How Times Have Changed - The Rapid Advancement Of Social Media

The Rapidly Changing Face of Social Media
Who would have thought that, in less than 2 years, the number of people getting their news from social media would have doubled.  According to a recent Abacus Data report on Canadians' social media habits, Facebook is quickly overtaking television as our major source of breaking news.  If you're under 45, it's already your major source.  That's how fast things are changing.  

The Rapidly Changing Face of Social Media - This Is Today.  What's For Tomorrow?

So how fast is our riding association changing in getting the good news stories, events, and activities out in front of our volunteers and supporters?  Do we have a social media strategy that uses the major platforms that are available to us?

What Does Our Digital Media Team Look Like?  

• Do we have 2-3 people who post on our Facebook Page?
• Several people who tweet on the Twitter account?  
• A bunch of young people who message on Instagram?  
• At least a dozen people who know how to do e-blasts from Liberalist?  
• Some people keeping the website fresh and current with news of recent happenings (and archiving past events)?
• People who shoot videos of our events, edit and upload them to our YouTube channel? 
• Are we shooting those "in the moment" photos and uploading them to Flickr for use in 2019?   
• Do our e-blasts, Facebook posts, Twitter tweets and Instagram chats include some of those photos?  

What does our social media strategy look like?

What Does Our Social Media Strategy Look Like??

"Teamwork makes the dream work".  But if we don't have that dream team, we're gonna be behind the 8-ball come the next election.  Cause by the time we've finished reading this post, social media will be the #1 source of information for a large majority of Canadians.  Time to start ..... not just developing ..... but implementing ...... that social media strategy ..... to start growing that digital media team.  

Going From e-Mails & e-Blasts To Social Media
It's said that Twitter is for the world but Facebook is for our friends and neighbours. We're probably already into e-mail with e-blasts announcing our riding's events and calling for volunteers.  And since we want to expand our use of digital media to connect with and engage our volunteers and supporters in our campaign, our Liberal Facebook Group is a good place to start ..... the place we want to be. 

But Are You Ready For This Major Change?
Social media, however, is an entirely new concept.  Unlike e-mails, social media allows our volunteers and supporters to engage with each other .... and with us .... in conversations that are relevant to the objectives of our riding.  With social media, we can create momentum, enthusiasm and energy for what we're trying to accomplish in the riding .... with a minimum of effort as compared to e-mails and e-blasts.  

There is one question, however, that needs to be answered before we engage in social media for the riding.  To what extent do we want our volunteers and supporters engaged and involved in our riding association?

We may be used to the command-and-control style of management.  However, social media turns that concept upside down and on it's head.  And that may not be comfortable with some of our Board members. 

The Traditional Command-And-Control

For ultimately social media represents giving up control of our campaign content and delegating it to our volunteers and supporters ...... through posts on our Facebook wall ...... through comments on our blog ........ or tweets on Twitter.  While we can influence the content, we won't be able to control it ..... at least not in the usual sense.  And not all riding associations are comfortable delegating this power back down the chain of command to their volunteers or even down to voters. 

The decision to delegate is not a decision to be made by the IT guys. It's not even a decision to be made by the publicity-and-promotion folks. It's a decision to be made at the top level of the riding association ...... by the Executive, the Board and their inner circle. Because it's more than just an organizational change. It's a cultural change. And not all riding associations are prepared for that cultural change.

The Social Media Network - A Paradigm Shift In Thinking

But we're getting ahead of ourselves.  We said we were going to talk about Facebook.  If we're going to get into social media, the place to start is with Facebook and our Facebook Group. 

Facebook Social Engagement - Why Do We Want It?
First, let’s talk about social engagement on Facebook. What is it and why do we want it?

Facebook engagement is made up of five things:

• "Likes" 
• "Shares" 
• "Comments" 
• "Post Click-Throughs" 
• "Seen By" 

Facebook engagement is important because it influences how many people will be reached by a particular action .... the "Likes", "Shares", "Comments", "Click Throughs" and "Seen By"s.  The more engagement an action has, the more people it will reach, thus increasing the number of people who have a chance to take action. For example, we may want to tell our volunteers and supporters about the next "Politics In The Pub" event. 

• First we create the event on our riding association's website with Liberalist.  
• We next send out e-mails on an e-blast.  
• We then post it on our Liberal Facebook Page and Facebook Group with a link back to the event on our website.   
• And we do a follow-up post on our Facebook Page and Facebook Group a couple of days before the event as a reminder.
• At the same time we send out a reminder e-mail 
• (But be careful you don't "overpower" everyone with a whole bunch of e-mails coming from all different directions!).  
• And we haven't even discussed Twitter or Instagram!

The more people who engage in that Facebook post, (the "Likes", "Shares", "Comments", "Click Throughs" and "Seen By"s), the higher the probability that we'll have an overflow crowd at our "Politics In The Pub" event.  We've taken two forms of digital media (website and e-blast) and leveraged it with a 3rd form (Facebook).  But, more importantly, we've transformed our event from a static digital media format into social media where our volunteers and supporters can engage in the conversation.  

