If you’re a first-time candidate or an incumbent looking to brand yourself as a politician, you should begin by establishing a digital brand that appeals to the people you represent.
If you want to win a seat in any political office, you must have a brand that connects with constituents. One that immediately energizes your core supporters but is broad enough to reach everyone else. This might mean that you need a quick digital brand touch up or a complete overhaul. Either way, this article will provide you with the tools you need to brand yourself as a politician. By having a great political digital brand, you will increase awareness of your campaign and quickly build relationships with voters. By virtue of the platform, a digital brand will help you stand out from the competition, garner more support, and establish yourself in the community.
No single town hall meeting, debate, or press conference is as important to your campaign as your digital brand. Your digital brand is the first ‘true’ engagement voters will have with your brand. Consider it the frontline of your campaign efforts. Your digital brand can yield all the benefits these events provide and more. It should leave users with an understanding of who you are and what you stand for.
When establishing or revising a digital brand for your political campaign, you must tell a story. Not just any story, one that leaves voters feeling like they are being sold. There are many great ways to tell a story and you should tell your story in a way that leaves voters believing that you can help solve their problems. Tie your personal experience in with your solution.
The most important symbol that reinforces your identity as a politician is your logo. Naturally, it will be used on everything from your website, social media accounts, and digital advertising to your yard signs.
When creating your logo, understand that voters (and consumers) are inundated with messages. You cannot play it safe with a standard logo. Your logo should stand out from those of competitors. When developing a logo for your political brand, you must consider the motivational traits of your leadership and the opportunities you leadership will provide voters.
Your website is the foundation of your digital brand identity. Don’t think you need to spend thousands of dollars to develop one. You just need the following:
- Domain name.
- Website Building Software.
- Get a Web Host.
- Choose a Website Template Design.
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No matter what industry you’re in, video has become the best way to communicate your message and build your digital identity.
Twitter has become an important medium for politicians. Some use the site to provide real-time rebuttals and fact-checks during political campaigns. Some even use it as a medium to disburse campaign communication to the public. Or in this case, to their opponent. Like candidates, voters will use the site to express their feelings about a certain political issue. These particular tweets also provide real-time voter sentiment as well.
Placing yourself in the conversations of constituents will increase your visibility. This means you should look for opportunities to engage with the community. Reaching out to the people you represent can be the difference between getting a vote and a potential voter saying at home.
Your digital brand visibility is key when spreading the word about your political campaign. You can go to town hall meetings, shake some hands, and kiss some babies, but if your digital brand is not visible, you take the risk of having someone else convey your campaign messaging through other outlets.
Every politician must have a clear message they are able to clearly convey to voters – without it being distorted by word of mouth or the media.
You’ll increase the visibility of your political brand by optimizing your web presence. Every piece of content you create should be optimized so that voters will find you while searching.
This tactic is similar to anyone looking to become a thought-leader or influencer in their industry. Remember, seeing results from an SEO campaign takes time. The earlier you begin your strategy the better off you’ll be.
Reaching the right voters is key when branding yourself as a politician. Particularly, your digital brand will benefit as digital advertising will immediately increase traffic to your site or content. Facebook is a good place to start your digital ad campaign as it is highly targeted, cost-effective, and measurable.
Email is a great way to stay connected with your supporters. Provide a sign-up form on your website to capture emails and send out regular blasts to your list. Build a template within your email service provider that matches your current digital brand and renders well on desktop and mobile email applications.