Presentations
- Alan Rosenblatt — Inexpensive Options for a Small Budget
- Michael Silberman — The Budget Matrix: $ to $$$, Technology to Staff
Articles
- Low-Cost Email List Management Options
- Five Must-Dos When You’re Planning A Web Project
- Creating Effective Political Video for the Web
- Terrific Collection of Online Video Resources
- Using Online Video to Bypass Media Filters
- Leveraging Earned Media for Your Online Campaign
- Spreading the Word About Your Issues in the Blogosphere
- Learning about Audience-Building from a New Blogger
- Working with Local Bloggers
- Outstanding Advocacy Websites
- Participatory Media Tools for Nonprofits and Campaigns
- More on Using Widgets for Fundraising
- How to Build Traffic to a Blog: Ten Tips
- Ten Commandments of MySpace Advocacy
- Facebook as a Political Organizing Tool
- Strategy Guide: Using Cell Phones in Electoral Campaigns
– cpd