Facebook Engagement

How Do We Keep Our Social Engagement On A Roll?
But Facebook engagement isn't just about specific posts.  It's about how well our Facebook Group members are following what's going on in the group page.  If we're only posting once a month, we're not going to be engaging too many people.  However, if we're making interesting posts 3-4 times a week, our group engagement will be higher.  

And this is where we need that "dream team" of 3-4 social-media-savvy volunteers who can make those interesting posts on a broad range of relevant topics ..... the local riding association events; the national news items of common Liberal interest; the local, provincial and national conferences and meetings; happenings in other ridings .... a whole range of items that are in keeping with our riding's objectives.  

And if we can get the group members "Liking" the posts, ..... or better yet ..... joining in on the conversations by making comments ..... or making their own posts ...... the higher our level of engagement will be ....... and the more interest we'll generate on what's going on in our Liberal Riding Association ...... and with only a bit of time and effort.  

Next up:  Some Rules Of Engagement.

Facebook Groups & Volunteer Engagement For Riding Associations

"The Amex Card - Membership Has Its Privileges"

A number of years ago, American Express had an advertising program with the tagline "Membership has its privileges." Their commercials featured exotic vacations, multi-course gourmet meals and the like. The ads would end with the tagline "Membership has its privileges" ...... the implication being certain things were only available through your American Express credit card. You weren't a "cardholder". You were a "member" of an exclusive club ......   an exclusive privileged class ...... and not everyone could get an Amex card. 

Facebook And The Advent of Social Media

The advent of social media ..... and Facebook in particular ..... has turned organizations and election campaigns upside-down and on their heads.  75% of everybody is on Facebook.  60% of everybody gets their news via Facebook.  Social media is the new reality.  An organization that doesn't have a strategy for using Facebook is at a disadvantage.  How can we use Facebook to our advantage for our riding association and our election campaign?  

Facebook Organization
Facebook has 3 types of "walls" that are used for different purposes and by different entities.  

• An individual person's Facebook wall is known as a "Profile".  Only people can have a "Facebook Profile".  And your "followers" are known as your "Friends".  
• If you're a corporation, a business, an organization, or a "personality", you can't have a "Facebook Profile" but you can have a "Facebook Page". And your "followers" are known as "Fans".  
• If a group of persons want to have a discussion forum, they can have a "Facebook Group".   And these people are known as "Members".  

Since "Facebook Profiles" are for individuals, there's only two ways for a riding association to organize Facebook - a "Facebook Page".  And a "Facebook Group".  

Facebook Pages For Riding Associations

A riding association's Facebook page is where you post your official happenings of what's going on in the riding, your events, and other items of interest.  You usually set it so that the public can see what is being posted to the Facebook Page.  

But not everybody can post to it.  Posting is usually restricted to those people you've authorized to make posts .... the ones you've named as "moderators".  And if posting by others is allowed, it usually requires approval by a moderator before the post shows up on the Facebook page.  

The "Formality" Of Facebook Pages

And therein lies the problem for your volunteers and supporters.  They want to feel part of the team, a part of the organization, a "member" with those "special privileges", of being able to engage in those social conversations about their experiences in that recent door-to-door canvass, the fund-raiser, the last politics-in-the-pub event or the fun they had at the ag fair display booth.  That's why Facebook is called "social media" with the emphasis on "social" and less on the "media".  

It's those limitations ..... the fact that they can't "socialize" ..... the fact that their post has to be "approved" by a moderator ..... that can turn volunteers and supporters away from the riding association's Facebook page ..... and away from their involvement in the riding association.   Being a "Fan" is not the same as being a "Friend" or a "Member".  

Facebook Groups Are For Socializing
Facebook is "social media" with emphasis on the word "social" and less on the word "media". Social media offers the opportunity of engaging volunteers and supporters in a three-way conversation.  We need to make Facebook part of our riding's ....... and ultimately the election campaign's ..... online social life.  

And that's where Facebook Groups come into the picture.  

A Facebook Group, ..... for example "Our Liberal Volunteers" .... ("OLV") would only be open to those persons we invite to join our group. Only those Facebook "Friends" we invite to join the "OLV" group can make posts to the Group's wall. And since most everybody these days is on Facebook, it's not that difficult to invite our volunteers and supporters to join "Our Liberal Volunteers" Facebook Group. Membership now has its privileges!

It's Now "Social Media" Conversation
The "OLV" Facebook Group is where our volunteers and supporters can now carry on conversations about their involvement with the riding, the adventures they had on the door-to-door canvass, the Liberal convention they attended in Winnipeg, the LPC Ontario AGM.  It's also where the riding can take those extra steps to promote those "Politics-In-The Pub" nights, the fund-raisers, ask for volunteers for the local agricultural fair display booth, immediately post those canvass event photos, and generally keep our volunteers and supporters engaged and informed ..... in an informal way .... on what's going on in the riding.  

