Description
Topics include establishing your personal online identity, creating a social media presence, campaign websites, search optimization, online fundraising, email and online marketing strategies. It’s the information you need to know presented in a clear, easy-to-read format. Updated for 2025, to reflect recent changes in political online campaigning, including a chapter on artificial intelligence.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Laying the Groundwork
- You, online
- The value of social networks
- Creating your online identity
- The least you need to know
- Creating Your Social Media Presence
- The dark side of social media
- Who should manage your online presence?
- Choose Your Campaign Handles Carefully
- Creating a Campaign Facebook Account
- Starting with Facebook
- Authorizing your campaign with Facebook
- Campaign Facebook Pages
- Facebook Groups
- Facebook Isn’t Free
- Facebook post ideas
- Using multiple Facebook Pages
- Using a Page Timeline to slam your political opponents
- Facebook Page optimization tips
- Additional Facebook tips
- Facebook metrics
- Using Facebook live
- Creating a Campaign X/Twitter Account
- Using #hashtags in your campaign
- X/Twitter post ideas
- Common X/Twitter mistakes
- X/Twitter optimization tips
- Spy on opponents with Twitter
- Creating a Campaign Google Account
- Creating a Campaign YouTube Account
- YouTube optimization tips
- YouTube analytics
- Online video alternatives
- Creating online video content
- Creating Photo Sharing Accounts
- TikTok
- Social Media Don’ts
- Planning Your Social Media Updates
- What is most important?
- When is the best time to post to social networks?
- Creating a social media schedule
- What to do if your social media accounts are hacked
- How to ‘fire’ a volunteer from your online campaign
- Engage Your Most Active Supporters
- Using Social Media at Your Campaign Events
- Monitoring Your Online Reputation
- Brochures and Other Things to Share
- Online Press Releases
- Campaign Websites
- Choosing and registering a domain name
- Special domain extensions
- Alternate and secondary domain names
- Domain name squatting and other dirty tricks
- Dealing with domain squatters
- A domain scam to watch for
- Running a slate of candidates online
- Using microsites to extend reach
- Planning Your Campaign Website
- Preparing your content
- Common site features and functionality
- Writing for the Web
- Putting it in the right tense
- Don’t forget these!
- Use direct-marketing writing techniques
- Optimizing Your Web Content (SEO)
- Essential website disclaimers
- Website Content Preparation
- Design elements to consider
- Putting your content together
- Preparing graphics and images
- Who Will Build Your Site – And How?
- Content management systems
- Choosing a web designer
- What To Know About Website Hosting
- Changing website hosting
- Setting Up Search Engine Accounts
- Measuring Success
- Google Analytics
- Tracking ad results
- Building Website Traffic and Support
- Maintaining your web presence
- Political campaign blogging
- Campaign blogging tips
- Creating an online political press kit
- Building Political Squeeze Pages
- Link Building Techniques
- Authoritative linking
- Related sites and blogs
- Viral marketing
- Competitor links
- Submitting to search engines
- Offline promotional materials
- Campaign Coordination Tools
- Political Fundraising Online
- Opening a political campaign bank account
- Anatomy of an online donation
- Online fundraising and donation services
- Third party processors
- Comparing costs between fundraising systems
- Your online pitch
- One donation page is never enough
- Acting on trigger events
- Online donation tips
- Hold a virtual fundraiser
- Want to sell campaign swag?
- Additional ways to solicit funds
- Making that final fundraising push
- Campaign Email
- Email address forwards
- Email accounts
- Email signature files
- Campaign Email Marketing
- Building a subscriber list
- Your privacy policy
- Double opt-in your subscribers
- Choosing an email messaging system
- Paid email marketing vendors
- Autoresponders provide multiple touch points
- Email broadcast messages
- Calls to action
- Email subject lines
- Make it easy to unsubscribe
- Personalizing your messages
- Email list segmentation
- Political email and spam
- Tracking email success
- Online Political Advertising
- Social Media Advertising
- Facebook advertising
- X/Twitter advertising
- YouTube advertising
- Pay Per Click Advertising
- Google Adwords
- Bing Ads
- Which PPC service should you use?
- Tips for effective PPC campaigns
- Using Adwords as an online focus group
- Pay per click tracking
- Retargeting
- Banner advertising
- Mobile Campaigning
- Text messaging
- Campaign apps
- QR Codes
- Virtual volunteering
- Using AI for Your Political Campaign
- Tying it All Together
- GOTV online strategies
- Planning for the end
- Election Day and beyond
- About Online Candidate
- Supplemental Material
- Appendix A – Resources
- Search Engine Accounts
- Social Media Resources
- Social Media Management Tools
- Campaign Coordination Tools
- Political Fundraising Services
- Email Services
- Text Messaging Services
- Online Promotional Services
- Website Tools
- Graphics Tools
- Online Political Publications
- General Political Blogs
- Additional Informational Websites
This is the latest 2025 Edition.
- Download a Free Sample of the Book.
- Softcover and Kindle versions available on Amazon.com.
