by Curt Mercadante
I have long held that underdog political campaigns should - must - put together an aggressive e-strategy.
That strategy starts with introducing yourself (or your candidate), reaching out and building your base support online during the primary, and then transitioning through the general election campaign to build your broad coalition online to win.
A comprehensive e-strategy can help you raise money, inexpensively recruit volunteers online (helping equalize your inability to pay for costly field staff) and communicate your message to tens of thousands at the click of a button.
If you can't afford to communicate sufficiently on TV, radio or through direct mail - why wouldn't you take advantage or your only remaining recourse to recruit, communicate and get out the vote?
Unfortunately, we have seen many underdog campaigns ditch online when their budget gets tight. Or, equally as bad, they do two random email fundraising appeals...and when that doesn't work...they give up on the e-campaign.
Bad moves.
Enter Dr. Steve Sauerberg, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate here in the Prairie State.
Dr. Sauerberg's big news this week was that Durbin is only around 50% in a latest public opinion poll (Sauerberg is around 35%). I also read another story about Sauerberg's paltry fundraising totals (only about $1 million in the bank, as compared to Durbin's $8.2 million bank account).
Sauerberg has missed a prime opportunity to build an aggressive e-campaign to build buzz (should've started in tthe primary) about his campaign, recruit volunteers, maybe even raise some money and position himself for the General Election.
The state GOP worked its email list hard (notice I didn't say smart) for Sauerberg in the primary - blasting out numerous emails urging people to support and vote for him.
But a quick look at Sauerberg's Web site shows that, except for an updated news page, they have decided to go through the motions on the e-campaign. Sauerberg used the ILGOP's favorite firm - The Stoneridge Group - for his site (they also do the ILGOP's main site and The Railsplitter, as well as 8th District CD candidate Steve Greenberg's site.). They do nice looking sites. But after the site is developed - it's up to the campaign to make good use of it.
At the bottom of the site the campaign boldly touts its presence on MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr and LinkedIn.
But a quick link to the campaign's YouTube page shows that no videos have been posted since January 9. Most of the videos posted here (and on the web site itself) are actually reposts of NRSC or RNC videos.
The Flickr page? There's a grand total of 2 - yes two - photos here. Are you kidding me?
How about some quick, down-and-dirty (and virtually free) digital videos from the campaign trail? How about some video testimonials from supporters around the state. Maybe take 'em and put them up on the Facebook page.
As for the Facebook page, I've been a "friend" of the campaign for several months, but according to a quick search on my gmail account, I've only received two Facebook updates from the campaign. And those were back in February. There are no updates on the Facebook page, and the most recent photo posted was from the doctor's December campaign announcement.
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying an effective, aggressive e-campaign is going to put Sauerberg over the top. There's a good chance that Durbin - if, for some reason, he decided to spend all his money - could outspend him 10-to-1.
But if you're not going to have money for TV or radio...if you're not going to have money for mail or phones...then what is your strategy to get your message out and win?
For underdog, underfunded campaigns, I will argue that the last thing that should be cut is the e-campaign.
It just may be the only lifeboat that keeps your campaign close and, hey, if you do it right, it may catapult you to victory.
Grassroots. Earned Media. Paid Media. Fundraising. The e-campaign is the only tool you have that can accomplish all four of those campaign goals (if you do it right).
Cross-posted at Prairie State 2.0.