It's a piece-'a-cake to post on Facebook!  At the same time, due to the social nature of Facebook, these same volunteers can start conversations with each other. The end result will be a real on-line social gathering that will be totally engaged in the affairs of the riding and, ultimately, in the election campaign.  

The words and language we use in a Facebook "conversation" are entirely different from the formal wording in an e-mail.  On Facebook, it's a 3-way conversation between those who are "speaking" and those who are "listening".  And therein lies the major difference.  

It's All About Creating Momentum 
Remember when you only had 10-15 people in your inner circle sitting around the table in the local library meeting room trying to get the election campaign off the ground?  That was like spinning your wheels and getting nowhere fast.  

When you open up the riding and the election campaign to the latent energy of people who want to get involved in what you're doing, it gets to be a lot bigger than you could ever imagine.  The whole process is not just a one-way street of you interacting with your volunteers and supporters.  It's also a case of them interacting with you and with each other and the whole riding association.  And that changes the whole dynamics of the situation. 

Social media ...... such as Facebook Groups ..... is the way to harness that energy so that you end up with a winning team.  It's a way to grow the team to a size that will produce a win ...... whether it's a call for volunteers for that door-to-door canvass, ....... or to bring a large crowd to your social gatherings like politics-in-the-pub, ..... or the annual BBQ.  

It's a way to identify and recruit those people who are willing to take on more responsibility ...... in a way that doesn't require tons of effort with phone calls, letters, pamphlets, or advertising.  

And "Facebook Groups" is an excellent way to make it happen.  

Next Up:  
Organizing your riding association's "Volunteer Group" on Facebook.  What are the rules of conduct.  Who can post and who can't.  Who can see and who can't.  What can be posted and what can't.  What to do with people who don't respect the rules.  And most importantly ...... what works and what doesn't work when making posts to Facebook Groups.  

Door-to-Door Campaigning - Parts 4 & 5 - The Follow-up - Keeping Track of Liberal Supporters and Those Irritating Situations!

Keep Track of Liberal Supporters!
As noted in our introduction, our main objective is to identify people who will vote for Cathy Candidate on election day.

As you go door-to-door and engage the voters in conversation, you should be able to identify those voters who are prepared to support Cathy and vote Liberal.  With "miniVAN", you can easily record this information.  

Put a "Tic Mark" in the appropriate "Check Box" on "miniVAN".

Why?
We have access to the Liberal Party's database called "Liberalist".  This provides us with a list of every registered voter in the riding.  Through Liberalist we are able to provide customized "Walk Lists" sorted by address such as the ones you'll be working on.  

What is miniVAN?
We have an app called "mini-VAN" that can be downloaded onto your iPhone, SmartPhone, iPad, or Tablet.  Your "Walk List" is an inter-active file downloaded onto the miniVAN app.  miniVAN allows us to record our canvass results.  When we return to the campaign office, we can easily sync the results of our canvass (including the supporters we have just identified) back up into our "Liberalist" database.  

(Training on mini-VAN is a separate exercise.  Always make sure that one or more people on your canvass team has the "Walk List" on miniVAN.)  

Sync Annotated miniVAN "Walk List" back up to Liberalist!
Make sure you sync your miniVAN "Walk List" back up to Liberalist before you leave the Campaign Office!  From the notations made on the miniVAN files, we can upload this information back into the "Liberalist" database.  We're then able to follow up with our Liberal supporters on Election Day and ensure that they get out to vote through our GO-TV activities on Election Day.  

Make sure your miniVAN info is sync'd back up into Liberalist!!

Part 5 - Those Irritating Situations!

• Avoid situations that may put you in harms way!! 
• Don't go into an apartment building by yourself.   
• Don't enter houses no matter how persuasive the homeowners are!  
• Don't put yourself in any situation that makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe.
• Keep hydrated.  Bring along water (available at the campaign office). 
• If necessary take a snack with you.  

Start At The Top.  
Whether it's working apartment buildings or in a subdivision, start at the top - 

• the top of the apartment, 
• the top of the street, or 
• the top of the hill.  

Going door-to-door will give you a good workout.  Start on the top and work your way down to the bottom.  It'll save you lots of time and energy.  

Don't Argue.  Don't Debate
You're going to run into people who will definitely not be voting Liberal.  Don't spend a lot of time with them - 30 seconds at most.  You aren't going to change their mind.  Simply note how they'll be voting and move on to the next door.  

You'll also run into households when it's not a good time to have that conversation - the person's tired, they're looking after an irritable child, a children's birthday party is in full swing, they're in the middle of supper.  Simply hand them the literature, apologize, and move on.  Tell them we'll catch them next time around.  

Don't focus on or get upset at any negative reactions you get at the door.  What is important is to win support, to hand over a leaflet, and to determine if they will vote for Cathy Candidate.

