Online Political Marketing

Posted on Nov 21st, 2006

First, some statistics:

In 2004, over 40% of Americans got campaign information online. (source)
Another study said that in 2003, 68% used the net to keep up with political candidates, and 29% submitted their email address to receive more info. (source)
In 2006 51% of liberals got election information online. (source)

More data:

First, we heard about google bombing. Crude and inefficient, but potentially hilarious and powerfully grassroots. And then, of course, there was Howard Dean’s blog that almost won him the democratic nomination. In the past few elections, blogs have played an integral role in elections, uncovering scandal and debunking lies, but that’s the tip of what the online marketing iceberg can do for politics, even at a local level. With the rise of consumer generated media, there are a multitude of places candidates, parties, and organizations can turn to get their message out.

Here’s a few ideas:

Blogging
Wikipedia
SEO
Email
YouTube
Digg
Indymedia
Forums
Viral Ads/LinkBait

I plan to research this area more in the coming weeks and months, so look out for my posts.

If you liked this post, don't forget to subscribe to my RSS feed or my email newsletter so you never miss the science.

View Comments to “Online Political Marketing”

Doug Karr Says:
November 21st, 2006 at 5:26 pm
I have heard, and it appears true, that politicians will continue to avoid the Internet because it will leave a solid trail of their promises and will put too much transparency in the equation. Blogging is already a factor – as politicians are now being accurately and inaccurately discussed on blogs. The last thing they want to do is provide irrefutable proof of their false promises!
Dan Zarrella Says:
November 21st, 2006 at 5:35 pm
Yeah, that touches on the statement validator thing Larry Page said.
Of course, if the politico is willing to either stay true to his promises, or keep them vague, this isn’t a concern.
But yeah, I totally agree with you that for the majority of politicians this is nearly impossible.
zorba Says:
December 21st, 2006 at 1:53 am
hi
i have some plans to work with politc in my country (arab country)
i would like if you can help me to get my aims.
Glossolaliac Says:
July 15th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
Politicians aren’t avoiding the Internet – they’re just trying to figure out how to use it. If anything, Obama has built on what Dean started and has the best handle on internet campaigning right now.

That said, no one thinks Obama writes his own tweets, and it’s nearly impossible to be both authentic and effective as a political campaign on the web. Democracy runs up against message discipline, and the consultants still haven’t figured out which side ought to win.
Internet Marketing for Politicians Says:
July 25th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
Well one thing is for certain. The Internet isn’t going anywhere and politicians are slowly adopting new ideas. Interesting that this post occurred in 2006. A lot has happened since then and like Glossalaliac’s post says, Barack has taken charge online. We’ll see where this leads.