Ways to Engage Online in 2008

Colin Delany, Epolitics.com

September 9, 2008

Politics is driven by people

Most successful political outreach is based on existing relationships…

Online or Off!

If you’re working on behalf of a campaign, you become its face

The closer to home you work, the more your voice stands out.

Tip: Start with the tools you already use.

Goals:

• Elect a candidate

• Promote an organization or initiative

• Change public policy

• Change the terms of the public discussion

Tools: Email, email, email

• Still most widely used online communications tool

• Crosses all demographics

• The power of that crazy uncle

Tools: Social Networking Sites

• Facebook, MySpace, Linked-In

• Also niche networks such as Eons

• Extension of your real-world social network

• Your whole profile has the potential to be a promotional tool

Tools: Fundraising

• For campaigns and causes

• Official or roll-your-own

• Can drive via email, soc nets and other channels

Tools: Video

• Gone from difficult to easy in just a couple of years

• YouTube: hosting is great, embedding is key

• Tends to have an emotional connection

Tools: Blogs

• Individual citizen can have a loud voice

• Still room for niche/local blogs

• Even if you don’t have one, you can use them: leave comments, pitch stories

• Look beyond the national sites

Tools: Media Websites

• Media websites’ comments have become a new public square

• A chance to influence the conversation

• Close to home = more effective

Other Tools

• Social news sites

• Twitter

• Viral marketing

• Remember, start with the ones you use!

Contact:

Colin Delany, Epolitics.com202-422-4682cpd@epolitics.com