What should we do if the person engages us in a long conversation?
When conducting a door-to-door campaign, we should expect to devote about 3 minutes to each person.  If we exceed this limit, we should say "I'd very much like to speak with you further but I've got to visit 30 other people today".  "We can come back to talk to you later?"  "Or you can call us or send an e-mail to our office."  "All our contact details are in the leaflet."  However, in all cases, the call is yours.  If they're a supporter, more conversation may result in a new volunteer, someone who wants a lawn sign, or directions to another supporter.  

Next up:  "When Is A Debate Not A Debate?"  (subtitled, "Boy did I ever screw up on that call, eh!?)

If you don't want to be masochistic, you can skip over the above link and take a look at "Facebook Groups & Volunteer Engagement For Riding Associations".

Door-to Door Campaigning - Part 3 - The Conversation

Part 3 - Conversations Win Elections
The conversation between you and the voter allows us to identify Liberal supporters.  It's the most effective form of  campaigning.

What is a good message?
A good message consists of 7 sentences or less that answers the question: "Why should I vote for Cathy Candidate?" A good message gives a reason to vote Liberal. 

How should conversations be conducted?
Your conversation can be constructed in the following 7 steps:

1. The Greeting  ("Hello!  How are you today? My name is Kevin Kanvasser.")
2. Why Am I Here? ("I'm canvassing on behalf of Cathy Candidate")  
3. The Introduction ("Cathy is our Liberal Candidate in the riding of Main Street - Bankton in the upcoming election.")
4. The Facts  ("Cathy is looking for your support on election day, Monday, February 29th."
5. The Handover ("I have this pamphlet which outlines Cathy's credentials and her values on key issues.")
6. The Ask  ("Can we count on your vote for Cathy Candidate, our Liberal candidate?")
7. Close ("Thank you very much for your time.  We'll see you on February 29th."

To recap:

1. "Hello!  How are you today?  My name is Kevin Kanvasser."
2. "I'm canvassing on behalf of Cathy Candidate.  
3. "Cathy is our Liberal Candidate for Main Street - Bankton in the upcoming federal election."
4. "Cathy is looking for your support on election day, Monday, February 29th."
5. "I have this pamphlet which outlines Cathy's credentials and her values on key issues"
6. "Can we count on your vote for Cathy Candidate, our Liberal Candidate on February 29th??"
7. "Thank you very much for your time.  We'll see you on February 29th."

Your Conversation
The above is a suggested script.  You may be more comfortable in a more engaging conversation.  Or, you may be equally comfortable with the above.  In the spaces below, try writing out your own script that you'd like to use.  
  
The Greeting  ("____________________________________________________________________________________________________")
Why Am I Here?  ("___________________________________________________________________________________________________")
The Introduction ("____________________________________________________________________________________________________")
The Facts  ("__________________________________________________________________________________________________")
The Handover ("_____________________________________________________________________________________________________")
The Ask "___________________________________________________________________________________________________")
The Close ("____________________________________________________________________________________________________")

Messaging (Other scripts)

• Err on the side of "more" rather than "less" - more information, more facts, more connection, more conversation. 
• Repeat, repeat, repeat - Repeat Cathy's name at least 4 times.  Include "Candidate" at least 3 times.  
• A good message is simple and clear. It's delivered in plain language, not in flowery phrases or artificial slogans.  It's a conversation.  Be yourself.  

Additional Messaging?

• Can we count on your vote for Cathy on Monday, February 29th?
• It's an exciting race but its going to be close and your vote can make all the difference.  

"The Ask!!"
Most important.  Our objective is to identify our supporters - people who will vote for Cathy Candidate on election day.  It's therefore very important that we ask for their vote! 

• NOT whether they'll be voting on election day ..... 
• NOT whether they'll consider voting Liberal on election day .....
• NOT their support .....

BUT

• Can we count on your vote for Cathy Candidate, our Liberal Candidate, on February 29th??"

Survey Questions
Part of our campaign effort will include survey questions on key issues of importance to Canadians.  You'll be given a sample script for these questions.  Make sure you include them in your conversations.  They're important to the campaign.  

Up Next?  
Parts 4 & 5 - The Follow-up - Keeping Track of Liberal Supporters and Those Irritating Situations!

Door-to-Door Campaigning - Part 1 & 2

You'll excuse me if I repeat some of the opening in our last post.  I consider it to be so important that it bears repeating.  

"There will be two types of voters in the next election:
those who will be voting FOR Stephen Harper, and
those who will be voting AGAINST Stephen Harper.
* * * * * *
Our job is to find those who will be voting AGAINST Stephen Harper and get them to vote LIBERAL."
* * * * * *
Gerald Butts, LPC (O) Campaign College, Hamilton Ont, 29 November 2014
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Lotsa opportunity for door-knocking here, eh!?

To recap the rest of what Butts had to say, each riding had to:

• Raise $100,000
• Recruit AND train 500 volunteers
• Have conversations with 50,000 voters multiple times
• Identify those voters voting AGAINST Stephen Harper
• Get them to vote for Cathy Candidate on Election Day

* * * * * * * * *  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 
Identifying Liberal supporters and getting them out to vote becomes more and more important.  
It wins elections!!!!!

