CAMPAIGNS AND SOCIAL MEDIA CHANGING POLITICS AS USUAL Photo by new-york-city on flickr.com

HOW DO THE GOALS OF A CAMPAIGN INTERSECT WITH THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA? Wellstone Action

A CAMPAIGN’S GOALS ARE SIMPLE use your limited resources of time, money, and people to get 50% OF THE VOTE PLUS ONE. Photo by initial-t on flickr.com Wellstone Action

use your limited resources of time, money, and people to get

50% OF THE VOTE PLUS ONE.

TO DO THAT, YOU NEED TO… develop an organizing infrastructure to harness the energy of a committed base to contact and persuade voters. deploy a highly disciplined and strategic message. raise the resources to win. (and a few other things. come to Camp Wellstone , yada yada yada…) Wellstone Action

develop an organizing infrastructure to harness the energy of a committed base to contact and persuade voters.

deploy a highly disciplined and strategic message.

raise the resources to win.

(and a few other things. come to Camp Wellstone , yada yada yada…)

THESE GOALS PRESENT CHALLENGES THAT SOCIAL MEDIA CAN HELP SOLVE Wellstone Action

CHALLENGE #1 – THERE IS A CEILING TO WHAT AN EXCITED VOLUNTEER CAN DO social media tools allow volunteers to become organizers themselves , identifying pools of supporters and volunteers that the campaign could never have even known existed, let alone reached. Wellstone Action

social media tools allow volunteers to become organizers themselves , identifying pools of supporters and volunteers that the campaign could never have even known existed, let alone reached.

CHALLENGE #2 – VOTER CONTACT PROGRAMS ARE TOP-HEAVY voter contact needs to be managed from the top by an organizer online social networks allow groups to form , volunteers to be matched with opportunities , and relationships to be developed at the neighborhood level. social media tools facilitate this happening with a more efficient use of resources (time, money, and people) by allowing groups to form organically. the big caveat – using these tools are still unproven, and talking directly to voters at their doors and on the phones are still the most effective methods. Wellstone Action

voter contact needs to be managed from the top by an organizer

online social networks allow groups to form , volunteers to be matched with opportunities , and relationships to be developed at the neighborhood level.

social media tools facilitate this happening with a more efficient use of resources (time, money, and people) by allowing groups to form organically.

the big caveat – using these tools are still unproven, and talking directly to voters at their doors and on the phones are still the most effective methods.

CHALLENGE #3 – VOTERS ARE BEST PERSUADED BY PEOPLE THEY KNOW expansive voter data files have allowed for better targeting to reach undecided voters, but there hasn’t been an easy way to get people in their neighborhood to contact them. Merging targeting with websites enabled with social media allows neighbors to talk to neighbors. Wellstone Action

expansive voter data files have allowed for better targeting to reach undecided voters, but there hasn’t been an easy way to get people in their neighborhood to contact them.

Merging targeting with websites enabled with social media allows neighbors to talk to neighbors.

"The Web-based collaboration platform combined with a strong organized grass-roots effort, created unprecedented public involvement that is revitalizing politics in America," said Patrick DeTemple, the California Data & Systems Manager for the Obama campaign. "Not since Bobby Kennedy has there been such an extensive Precinct Captain operation for a presidential candidate in California." Wellstone Action

"The Web-based collaboration platform combined with a strong organized grass-roots effort, created unprecedented public involvement that is revitalizing politics in America," said Patrick DeTemple, the California Data & Systems Manager for the Obama campaign. "Not since Bobby Kennedy has there been such an extensive Precinct Captain operation for a presidential candidate in California."

CHALLENGE #4 – MANY VOTERS ARE “OFF THE GRID” If it’s difficult to contact voters using traditional methods, most campaigns have ignored them. See: young people ( no land lines ), renters ( locked apartment buildings ) online social networks provide a “fixed point” for voters that allow the campaign to reach them with their message. Wellstone Action

If it’s difficult to contact voters using traditional methods, most campaigns have ignored them. See: young people ( no land lines ), renters ( locked apartment buildings )

online social networks provide a “fixed point” for voters that allow the campaign to reach them with their message.

CHALLENGE #5 – CAMPAIGNS HAVE TO WORK HARD TO GET THEIR MESSAGE OUT VIA THE MEDIA social media tools like blogs, video, and photo-sharing sites allow campaigns to self-publish and get their message out unfiltered. sharing gives supporters the ability to be force-multipliers of the campaign’s message , coming from a trusted source. Wellstone Action

social media tools like blogs, video, and photo-sharing sites allow campaigns to self-publish and get their message out unfiltered.

sharing gives supporters the ability to be force-multipliers of the campaign’s message , coming from a trusted source.

CHALLENGE #6 – MONEY FROM LOTS OF INDIVIDUALS IS EXPENSIVE TO RAISE grassroots campaigns want a broad funding base, but it costs money to make money with direct mail, house parties, etc. raise money online through viral* videos and other content that compels people to give uses fewer resources Social media allows donors to share their investment with their friends and turn their networks into potential donors for you. ** getting something to “go viral” is no easy task Wellstone Action

grassroots campaigns want a broad funding base, but it costs money to make money with direct mail, house parties, etc.

raise money online through viral* videos and other content that compels people to give uses fewer resources

Social media allows donors to share their investment with their friends and turn their networks into potential donors for you.

** getting something to “go viral” is no easy task

Wellstone Action

LESSONS FOR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS allow your supporters to be organizers of others to find new pools of volunteers and donors encourage constituents to talk to their friends about your work and share what they find valuable with their network. think about who you are not able to reach through traditional communication and solicitation methods – can social media help you tap new audiences? create your own content and self-publish it and promote it online. Video and other social media creates transparency that makes supporters feel more connected to your cause or organization Wellstone Action

allow your supporters to be organizers of others to find new pools of volunteers and donors

encourage constituents to talk to their friends about your work and share what they find valuable with their network.

think about who you are not able to reach through traditional communication and solicitation methods – can social media help you tap new audiences?

create your own content and self-publish it and promote it online.

Video and other social media creates transparency that makes supporters feel more connected to your cause or organization

Presentation by Elana Wolowitz and Jeff Blodgett Wellstone Action! web -http://wellstone.org twitter - @wellstoneaction & @jeffblodgett slideshare - http://www.slideshare.net/wellstoneaction

Presentation by

Elana Wolowitz and Jeff Blodgett

Wellstone Action!

web -http://wellstone.org

twitter - @wellstoneaction & @jeffblodgett

slideshare - http://www.slideshare.net/wellstoneaction