The Right Technology Tool for 2009 and 2010

Now that we have experienced how a well-organized high-tech campaign can sweep the presidential election, try tailoring those same tools and infrastructure for your up and coming campaign.

Obama’s use of the Internet consists of the following eight basic strategies that are easily accessible to your campaign through ElectionMall’s well designed web-based campaign tools.

1. You must have an online contribution page completely branded that collects information, offers legal contribution amounts to choose from and includes credit card verification and employment information. All contribution pages must be built around the most current compliance, eligibility, and disclaimer laws and language.
2. Include an embedded video message so that your candidate can persuade your potential voter in his own unique style and voice. This makes for a more convincing “ask”.
3. Personalize “the ask” and thank donors on the contribution page before they give.
4. Include a social networking tool when sending out your thank you receipts to donors. Ask your donors to send out your campaign fundraising email to three of their friends.
5. Use the third most important behavior of winning campaigns – the illustrious yard sign, but with a twist. Allow users to choose and customize these virtual e-yardsigns and send them to the personal pages of your supporters’ social networks.
6. Allow your volunteers to have their own fundraising pages where volunteers can set their fundraising goals, create and find neighboring events, upload their contact lists, contact the media, sell online tickets, deliver invitations, and send out emails with pre-written content they can dump into their communication.
7. Include fundraising widgets so more people can donate to your cause while networking with their friends. Create hundreds or thousands contribution pages through social networks.
8. Reward your donors and volunteers with promotional items that show up as contributions for your campaign in local and state races. Campaign stuff mobilizes your volunteers to keep growing your campaign.

Taken from CEO Ravi Singh’s presentation to Campaign and Elections Seminar in June 2008 entitled “Raising Money like Obama”. To view this presentation, go to http://www.electionmall.com/video.asp?x=3 presented on ElectionMall’s Election Academy web pages. To implement any of these strategies, please call us at 1-888-WEB-2WIN (932-2946), email info@electionmall.com or visit www.ElectionMall.com.

If you won this election, start preparing for your reelection now. If you did not win this election, start winning now. Use the technology that has been tried and tested this presidential election year and see dramatic results.

To win, fundraise early and fundraise a lot. Using ElectionMall’s comprehensive fundraising system, Fundraising by Net, see the results of using multiple channels and approaches to secure new donors and maximize the donors you have. Start exceeding your financial goals. Obama’s presidential campaign demonstrates the power of well placed Internet tools. Include the following to your online fundraising to get the most donations early on.

• ACH Direct Deposit -Using ACH Direct Deposit gives you the fastest access to your fundraising dollars. The Automated Clearing House is an efficient electronic payments network for direct deposit meaning faster fund availability for your campaign.
• Fundraising By Avatar – Appeal to a wide audience with your own personal talking, moving, and animated fundraiser. This avatar technology creates audio blogs that enhance visitor’s experience on your website.
• Fundraising By Check - Since campaigns must raise money to spend money, access your contribution checks faster. Using Fundraising by Net, your checks are converted to electronic ACH checks.
• Fundraising By Mail - Increase your return on investment for direct mail. Process mail-in credit card information without requiring the CVV 3 digit security code.
• Fundraising By Phone - Take more contributions over the phone with electronic payment solutions that include processing credit cards and checks electronically.

• Fundraising By Reward - Boost your donor/volunteer program with an automated system that rewards your team’s campaign efforts by sending them cool campaign stuff.
• Fundraising By Widget - Fundraising widgets are easy to send from friend to friend and move rapidly from network to network. Turn any web page into an instant fundraising site.
• Offline Donations - Make donors feel better about contributing to your campaign with Fundraising by Net’s Merchant ID. Using a Merchant ID means all printed transactions and donor receipts are in your campaign name.
• Tiered-Membership for your fundraising program – Cater to your donors with a number of membership options to get the most out of our online fundraising program. This is a great feature for PACs and larger campaigns.

And most importantly, thank your donor before they have given. Make sure your “thank you” message is on the same page of your “ask.” Donor behavior shows that donors quit giving if their contribution gifts are not immediately acknowledged. Visit www.ElectionMall.com for all your fundraising needs.

1. Make Your Website Interactive - Combine infrastructure into your communications strategy and cut down on man hours. Add two forms to your site; an online poll and a feedback form. Polls track interest level and gives people a reason to come back to see polling results. The feedback form communicates that you’re interested in what your visitor has to say. Feedback forms should also allow voters to sign up to receive more information about your campaign which leads to more activism on their part.
2. Gather Voter Information – Expand your base. Your website should automatically collect emails and mobile numbers of those visiting your site; use a “contact” form, and a poll that requires them to enter basic information to participate. Don’t waste an opportunity to capitalize on website traffic. Make sure to add these new supporters to the appropriate email list saving you from buying more voter data.
3. Use Imagery – Websites have become more and more important to both candidates and voters alike. People give to people. Giving support to a candidate is emotional as well as rational. Before you talk about donations, make sure you have faces on your website. Add fixed-sized photos of people to easily change out every 3-6 weeks. Use a variety of faces making them colorful and small. Also, make sure your photo galleries, videos, and recent news section are updated as events occur on the campaign trail.
4. Email all of your supporters to view your site launch – Request that your contacts reach out to their friends, family and colleagues to visit your site as well. Get your supporters excited about educating their friends about their options on Election Day. Be sure the new site is fully complete and interactive before launch.

Your website needs to be campaign ready. ElectionMall has all the tools needed for you to online fundraise, signup volunteers, take action, tap into social networks, and interact with voters. Contact our web strategist today to get your campaign started in the right direction. Call 1-888-932-2946 or email info@electionmall.com.