Your efforts in door-to-door campaigning can change a close race into a solid win!

The Door-to-Door Process
Going door-to-door in an election campaign can be broken down into 5 parts:

1. The Canvas Kit - Who are you going to contact?  What are you going to deliver?  Where are they located?  
2. The Non-Verbal Impact - In personal communications, 75% of our impact is non-verbal.  Only 25% is verbal.  We've already made an impact before we even speak!  How are we going to visually deliver the message so that it makes a lasting impression?  
3. Conversations Win Elections - What are we going to say?
4. The Follow-up - What kind of information are we going to take away from the conversation?  How are we going to record it?
5. Those Irritating Situations - Some tips and hints to help you along the way.  

Door-to-Door Campaigning - The Objectives
Door-to-door campaigning is a most important part of our election campaign.  Every door you knock on, every person you talk to:

• Builds name recognition for Cathy Candidate in a way that other forms of campaigning - literature drops, newspaper ads, television spots, etc - can't.  Your personal contact builds a connection between the voter and Cathy.  
• Identifies Liberal Supporters who will vote for Cathy.  Nearly two decades of studies show that door-to-door campaigning is more effective than any other method for encouraging people to support a candidate at the ballot box.  It can result in a 20% increase in turnout on election day.  Your efforts, combined with our GO-TV efforts on election day, will help us turn out large numbers of Liberal voters because of the personal connections that you've made.
• Plants credibility in the mind of the voter.  "The most trusted source of  information about products, services, and people (71%) is the opinion of families, friends, and consumers."  Your door-to-door efforts show that you have confidence in Cathy's capabilities and the values of the Liberal Party of Canada, that we have a large base of support for Cathy, that we are well-organized, and that we're making a strong effort to get Cathy Candidate elected.
• Increases support for our campaign by identifying people willing to put up lawn signs, getting them to volunteer throughout the rest of the campaign and, most importantly, getting out and voting for Cathy Candidate on election day.  

The Door-To-Door Canvas Kit consists of:

• Map of the Area you will be canvassing
• Walk List - a list of voters sorted by ADDRESS (** See Below)
• Campaign Material to be handed to each voter
• A cloth carry-bag to hold the Campaign Materials
• Sample Scripts - what to say when the door is answered
• Pens/ Pencils to make notes

The Follow-Up - Recording The Results of Our Conversations
In days gone by, a door-to-door canvass involved going from door-to-door, having a short conversation with the occupant, giving them a campaign brochure, moving on to the next house, and hoping that they would vote Liberal on Election Day.  With the advent of the iPhone, Smartphone, iPad, Tablet, personal computers and the Internet, that has all changed.  

Through the medium of databases and electronic files, we're able to keep track of Liberal supporters and use this information on Election Day to make sure they get out and vote for Cathy Candidate.  Remember, some of them are in that group of 39% who didn't vote in the last election.  

Through the use of iPhones, Smartphones, iPads, and Tablet loaded with an app called "mini-VAN", we're able to record the results of our conversations and identify who our supporters are. 

Your challenge is to identify those persons on your Walk List who are prepared to vote for Cathy Candidate on Election Day and to record that information on "miniVAN".  

"Hands Free" - Makes It Easier To Canvass
Would you believe that 75% of communications is non-verbal.  And that includes "speaking" with your hands.  If your hands are loaded with literature, you've just reduced your communications effectiveness.  

When knocking on doors, you'll be given a whole stack of literature.  With the exception of the literature you're going to give to the person at the door, it's best if your hands are free.  Keep that stack of literature in the cloth bag.  

Leave the bag on the doorstep so that your hands are free.  Or leave it at the end of the driveway as you walk up to the front door.  For multiple pieces of literature, separate them with pieces of cardboard. 

Part 2 - The Non-Verbal Impact

• Smile - they can see you.
• Connect - be a real person
• Engage - speak with confidence
• Listen - for their impressions

Non-Verbal Communications - The Power of Visual Messages
YOU are the most powerful message there is!  In personal communications, 75% of our impact is non-verbal.  25% is verbal.  We make an impact even before we speak!  How are we going to visually deliver the message so that it makes a lasting impression?

Our credibility depends on whether our verbal and non-verbal signals are in sync.  If they're not in sync, the voter will give greater importance to the visual signals.  The impact?  "Communications is NOT what I hear ........ It's what I see."

Our "body language" must be in sync with our "verbal message"!!

Impressions are created in the first 10 seconds.  Be prepared:  

• Be neatly dressed.
• Have your literature ready in one hand, front page and face up.  
• Think about your message - what are you going to say? 
• Before the door opens, step back.  
• Smile!

 All of this immediately translates into your facial features!

