Digital Strategy Timeline Guide

This guide outlines a comprehensive digital strategy timeline to support your political campaign, ensuring you effectively engage and mobilize your audience. Each phase includes actionable steps tailored to LEE members.

1. Pre-Campaign (6-12 months out)

Research & Analysis

  • Understand Your Audience: Analyze voter demographics, community issues, and trends.

  • Competitor Insights: Study other campaigns to identify effective strategies.

  • Issue Polling: Use surveys to understand voter priorities and inform your messaging.

Foundation Building

  • Digital Infrastructure: Set up essential tools like a campaign email and social media.

  • Candidate Branding: Develop a branding toolkit, including logos, color schemes, and yard signs (if applicable).

  • Website Creation: Build a mobile-friendly, SEO-optimized, multi-language campaign website.

Team Setup

  • Digital Support: Visit internal LEE website for access to templates, guides, and best practices

  • Volunteer Training: Train volunteers in digital outreach and online advocacy.

2. Early Campaign (3-6 months out)

Content Creation

  • Narrative Development: Share personal stories to humanize the candidate and connect with voters.

  • Multi-Platform Content: Develop social media posts, blog entries, and video messages aligned with campaign values.

  • Graphic Design: Create visually engaging social media and print pieces from templates for consistent branding.

Audience Growth

  • Social Media: Implement strategies to grow your audience through organic posts and paid ads.

  • Email Campaigns: Launch subscription drives and nurture your list with engaging content.

  • Community Engagement: Build connections through town halls and local events.

3. Mid-Campaign (2-3 months out)

Outreach Intensification

  • Targeted Ads: Launch ads tailored to geographic and issue-specific audiences.

  • Virtual Events: Host webinars and Q&A sessions to engage supporters.

  • Issue Advocacy: Promote your stance on key issues through blogs and social media posts.

Data Collection

  • Volunteer Recruitment: Expand your team through digital sign-ups.

  • Donation Optimization: Simplify donation processes and track contributions.

  • Engagement Metrics: Monitor voter engagement and refine strategies.

Coalition Building

  • Partnerships: Collaborate with community leaders and organizations.

  • Influencer Outreach: Engage advocates to amplify your message online.

4. Final Push (1 month out)

Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV)

  • Voter Education: Share registration deadlines and voting locations.

  • Reminders: Use SMS campaigns and email blasts to mobilize voters.

  • Countdown Content: Build excitement with election day countdowns on your social media platforms

Crisis Management & Rapid Response

  • Real-Time Monitoring: Track mentions and respond promptly to issues.

  • Pre-Scripted Responses: Prepare messages for potential controversies.

  • Engagement: Address voter concerns and feedback swiftly.

Maximize Impact

  • Ad Spend: Increase budget allocation for high-performing ads.

  • Direct Outreach: Leverage social media and email to reach undecided voters.

  • Volunteer Coordination: Mobilize volunteers for last-minute outreach.

5. Election Week

Urgency Campaigns

  • Countdown Posts: Highlight the final days and hours to vote.

  • Voting Information: Share real-time updates on polling hours and locations.

Engagement Monitoring

  • Real-Time Support: Provide live assistance for voting-related issues.

  • Performance Tracking: Monitor the effectiveness of GOTV efforts.

6. Post-Election (1-2 months out)

Results & Gratitude

  • Thank Supporters: Acknowledge your team, donors, and voters through personalized messages.

  • Celebrate Milestones: Share highlights and successes from the campaign.

Debriefing

  • Campaign Audit: Review metrics to evaluate digital strategy effectiveness.

  • Feedback Gathering: Collect input from your team and supporters for future improvement.

Future Planning

  • Asset Management: Archive digital assets for future use.

  • Continuous Engagement: Transition your network into a community-building phase.

This guide empowers LEE members to leverage digital tools and strategies effectively, maximizing campaign impact and fostering long-term community engagement. Adapt each step to suit your unique campaign needs, and don’t hesitate to reach out to LEE’s resources for additional support.