Don’t Hire A Campaign Consultant First
Filed under: Campaign Technology, Red Alert Dossier
I expect to raise the brows of many (both finely sculpted and bushy inchworm-like) when I hit publish in my WordPress console shortly.
In my recent experience, the common advice that “Your first campaign hire should be a campaign consultant (CC)” is ill advised.
Granted we’re biased towards technology but in our work at ORS we have the benefit of working with State, National, and Local races so we have seen how each level builds a campaign organization. In nearly every case the candidate and the engaged campaign consultant don’t put the ecampaign on a level playing with the ground operation. The campaign consultant:
Goes to his/her contacts and resources and gets a “Basic site up” that “Shows the candidates positions, allows people to donate, enables email sign-ups, gets a Facebook Fan Page and Twitter account set up, and has a Why I’m Running for Office video.”
I cringe at this method but it sounds familiar if you’re currently a candidate doesn’t it? The site and the candidate shall remain here in this online purgatory forever while the organization builds out, buys yard signs, door knocks, canvasses, etc. This approach is NOT desirable anymore and puts you square into the “me too” ranks.
Here’s the best plan to launch a campaign along with some key observations:
- Study and firmly grasp that the nature of information gathering, dissemination, and assimilation has likely changed more rapidly than you appreciate if you’re over 35. (I’m 37 so relax there’s hope)
- Accept that your online activity IS the only means by which an increasingly larger segment each year interacts with you. As a candidate it’s easy to dismiss the online world since you feel comfortable and cozy doing your appearances at the VFW Fish Fry and the County Party meeting. This mistake is deadly. You can only do so much as a candidate…perhaps 12 hours per day. Why would you dismiss what technology can do for you the other 12 hours in the day? The fact that you have a campaign web site , Facebook, and Twitter mean you’ve bought a ticket into the cheap seats. Now what? Who cares?
- Engage tribes early and often. I’ve met 100+ candidates since April 15, 2009. Most are over 45 and believe that by having the basic tech tools in place, they are “talking to” those under 30. Wrong. You’re an empty suit (or pant suit) to them. You must start thinking in terms of online tribes just like you build the human tribes or coalitions around topics or interests. “Hunters for Doug Mitchell” or “Digital Natives for Net Neutrality” are going to require very different communication. But you MUST go out and engage these groups in their chosen communication medium. It’s not up to you anymore.
- If you are “That guy” or “That gal” who doesn’t really get the full picture about technology and expect that your campaign consultant will “Do the technology to you” and absolve you of changing your ways you will lose. Get over it. Don’t be “that guy”. Embrace technology and get educated through courses and training delivered online or via a direct consulting engagement if you have the campaign cash (or personal funds).
- You must have an online campaign strategy and the team to execute on it right out of the gate. If you don’t your online strategy will get lost in the shuffle and you’ll be reactive. You know that there is such a thing as “online momentum”. You’ve felt it. The volume of information, news, blog posts, tweets, etc…that enters the stream is too great for traditional filtering methods. When teams understand how to filter more and produce more valuable information…when they know how to engage different groups through different mediums…their candidate appears omnipresent and engaging…because she is.
So my advice to you as you decide to to run for office is don’t listen to advice…at least from the traditional institutions and insiders. We believe we’re onto something here at ORS at more and more of you agree with us. If you’re running for local office or in office perhaps our subscription model serves you best. If you’re running for a statewide office or a Congressional race perhaps you need direct assistance from our team to build your strategy and execute. Either way, the ORS team is ramping up for what is going to be a barn burner of an election cycle and we’d like to get you elected. Start with a clear and compelling online strategy that will support and drive your grassroots ground operation. This isn’t a competition for who should go first rather a smart strategic and operational decision that can be made when you don’t hire a campaign consultant first.
The Young Don’t Vote Excuse
Filed under: Red Alert Dossier, Social Networking Demographics
I’ve been reading a lot of small race analysis and arm chair quarterbacking lately and I keep bumping into the same logic. “Appeal to the 50-59 demographic because they actually vote and the under 35 crowd doesn’t.” I can say that statistics have proven this theory out in the recent past. However, believe this assumption/mantra/belief is to be followed at your own peril. The candidates who engage the large blocks of younger voters and drive them out to the polls will win with overwhelming majorities. Will you go with the numbers and what the Best Campaign Consultant tells you? Or will you decide to engage voters and blow away the numbers who come out to vote for YOU at the polls.
If you happen to be a candidate in the 35 and under category, you have an amazing opportunity here because over 35’s may vote for you too..while you rewrite the typical election results with your demographic. Stop ignoring the under 35 set and give them a reason to vote…for YOU.
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