|
Almost all successful political campaigns are now communicating
with supporters and those they want to influence by email. Here
are some of the reasons:
1. Once a system is set up, it's easy,
almost effortless, to send a message to one or 10,000 recipients.
2. It's fast, offering virtually instantaneous
delivery. (Remember that instantaneous delivery isn't necessarily
instantaneous communication. It all depends on when the recipient
reads his/her email.) email is great to quickly respond to an opponent's
attack or to get supporters to a rally or event called at the last
minute.
3. It's free if you send messages yourself,
or low-cost if you use an outside company to mail to a list.
4. It's reliable. (But not 100 percent
reliable. A message will occasionally get lost in cyberspace, even
when the address is correct and you do everything right.)
How do you take advantage of email?
Begin by developing a list of the email addresses of key contacts
and supporters. Get lists from your party of delegates and party
caucus attendees. A good email list is one of the most important
things you can own. When you recruit volunteers, be sure to get
their email addresses. And use your Web site to capture email addresses.
Invite (but don't try to require) people visiting your site to fill
out a form that captures their contact information, including email
addresses.
Use discretion when you send email.
Don't abuse the system.
1. Assure people you will not give away
or sell their email addresses (and other contact information). Then
stand by that pledge. If you mail to a list, be sure you do it in
a way that doesn't allow a recipient to see other people's addresses.
2. Email messages contain a "from”
address. Make sure that address clearly identifies you or your campaign.
Many people won't open messages unless they recognize and trust
the sender. You'll lose credibility if you try to hide the fact
that the message came from you or your campaign.
3. Summarize the message in the subject
line. Don't try to be cute or vague or intellectual. Just tell what
the message is about. Again, many people won't open the message
unless the subject line indicates it is something of interest.
4. Don't do anything that smacks of
spam. Spammers often try to hide their identities and use deceptive
subject lines, so it is important to obey the previous two rules.
Only send messages to people who have volunteered to help, or who
have willingly given you their email addresses. If you affiliate
with a political party and the party provides a list, you can feel
good about using it.
5. Send messages that are salient: that
announce an event, summarize positions or include text of a speech
or press conference, provide “inside” information that people will
enjoy reading, or invite feedback and suggestions. Take advantage
of the interactive nature of email, and provide links to further
information on your Web site.
6. Keep your list current. People frequently
change email addresses. Develop a procedure to update addresses
as you become aware of changes, and to remove addresses that "bounce."
It takes a bit or organization and forethought
to develop and use email lists, but it is well worth the effort.
With a good list you'll be able to disseminate information quickly
and rally your troops when needed.
If you have questions about using email in campaign or other
communications projects, contact The Exoro Group's Bart
Barker.
|