Throughout the conversation:

• Use open-handed gestures 
• (Closed fists communicate "threat")
• Lean forward a little
• Use lots of eye contact
• Nod your head in agreement
• Smile!!
• Deliver your script!
• Hand them the literature.
• Ask for their vote!  Smile!
• Thank you!

That's what creates credibility, memorability, and impressions.  

Up Next?
Door-to-Door Campaigning - Part 3 - The Conversation

Volunteer Engagement - A Strategy

"Anyone can walk up Parliament Hill all by themselves.  

If you want to climb Mount Everest, you need a team."
(With apologies to John C. Maxwell "17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"There will be two types of voters in the next election:

• those who will be voting FOR Stephen Harper, and
• those who will be voting AGAINST Stephen Harper.

Our job is to find those who will be voting AGAINST Stephen Harper and get them to vote LIBERAL.

In order to win this election, each riding has to:

• raise $100,000
• recruit AND train 500 volunteers
• have conversations with 50,000 voters multiple times"

Gerald Butts, LPC (O) Campaign College, Hamilton Ont, 29 November 2014

To recap:

• Raise $100,000
• Recruit AND train 500 volunteers
• Have conversations with 50,000 voters multiple times
• Identify those voters voting AGAINST Stephen Harper
• Get them to vote for our candidate on Election Day

Teamwork Makes The Dream Work - You Need Trained Volunteers
Studies over the last two decades have shown that it's conversations that win elections.  The most effective way to do this is the door-to-door canvass.  Combining it with technology like Liberalist and miniVAN can produce very dramatic results on election day.  

Given the size of a riding and the fact there are over 50,000 voters, it's next to impossible for the candidate to do it all alone.  It requires a team of trained volunteers who know how to canvass and carry on those one-on-one conversations.

The Challenge - Growing The Team - Recruit AND Train Volunteers
Having won the nomination for the riding, you probably have a core of 15-20 committed volunteers from your nomination campaign - people who are self-starters, who show initiative, who know how to get the job done, and who will deliver when given the assignment.  Add another 25 or so from the other candidates' teams and you might make it up to 50-60 volunteers at this early stage of the game.  We now have to ramp that up to 500 TRAINED volunteers.  

Times Have Changed
While some volunteers may have done canvassing in previous elections, today's campaign environment has changed.  Goals and objectives are different.  Technology has become the game changer.  New volunteers will definitely need to be organized and trained.  Many in the core group will need refresher training.   

Phone-banking by volunteers in today's Internet-connected world is new.  Who'd 'a thunk you'd be doing "virtual" phone-banking on your SmartPhone with your tablet or iPad at hand while sitting in Tim Horton's!!  Whaaaattt!!??  You mean we don't go knocking on every door in the neighbourhood trying to convince everyone to vote our way!!??  Liberalist and mobile apps like mini-VAN have changed door-to-door canvassing to say nothing about how they've changed GO-TV action on election day!  Even the acronym "GO-TV" is relatively new.  The old-timers still call it "scrutineering", even though it bears no resemblance to sitting at the desk all day in the polling station.  And we haven't even touched on phone banking, data entry, planting signs, and the myriad of tasks and assignments that make up a successful election campaign.

"Training" Is Not Training - It's An Opportunity For Social Engagement
Next to "Politics In The Pub", training is one of the best ways to keep volunteers engaged, motivated, and interested in the campaign.  The social aspect of this type of event is unlimited.  The possibilities for a training curriculum are endless.  

Training becomes the first step in getting volunteers engaged in the campaign.  It's the start of making those important connections.  A progression of training courses can build relationships and identify those volunteers capable of taking on increased responsibility.  

As a minimum, training should include: 

• An Information Session to start the engagement process ("Volunteering - The Important Road Ahead").  Making those first connections with the volunteer will determine whether the volunteer stays engaged or decides to drop out and drift away.
• Door-To-Door Canvassing ("Change On The Doorstep").  What are the goals and objectives?  What information do we come away with when we leave the door?  Dropping the volunteer in the middle of the lake and telling them to swim to shore is not a good idea!  
• Phone Banking ("Calling For Change")  What do we want them to say?  How do we want them to say it?  Studies have shown the effectiveness of a robo-call is 10%, for a paid caller 25%.  Put a volunteer into the equation and the effectiveness of phone banking starts to head north of 60%!  
• Get-Out-The-Vote (GO-TV)  What is our objective?  Why are we doing this?  What will the impact be if we pull it off successfully?  An effective GO-TV strategy can mean the difference between a close race and a solid win!
• How To Use miniVan & Liberalist  The information garnered from the door-to-door canvass and phone banking can mean the difference between a win or a loss on election day.  That information is at the heart of our GO-TV activities.  The old garbage-in-garbage-out moniker of the 60's and 70's holds true in today's digitally-connected world.  Recording and uploading results becomes very important.  And it starts with some good training on the apps.    
• PowerPoint Presentations, Conversations & Takeaways  The memory retention rate for a presentation by itself is less than 10%.  Throw in some conversations on past experiences, add a "take-away" handout, and the memory retention rate goes up to 60%.  Existing LPC PowerPoint presentations can be the basis for presentation materials supplemented by "take-away" handouts.  Always include something to take-away.

