AmeriCan GOTV Discusses The Internet Campaign
As I have stated in The Campaign Manual,
"Despite having no idea where the technology train will take us, we had better get on board, if winning is our goal."
When considering your Internet Campaign and specifically, candidate web sites, the statement has never been more prophetic. One issue regarding candidate web sites has become crystal clear - if you don't have one, you will clearly be both in the minority, and you will not be taking advantage of a weapon that is likely in use by at least one, if not all of your opponents.
Let's review the facts as they are known today:
- The first candidate web site appeared in 1994;
- Since 1995, more computers have been sold than televisions, and more email has been sent than surface mail;
- The internet (since 1992) took only 7 years to penetrate 30% of American homes, the telephone took 38 years to reach that level of penetration;
- By 1998, 43% of major party Congressional candidates promoted their web site; By 2000, 69%, by 2002, 76%; by 2004, 88%;
- 66 million Americans (of the 120 million internet users) sought news and political information online during the 2002 election cycle; surveys speculate that these users are likely comprised of the people who are most likely to contribute and most likely to volunteer;
- Today, 76% of Americans have internet access; 55% are online every day;
- The Internet is not used to find breaking news, but rather to research breaking news and differing opinions (or in particular the candidate’s {your} opinion) on that same breaking news story (thus the faster your site can respond to breaking news, the more effective your Internet campaign will be).
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Your political campaign should involve all five (5) components of the modern Internet campaign: the web site (reception), email (communication), the web itself (advertising and research), digital communication (real time communication), and the computer itself containing and analyzing the data that is collected (the brain of smart campaigning).
At AmeriCan GOTV Websites we believe in, in fact, we rely on these facts when we are doing your web site needs assessment. More importantly than the documented growth of the Internet Campaign in the past, we believe in the exponential growth that will continue well into the future. The Baby Boomers had their Color TV, but the young voter of today, and even more so, the young voter of tomorrow, will reach for a mouse before considering the TV remote. And of course, there is no telling how often the young voter of tomorrow will pick up the daily newspaper.
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If you are involved in a political campaign now or will be in the near future, take a few minutes to browse (our fictitious) John Smith for Congress web site. It has been developed to make you feel welcome, to increase your enjoyment while here, to involve you in the process through inter-activity, and to interest you in getting involved and returning often. What could be better than a professional webmaster capable of creating an Internet campaign web site designed to do just that.. make the candidate look good and bring you back, to look again and again!
