KAS Election Bridge Asia-PacificWhat do political parties need to know about digital in 2016?

Ben Guerin | @bjhguerin on Twitter Partner at Topham Guerin & Digital Advisor for the NZ National Party

In 2016, political parties need to be permanently campaigning.Effective communication throughout the parliamentary term is more important than ever.

Digital can’t be limited to the campaign: it needs to be a part of your strategy between elections.

Workshop structure:

I. Key Principles of Digital in 2016.

II. Discussion Session: where are we now?

III. Building a Digital Ecosystem.

IV. Creating and Executing a Social Media Strategy.

V. Resourcing Your Digital Team.

VI. Digital Change Management.

VII. Question Time.

PART I. Key Principles of

Digital in 2016

Digital: where to begin?Let’s start by looking at some broad industry trends, then address how these trends affect political campaigns.

We have reached 3b global internet users

2016 Internet Trends, KPCB, kpcb.com/internet-trends

India is showing no signs of slowing down

2016 Internet Trends, KPCB, kpcb.com/internet-trends

Social overtook print newspapers in 2014

Digital News Report 2016, Reuters, po.st/pkDNSZ

Online & social media are the primary sources of news for young people

Digital News Report 2016, Reuters, po.st/pkDNSZ

Traditional contact methods don’t work

2016 Internet Trends, KPCB, kpcb.com/internet-trends

Facebook is the top platform for Gen Y

2016 Internet Trends, KPCB, kpcb.com/internet-trends

Ad spend is not aligned with platform use

2016 Internet Trends, KPCB, kpcb.com/internet-trends

7 Digital Trends (in the last 5 years)

1. Data is now the world’s most important commodity.

2. Facebook has become a Pay-Per-Conversion platform.

3. Emails need to be personalised and relevant.

4. Live broadcasting = maximum reach & engagement.

5. Messaging platforms are the “Next Big Thing”.

6. There are more platforms than ever for advertisers.

7. Key challenges are governance and agility.

7 Lessons for Political Campaigns

1. Voter contact points are vital (esp. emails & mobiles).

2. Social requires an “agency” approach to content creation.

3. The bulk email newsletter is dead.

4. Facebook Live is the new primetime news.

5. Digital ad spend needs to be multi-channel.

6. Visual assets have never been more important.

7. Digital campaigns require leadership and resourcing.

PART II. Discussion Session: Where are we now?

Let’s begin with a stocktake.Where are we now? What are we doing?

3 questions to ask your neighbour:

1. What does your digital team look like?

2. How does digital factor into your party’s campaign plan?

3. Which channels/platforms does your party use?

Listen carefully… You will be presenting back to the group!

PART III. Building a Digital

Ecosystem

Ecosystem: noun, a complex network or interconnected system. What are the tools and platforms that political parties need to be using as part of their digital operations?

6 components to a digital ecosystem:

1. Databases: for both voters & supporters.

2. Email: software to store, segment and blast your lists.

3. Websites: party, leader, candidates/MPs & party groups.

4. Social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Medium, Pinterest & more.

5. Mobile App(s): to help with canvassing, social media engagement, promoting events, or sharing updates.

6. Creative assets: photos, logos, fonts, audio & more.

PART IV. Creating & Executing a Social Media Strategy

Social media is not a silver bullet.Social media shouldn’t be seen as a replacement for traditional media or campaigning, but rather as an amplifier for your existing message.

Before you begin:

- Customise your content to each platform/channel.

- Use a range of voices (senior MPs or party figures, party account vs candidate account, attack accounts).

- Who is your target audience? Where are they found?

- What are your objectives? - brand building - message delivery - fundraising - motivating supporters

Facebook

Essentials of a Facebook strategy:

1. Mix up your content - photos, text, graphics, links, videos, live-streams, “instant articles”, 360 degree photos.

2. Target your content to segmented audiences.

3. Content should elicit an emotive response.

4. Don’t ignore paid content - Facebook advertising is the most sophisticated ad platform in the world.

5. Test, optimise and test again.

6 tips for successful Facebook videos

1. Upload your video directly to Facebook (don’t just post a link to YouTube).

2. Grab your viewer’s attention in the first 3 seconds.

3. Keep it short and snappy.

4. Don’t rely on audio - most users won’t have the sound on.

5. Use custom subtitles built into the video.

6. Most of all, make it personal, authentic and relatable.

Twitter

7 things you need to do on Twitter

1. Twitter should be managed by your press team.

2. Use it for “rapid response” lines during debates.

3. Leverage candidate vs party vs “fact-check” accounts.

4. Don’t get involved in debates.

5. Avoid the trolls and bottom-feeders.

6. Follow back your supporters - don’t be an island!

7. Share graphics/photos/videos from other platforms.

Instagram

What about Instagram? (Part 1/2)

1. Instagram is an aspirational network - it’s where people look at nice things (cars, holidays, food), rather than get engrossed in policy details.

