Saturday, February 21, 2009
CULTIVATING A GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGN - PART II
| Last week, in the first of this series outlining one way to do more than just complain about the process, you were taken through the initial phases of a grassroots campaign to influence New Jersey’s gubernatorial ticket. As explained in that introduction, we established an online headquarters by utilizing a free wordpress blog and turning it into our web site for the draft Jennifer Beck for Lieutenant Governor campaign. We also took you through the process of introducing the effort to the public and the powers that be. We drafted a press release announcing our campaign. The carefully crafted message and well timed release of the announcement attracted the intended media that we wanted. In addition to the Asbury Park Press story, which was included in last week’s account, the creation of our campaign was written about in each of New Jersey’s major daily newspapers, including The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Gloucester County Times and The Star-Ledger. It also appeared in many of the states local weekly newspapers , especially those within the Monmouth and Ocean county area of Senator Beck’s legislative district. Along with articles, about the campaign showing up in newspapers, it also showed up in their online editions. That was important. With news about the campaign published on their online news platforms, the web address of our online headquarters became a link that people were able to automatically go to. This is much easier than simply seeing it in the newspaper and later having to type the address of our site into their computer. People have a short attention span and unless things are right in front of them, they rarely return to something and follow up on it unless it is convenient. The simplicity of our web address showing up online as a link made it simple. It was an opportunity also afforded to us on other web sites which picked up the story. From neighborhood blogs to political sites, the draft Jen Beck campaign gained attention and was linked over twenty six different times on as many different sites. To see some of these articles you can go to: http://jenniferbeckforltgovernor.wordpress. com/senator-beck-in-the-news After getting noticed, the Beck for Lieutenant Governor draft effort needed to go with the momentum that the free press afforded us. You must be prepared to act while the iron is hot and I understood that the story about our campaign would have one chance to get attention this early in the election cycle. So I was prepared to take advantage of it. As people responded to the news and expressed interest, their names, home address and email addresses were all collected. Lists of supporters are the most important and valuable asset that any campaign can possess. When you have an accurate list of individuals who you know are for or against certain things, you have power. You have the ability to tap into their opinion and motivate them into action. So as the names of supporters who liked the idea of Senator Beck becoming our Lieutenant Governor came in, they were asked to recruit others with the same sentiment. In addition to this word of mouth recruitment effort, I once again took to the internet to take advantage of increasing the ranks of our grass root campaign. Social networking on the internet can be easy if you know where to look. In my case New Jersey based political and conservative oriented groups and web sites became the target. On such sites as SaveJersey, PolitickerNJ, RedBankGreen, Townhall.com, the Next Right and more, I found appropriate ways to promote the virtues of having Jennifer Beck selected for Lieutenant Governor. Not all posts will receive great responses, but any post will get the word out. In addition to the use of individual web sites, I developed a face book group for the draft campaign. After culling through several appropriate “fans of” profiles and state causes and groups, I sent out invitations and in a short time dozens became members of grassroots facebook campaign to make Jennifer Beck Lieutenant Governor. The same effort is to be replicated on other social networking platforms such as MySpace, Ning and Twitter. It is important to remember that after your grassroots campaign gets that first bright light of media attention, you have to run with it. You have to be prepared to make sure that the individuals who are interested enough to respond to the news, know that you and the campaign are serious. You must also be prepared to have something for them to do. It can be something as simple as recruiting 5 other people to the cause. By giving volunteers an assignment, they feel a part of the process and after accomplishing their assignment they begin to feel like they have a vested interest in the cause. That keeps them active and interested in the campaign. Another assignment given to the campaign’s newly found members was a media response network. Through facebook, any time a news article or online discussion mentions Jennifer Beck, a message goes out to facebook members and they are asked to submit their own responses to the story. For example, when the Asbury Park Press posted a story about Senator Beck delivering a response to Governor Corzine’s state of the state address, it was followed by dozens of complimentary comments thanking Senator Beck for offering up opinions in sync with most New Jersey residents. Such a media response network helps to demonstrate a valuable depth of support and liking for the Senator. Such a demonstration of support will go along way in convincing the nominee for Governor that by making Jennifer Beck their Lieutenant Governor, they could be bringing that added depth of support to the ticket in November. Staying on top of things, such as those mentioned above, can be time consuming, especially for just one person. On top of that, there are other aspects of the campaign that must be addressed in order to achieve your goals. So it is important to make sure that you do not try to do it all alone. Appoint willing and capable people to positions of responsibility suited for them. Assign some people the responsibility for monitoring certain web sites for the mere mention of your cause or anything having to do with it. Let the be responsible for sending out a media alert message to supporters in response to that story. In the Jennifer Beck draft campaign, we are even beginning to assign people to county and district coordinator positions. These people will be oversee some of the campaigns efforts in specific locations and insure that proper attention is given to the campaigns needs. Next week’s update will get into what some of those efforts are. Until then, remember that none of this is beyond you. Just as you may believe in whatever politics that you believe in, someone else agrees with you. And just as you have faith in whatever that belief is, have faith in yourself. Simply bt being the one to take the initiative, you could find yourself the leader of a movement and a key player in the process. A grassroots campaign, either for a candidate or a cause, need not involve lots of money or James Carville-like campaign experience. It just needs your time, your patience, your passion and your willingness to see things through. |
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