Generally, there are two types of election campaigns, the primary and the general election campaign. The primary ballot lists all the candidates who are looking to run for that office. Whoever wins the primary election goes on to be on the ballot as the party’s candidate for the general election. The general election then decides the final winner to hold office.
Some candidates work hard to secure a primary victory, and then begin the campaigning process all over again for the general election. A lot of candidates don’t want to put in the effort of starting a campaign website until after they’ve secured a primary. That can be a mistake.
Here are five reasons why a candidates should begin a website during their primary:
1) A website can make it easier to win the primary in the first place. For the same reasons a campaign website will help a candidate win a general election, it will also help in a primary. The focus of the site will, of course, be somewhat different between the two campaigns. During the primary, the focus will be on members of the same party. Afterward, the focus can be more on the voters at large.
2) An early website helps build the momentum early. For example, if you plan on doing social networking, such as Facebook or Twitter, you can have your supporters during the primary sign up as friends. By the time the general campaigns rolls around, the candidate already has that critical mass of supporters that will only snowball in time.
3) Websites are great fundraising tools. The earlier a candidate starts raising money, the better.
4) The voters are online. Voters are increasingly turning to the Internet for news, candidate, and issue information. Voters interested in an upcoming election, will follow the primaries of their party and/or the other parties.
5) Everyone else is doing it. Well, not everyone – yet. We’ve seen the interest in campaign website and online tools grow steadily since we started Online Candidate in 2004. After the 2008 presidential election, interest has peaked. In a few years, the local candidate who DOESN’T have a website presence will probably be in the minority.
The web allows candidates to easily communicate with their voter base. A campaign websites is the hub of an online campaign – a medium that is growing in importance every year!
For less than the cost of a mailing, any local candidate can build a complete campaign website! Online Candidate sites contain easy to updates pages, email lists, social networking links and more.
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Tags: facebook, primaries, social networking, twitter
Hi, I’m Julie and I’m kind of new to blogging. I still have an AOL email if that tells you anything:) My question is this, do you use a free blog template (or is it called a theme?) or did you buy it somewhere? Lots of stuff to learn
Thanks, Julie
Julie, all of our campaign website designs are our own. The website templates we sell are also our own, based on a typical Online Candidate site layout.
Wow, nice designs! You guys are talented