2. Be consistent: people need to know what to expect.

3. Be candid: the best photos are authentic and personal.

4. Invite guest users (e.g. an MP to manage the party account for a day, or a Press Sec to manage the PM’s).

5. Make the most of your bio & captions.

What about Instagram? (Part 2/2)

Check out what other leaders and parties are doing:

@barackobama @nzyoungnats @johnkeypm

YouTube

Where does YouTube fit in?

1. YouTube is less of a social network, and more of a repository for speeches, policy discussions and ads.

2. Create playlists for related content.

3. Select your featured video carefully.

4. Keep videos short.

5. Don’t forget to include a call to action with every video.

Snapchat

Snapchat: hype or the real deal?

1. Core audience is 18-34 age group.

2. Content expires after 24 hours, so experiment!

3. Behind-the-scenes, “raw” content is best.

4. Try out sponsored filters (Libs example).

5. Political examples: - Hillary Clinton: hillaryclinton - Justin Trudeau: justintrudeaupm - Malcolm Turnbull: turnbullmalcolm

Summary of the top 7 social networks:

1. Facebook: primary social platform, organic/paid content.

2. Twitter: reach out to press, commentators and pundits.

3. Instagram: candid and/or emotive photos.

4. Youtube: long-form videos, policy discussion, attack ads.

5. Snapchat: fun, behind the scenes photos/video & filters.

6. LinkedIn: publish articles to influence business leaders.

7. Medium: blogs, lists, PRs re-worded for social sharing.

Answer the following for each platform:

1. What accounts do I have (or should I create)?

2. Who is my target audience?

3. What is my objective?

4. How will I measure success?

5. What type of content should I create?

6. How frequently should I post content?

7. How much should I spend on paid vs organic content?

What is the secret to “viral” content?Successful content requires creative direction, innovation and constant evaluation.

Winning campaigns take an “in-house agency” approach to content creation, with talented professionals working under experienced leadership.

PART V. Resourcing Your

Digital Team

A digital strategy is only as good as the people executing it.

To start with, your digital team needs a leader with a seat at the governance table. The next step is to build the team.

4 Capabilities for your Digital Team:

1. Creative: video production & editing, live-streams, photography, graphics, blogs, website pages, etc.

2. Messaging: emails, scripts for videos & live-streams, captions/taglines, website content, rapid-response.

3. Technical: maintaining the website, domains, app, and providing helpdesk support for non-technical users.

4. Data: website & app analytics, social insights, polling, market research, electoral roll, geospatial mapping.

Some questions to answer:

1. Should you hire the best, or train up your existing staff?

2. Should you use an agency, or build your team in-house?

3. How can you leverage volunteers?

4. What will your team look like during the campaign vs between elections?

5. How will your digital team liaise with existing teams? (e.g. press secs, researchers, advisors, candidates/MPs)

PART VI. Digital Change Management

The best digital plan in the world isn’t much good if you can’t implement it.

Digital can be seen as overwhelming, confusing and risky. Fortunately, there some simple ways to help manage your party’s digital transformation.

Firstly, know your key stakeholders:

- Senior party leadership.

- Party officeholders.

- Party staff.

- Members of Parliament (and their staff).

- Party members and supporters.

- Media, bloggers, pundits and the public.

4 Steps for Managing Digital Changes

1. Start at the top: senior officeholders and party figures can be influential advocates for digital transformation.

2. Make your case: outline the need for change, provide a road map, and make sure you’re across all the details.

3. Understand the changes: everybody will ask, what does this mean for me? You need to have an answer.

4. Communicate: reinforce your message through regular communications. This could include a combination of meetings, email blasts, speeches, workshops and more.

PART VII. Question Time