The Revolving Door Syndrome
In any organization people will come and people will go.  The question is NOT whether people will come or go.  That IS going to happen.  The question is WHO will come and who will go.  And that question will be answered by how well we engage and train our volunteers.  

I've attended more than 5 events for 4 campaigns over the last 6 weeks.  At each event, everyone was asked to sign in - name, phone number, e-mail address.  Except for one event, I didn't receive an e-mail or a phone call acknowledging my attendance, telling me when and where the next event was, and asking me to get involved with the campaign.  In the one event where I did receive an e-mail, it was sent out 7 days after the event.  

And then there's the quality of the training.  Throwing a volunteer into the middle of the lake and expecting them to do a door-to-door canvass, phone banking, or election day GO-TV activity 30 minutes before the event isn't "training".  Training involves stating expectations, presentations, handouts, demonstrating how it's done, role-playing, practice, matching inexperienced volunteers with experienced volunteers, taking the volunteer out on a real canvass and showing them how it's done.  It includes  mentoring, and monitoring.   And most importantly, establishing that relationship.  

Ramping It Up
If we apply the "20-80" rule to a group of volunteers, the more volunteers we train, the better our chances of developing a solid cadré of volunteers who can do the door-to-door canvass, phone banking and, most importantly, GO-TV activities on election day.  

If we limit the involvement of our volunteers to a select few, there will be burnout, loss of interest, and a reduction in support and enthusiasm.  I've seen community team leaders put out the call for volunteers to canvass and I've been the only one to put my hand up.  We have no choice.  We have to grow the cadré of volunteers.  We have to train them and keep training them so that we end up with both boots-on-the-ground volunteers and a select group of key volunteers who can keep all elements of the campaign machinery running smoothly, in high gear, and ready to put the campaign into overdrive on Election Day.  We need to grow the team.  

Get Out Front And Stay Ahead Of The Game - Make It Happen!
The first step in volunteer engagement is to ENGAGE the volunteer.  Talk to each person individually at the time of the event.  Or better yet, talk to them as soon as they walk through the door.  There's nothing like a good pep-talk from the candidate or a key volunteer to energize the team.  Thank the person for attending/ volunteering/ canvassing.  We've heard complaints about not having enough volunteers for canvassing events.  This is what happens when we aren't able to engage our volunteers, train them properly, and keep them engaged.  

We collect information on attendance and participation - the sign-in sheets.  This includes e-mail addresses.  Prepare a draft "Thank You" e-mail BEFORE the event takes place.  If it's a canvass event, state what the results were (150 households canvassed, 90 conversations, 75 supporters identified).  Include links to the photo album (see below).  While we won't know the results until after the canvass, at least we'll have a draft of what we want to say ready to go.  A few hours after the event we should have the e-mail addresses entered (data entry - a good assignment for a volunteer), the results known, and ready click on the "Send" or "Schedule" button.  Timing is everything!

Many of our volunteers may not be able to attend the event.  Include them ALL in the e-mail.  Don't neglect them.  It's another way to keep them engaged.  

If the context of the e-mail isn't appropriate for visitors and guests, prepare another e-mail that's targeted specifically to them. "Sorry you couldn't make it to last weekend's "Days of Action" but here's a link to some photos of the event.  We'd love to have you join us for our next one to be held on ...... Click on the big red button below to join in the fun!"

Before we hit the "Send" button, make sure we've included the details of the next event - what, where, when.  Include a link (and a big red "Sign Up" button!). 

Create Memories! - Take Those Photos
Throughout the event, have volunteers take photos - our group of volunteers,  the door-to-door canvass, the training event.  If it's a Q&A or information session where we have a guest speaker, make sure we take photos.  Take advantage of the photo-ops.  Everyone keeps their eyes open for the "super-luminaries".  Look for those "in the moment" situations where a photo will animate the event and bring it to life.  Create an on-line photo album.  

• Print them and post them on the campaign office walls. 
• Make a PowerPoint presentation out of the photos where the photos keep rolling on a flat-screen TV, data projector, or monitor.  
• Post them on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media platforms, along with comment that explains and emphasizes the event.  

A photo by itself is a "non-event".  It won't go anywhere.  Comment by itself is also a "non-event".  Combine the two and we have the potential of going viral.  Photos with comments are memory-joggers for the campaign community ("....hey, remember when ......").  Creating memories is another way of keeping our volunteers engaged.  

Growing The List
Now that we've thanked our guest/ volunteers for participating in our event, it's time to grow the list.  There's several ways that we can do this using digital media.

Riding association members represent one of the best sources (and most neglected) of potential volunteers.  They've joined the party for a reason - to get our candidate elected or to defeat the incumbent.  Make sure we include them in celebrating the success of  the event.  At the same time we send out the e-mail to our volunteers, send the association members an e-mail (or include them on the e-mail list).  If necessary, change the context of the e-mail so that they get that special invitation to our next event.  

