Your Campaign Blog
Most campaigns struggle with getting their message to their constituents. The hot topics of the day or single issue voters can really derail a campaign’s ability to adequately get their message across without being sidetracked. If this is the case with your campaign, your website, and specifically your campaign blog, needs to become the place where people can get your opinion and views about issues that are important to the office for which you are running. Here are five ways to improve your campaign blog.
#1: Collect emails
In order for people to see the content that you create, as well as build a relationship with you indirectly, collect your visitor’s email and send them useful information on a regular basis [once or twice a week]. Getting the emails of your supporters should always be your first priority in everything you do online. A lot of campaigns make the mistake of using email as solely a fundraising tool, don’t do this. Use your email as a way to enhance communication, trust, and understanding with your supporters.
#2: 300-500 words
Every blog post should have substance to it. You should aim for, at minimum, three hundred words per post. This is a good practice for a multitude of reasons, but specifically for search engine optimization (SEO). Give Google and other browsers something to index so that when “your name and an issue” are searched together there is something for the researcher to find that is generated by you and not your opponent or unfriendly media.
#3: Alternative media
Every campaign can do a press release and then throw it up on their site. That’s simple. It’s also not exciting or different. Use alternative media as a way to spice up your message. We highly suggest utilizing video and audio on your campaign blog.
Video allows for your constituents to see and hear you speak about the issues that are of major concern to your office. Video allows for you to show the people you wish to represent the passion, concern, and authority your bring to the table.
Audio (internet radio/podcasting) is also a great way to get your message across. Audio formats give you your own microphone to speak into rather than the local radio or new station. Because of the advancement in technologies, audio can be done anywhere. Record your speeches live, record your thoughts as you drive in the car to your next event, or interview the people who support you as they are leaving or arriving at a rally. With today’s technology, you can record and publish your content using your phone and a simple subscription to an audio service such as soundcloud.com.
#4: Make it about people
Whenever and wherever possible, make your blog content about your constituents. Interview them, answer their question, and show their pictures (if you have permission). People want to see that their candidate for office champions the people, not themselves.
#5 Make it shareable
If the content on your campaign blog doesn’t share beautifully to social media outlets, you might as well not even have a website. The number of candidate sites that have bad sharing standards still astounds our team at Voter Gravity. With simple web builders, such as WordPress that come with social integrations, there is no excuse for campaigns to not be social media friendly.