WoMN Focus

I’ve had this article saved for a very long time. In light of the recent “twittergate” coverage in the special election in Minnesota, it seemed like now is the time to bring it out. Many, many politicians are attempting to use twitter as a campaign tool — as they should. But the following are things to watch out for (via Jordan Raynor and Elect Women) :

Only using Twitter for “the ask.” I get it – at the end of the day social media means nothing to your candidate unless it raises them more money. And while I sharply disagree with that philosophy, I understand that’s the conversation going on in most campaigns. But just as in offline fundraising, to raise the most money online a relationship must first be built. Obama New Media Director Joe Rospars has said, if you have 10 emails, it is the 8 emails that don’t ask for money that lay the groundwork for the two that are. The same rule should be applied to Twitter.

Using Twitter as another press release distribution service. First off, the press release is dead for political campaigns. Instead of using press release corporate speak, listen to the way people communicate on Twitter and adapt the way you communicate your message directly to your supporters.

Not listening. Most politicians see Twitter as a one-way channel to push content out to. The good tweeting politicians see Twitter as a chance to gain valuable feedback from voters. Politicians who are not listening to what the Twitterverse is saying about issues important to them are missing out on a huge opportunity. Twitter can and should be used to test and tweak your campaign’s message. Listen and consider engaging with an @reply to a voter once in a while.

Forgetting that you are human. The point of social media is that it is, well, social. Learn how to take off your online tie and show that you are a human being. Yes, this means sometimes tweeting about your personal life! Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill said it best when she said, “It’s important for my constituents to know that I do my own laundry.”

Sending your followers on a treasure hunt. Twitter is a great way to drive traffic to stories, videos, donation pages, etc… but make sure you are linking directly to the content you want your followers to see. If the content you want your followers to see is not on your homepage, don’t tweet a link to your homepage and force your followers to dig through your site to find what you want them to find. The key to success on the web is eliminating friction and that’s an important value to remember when linking to content via Twitter.

Lying (or hiding) who is actually tweeting for you. In an ideal scenario (mostly for the potentially disastrous entertainment value) all politicians would personally tweet, but it is widely understood that the majority do not. A bigger mistake than not personally tweeting though is lying about it. If your staff tweets for you, make that clear. You don’t want to be giving an interview on CNN and have a staff member send out a tweet, supposedly from you, at the very same moment. It is not difficult to know who is genuine and who is not on Twitter and other social platforms.

Tweeting your favorite quotes from historical figures just because you have nothing to say. If you don’t have anything valuable to say, say nothing at all. An occasional quote from George Washington is inspiring, but your followers would much rather hear something you may think is mundane (such as the fact that you are walking your dog) than you proving that you are an inspirational-quote-buff.

Of course, the deadliest of all sins has been left off — NEVER DELETE YOUR TWEETS! Always remember the internet has a memory. If you are doing it well, hundreds to thousands of people are watching you. Assume someone has always gotten a screen grab. Those who like you will sit on it and laugh about it a little (in fact, I have a funny deleted tweet from a politician that I still have saved just for fun). Those who don’t will use it against you. And if you do delete, explain why. Twitter is an open, transparent platform. Everyone makes mistakes, and covering them up only compounds them.

And some examples of excellent female candidates using twitter well for their campaigns:

Katie Hatt
Tarryl Clark
Maureen Hackett

Are you thinking about running for office? Good! You should run!

But once you decide, what comes next?

ElectWomen Magazine has the key staff positions you should consider filling right away. The biggies? Campaign Manager, Finance Chairperson, Campaign Treasurer, Communications Director, Field Director, Volunteer Coordinator, and Scheduler.

Not every campaign can afford to hire someone to fill each of these roles, but every campaign can find someone to volunteer to work in these roles. As the candidate it is important to find people you trust in order to manage these key positions, as they are a key component to running a successful campaign.

Be they volunteers or paid positions, these are the backbone of your campaign, and you must make sure you have quality people in these roles to support you. Don’t know enough people yourself? Consider this your first big chance to network for your campaign. Learn to sell yourself to your potential team, and you’re one step closer to being able to sell yourself to supporters and potential votes.

She Should Run is launching their campaign to sign up 25,000 women to run for office across the country. Women win as often as men when they run for office. The big obstacle, however, is that they don’t run unless they are asked.

2010 has already become a fantastic year in Minnesota for women running for office, from governor to congress, to local races up and down the ballot, there seems to be a strong woman candidate either on the race or considering joining.

But there are still many, many fantastic women who have yet to declare. And even worse, there are even more amazing women who haven’t even thought about it.

So now is your chance — make her think about it. Ask that strong woman in your life to run. Tell her that you’ve always known she could change the world, and it’s now time for her to prove it.

On this page are links to click on. You can ask a woman new to running to get started, or ask a current office holder to reach for an even higher office. Or, you can ask yourself to run and give yourself the push you need.

Need more help? After you nominate her (or yourself) drop us a line. We’ll encourage her, too, and help her see that someone will be with her and supporting her every step of the way.

25,000 women is a large number. But not as large as the number of strong, talented women we know are out there. Pick one, and tell her she should run.

Via Elect Women Magazine, three myths regarding women running for office are:

MYTH I. Women can’t raise enough money to be competitive
MYTH II. Women can’t handle negative campaigning
MYTH III. Women Do Not Have Time to Run for Office

See how each of these myths are addressed and dismissed here.

Via Elect Women Magazine

Constituent Relationship Management system (CRM) – “The CRM database in recent election cycles has become the foundation of everything else the campaign does. Information gathered from field, email, and online activity is used to raise money and identify votes. Campaigns are now buying information on potential voters and donors. Databases are the most valuable tools a campaign has in its arsenal for gathering information on voters: how they feel about certain issues, how they voted, who they contribute money to, and when they volunteer. This information helps paid staff organize a campaign to collect the votes it needs to win on Election Day.”

Why you need it and how to use it here.

From Elect Women Magazine

The White House Project is working to build a critical mass of female candidates running for public office. The organization’s pioneering grassroots initiative – Vote, Run, Lead – offers a real life experience into leading a political life. The United States currently ranks 71st in the world in terms of women holding political office.

Wilson believes we, in the United States, haven’t been thinking big enough. “We need a massive effort to recruit, train and support women running for office,” said Wilson. “All the groups need to be there, to work together to build awareness of how far behind we are and to prepare women to run.”

Read the whole article on Marie Wilson here.

Learn more about The White House Project here.