We'll have guests/ volunteers who are new to the campaign.  Perhaps they've come along with a friend who is on our volunteer team.  Make sure we add them to the "permanent" e-mail list of volunteers.  

A friend of mine was volunteering in a riding on the other side of town some weeks ago.  I asked him if he had attended the celebration event held the previous week. 

•  "What event!?"  
• "You didn't get the e-mail?". 
•  "Nope."  

Seems like he had missed several other events.  His name wasn't on the e-mail list so he didn't get the e-mails.  (He turned his volunteerism elsewhere.)  Make sure the volunteers who show up are on the volunteer e-mail list!!  

"Membership Has Its Privileges."- Facebook Walls
A number of years ago, American Express had an advertising program with the tagline "Membership has its privileges."  Their commercials featured exotic vacations, multi-course gourmet meals and the like.  The ads would end with the  tagline "Membership has its privileges" ...... the implication being certain things were only available through your American Express credit card.  You weren't a "cardholder".  You were a "member" of an exclusive club.  If you had an Amex card, you were in an exclusive privileged class.  And not everyone could get an Amex card.  

There's two ways to organize Facebook.  There's your political Facebook wall that's open to the public and is part of your campaign strategy - "Cathy Candidate - Politician".  And then there's the Facebook wall that's a closed group - "Volunteers For Cathy Candidate".  Only those Facebook "Friends" we invite to join the "Volunteers" wall can see the posts on this wall.  And most everybody these days is on Facebook so it's not that difficult to invite our volunteers to join our "Volunteers" wall.  Membership now has its privileges!

Obviously, Facebook is "social media" with most emphasis on the word "social" and less on the word "media".  We need to make this closed wall part of the campaign's social life.  It's where we can keep our volunteers apprised of what's going on in the campaign, immediately post those canvass event photos, promote those special events, and put out the call for volunteers.  It's a piece-'a-cake to post on Facebook!  At the same time, due to the social nature of Facebook, these same volunteers can get conversations going with each other.  That will get a real on-line social gathering started that will be totally engaged in the campaign.  

I belong to two Liberal Facebook walls that are closed.  You have to apply to get in.  The "Friends of the Liberal Party of Canada" closed wall includes people from almost every Liberal riding in Canada.  It's an excellent way to distribute media events, tips-and-tricks, to a whole lot of people who are digitally connected.  And these days, who isn't!  

There are also Facebook walls that are public and are used by the candidate, campaign staff, and volunteers.  Some of these are "Kanata - Carleton Liberals" (110 members), "Karen McCrimmon Politician (1,096 "Likes"), "Catherine McKenna" (1,088 "Likes") and "Anita Vendenbeld For Ottawa - West Nepean" (1,098 "Likes").  Which one of these walls can I make posts to?  If I can't, why can't I post?  What is the strategy with regards to the use of these Facebook walls?

Let's take a closer look at what's happening in our riding.  "Our Riding's Federal Liberal Association" only has 127 "Likes", "Our Candidate" 188 "Likes".  These two Facebook walls have been around for a while.  By comparison, "Our Riding Politics In The Pub" (a closed group) has been up for only a couple of months and, with hardly any promotion, has 195 members.  Do a post on your riding association's wall and see if you can find it. (Left side of the screen below the fold.  Scroll down.)  Now do the same thing for your local candidate's Facebook wall.  

IMHO, if I can't find my post or comment, it isn't a social media site that I'm interested in.  I don't hang around.  Membership DOES have its privileges and that's where I hang out at.  

We have to grow all of the Facebook walls associated with the campaign.  It's one of the ways (and the least expensive) where we can show our supporters and volunteers that we've got a good ground-game on the go and that we need their help to win this election.  

The same has to be done with the other social media platforms.  
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There's lots of other things that could be done.  I've only mentioned a few.  Use the monthly "Politics In The Pub" gatherings to energize our volunteers.  David McGuinty gave a very inspiring talk at the Saturday May 30th LPC Eastern Ontario Boot Camp.  Have David repeat the same speech at a "Politics In The Pub" rally.  We've now got a lot of Liberal MPs elected in our area.  Have them attend our special gatherings.  One-time events like a corn roast or a BBQ are a good reason for a gathering of volunteers - celebrate successes.  Volunteer appreciation nights.  Riding Association AGM's.  The list is endless.  

A strategy isn't very good unless it's implemented.  The next steps are to start.  My suggestion would be to start with training events or 'Politics In The Pub".  Start with some training events in communities throughout the riding.  The local legion hall.  At a school or library in the evening.  Or if someone offers their rec room or house.  

Gotta start somewhere!  Whatcha waitin' fer, eh!?  Gitter-done!

Next up?  Door-to-Door Campaigning.

Copyright R.A. Moore.  All rights reserved.