Connecting Emotionally
Reading Jacob Nielsen's Email Newsletters During Last Week of Presidential Campaign it becomes increasingly evident that in order to use the Internet to its advantage in terms of fundraising efforts, newsletters and other online materials should appeal not just for funding, but for an emotional connection.
If a voter receives an email everyday for their money, they might feel disconnected from a candidate and not so much a resource but a clearinghouse. They get the idea that the candidate is only after their money and not their support and the voter will inevitably tune out the fundraising pleas and disconnect themselves from the campaign. On the flip side if a voter gets an email newsletter day after day asking for their support and offering new and unique ways they can use their friendships and social circles to expand a candidate’s base, they will feel like an integral component of the campaign.
Nielsen points out the difference between the Kerry and Bush campaigns. While Kerry continually asked for money, Bush asked people to make a difference and engage their friends and family in the race. As a result Bush supporters became inspired and got involved. They circulated the newsletters and forwarded them out, expanding the Bush base, not only in terms of supporters but also in fundraising efforts.
This is a lesson that I believe all candidates should learn. It is a matter of taking the time to understand the voters and what matters to them. A voter does not want to be seen as a checkbook to a campaign, they want to feel like a valued member of the team. As a member of the team, they have a tangible connection to the results of the election and have an emotional bond with the candidate as well.
If a voter receives an email everyday for their money, they might feel disconnected from a candidate and not so much a resource but a clearinghouse. They get the idea that the candidate is only after their money and not their support and the voter will inevitably tune out the fundraising pleas and disconnect themselves from the campaign. On the flip side if a voter gets an email newsletter day after day asking for their support and offering new and unique ways they can use their friendships and social circles to expand a candidate’s base, they will feel like an integral component of the campaign.
Nielsen points out the difference between the Kerry and Bush campaigns. While Kerry continually asked for money, Bush asked people to make a difference and engage their friends and family in the race. As a result Bush supporters became inspired and got involved. They circulated the newsletters and forwarded them out, expanding the Bush base, not only in terms of supporters but also in fundraising efforts.
This is a lesson that I believe all candidates should learn. It is a matter of taking the time to understand the voters and what matters to them. A voter does not want to be seen as a checkbook to a campaign, they want to feel like a valued member of the team. As a member of the team, they have a tangible connection to the results of the election and have an emotional bond with the candidate as well.
