Communications Tips for New Political Candidates
With a general election looming, constitutionally due by May next year, many Barbadians are anxious for the bell to ring so that they may mark their X for their preferred representative.
The political race will feature its share of new faces; either new to the constituency whose seat they're contesting or new to the political landscape. For new candidates, the earlier they hit the ground the better chance they'll have of familiarising themselves with each of their constituents.
Communications plays an integral role in political campaigns, and a solid communications strategy is crucial in any election. As local politician Gline Clarke recently told me, "the communications manager may even be more important than the campaign manager." As a communications consultant, I cheekily concur.
Below are a few communications tips I came up with that any new candidate should consider:
MEDIA RELATIONS
- Establish relationships with media personnel
The media will play a key role in getting your message out. As a candidate you will want media coverage of all the events you host. One way to secure this coverage is to forge a connection with one or more journalists from each media house, preferably those who cover political stories. The relationship should be mutually beneficial; the candidate provides a newsworthy event, the reporter provides coverage.
2. Take advantage of earned media
One of the challenges many new candidates face is that of "unknownism" *I just made that up*. They are not as well-known, across their constituency and the country, as incumbents. One way to become a familiar face and household name is to garner as much media coverage as possible. When at events where the media is present, always position yourself for a photo op with newsmakers.
Taking advantage of earned media will require you to be on the scene of 'breaking-stories' in your constituency. You should always put out statements, written or video, on current national issues to your social media, and more than likely it will be picked up by the media. Or, you can simply forward the statement to them.
Stay in the media until even the media grows tired of you. It is then that you have been successful in making yourself known to the electorate. After you have accomplished that, your media appearances should be sporadic.
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT
3. Create a presence on relevant social media platforms
In this social media era where everything occurs online and the average individual spends a minimum of 10 hours each day on their preferred social media platform, it would be unwise of any candidate, challenger or incumbent, to be absent on social media. It is an easy and inexpensive way to get your campaign's message to the intended demographic.
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube are 'must-have' platforms for any candidate who cares about communicating with voters. Feel free to even throw in Snapchat-- that's where you are more likely to interact with Generation Z-- first-time voters.
4. Content is king! Louder for those in the back-- CONTENT IS KING!
One of the biggest mistakes a political candidate can make is creating a social media profile page and leaving it for tumbleweed to blow across. Content is the name of the game. It's what keeps these social media platforms moving. Without content the internet would not exist. Hence, if you do not have content on your profiles then you do not exist.
Engagement is crucial. To post content and not engage with followers is counterproductive; content should be original and engaging. Engagement is not simply posting a status or photo and monitoring the 'likes', it's about posting compelling content that makes a follower want to leave a comment. It's important to have conversations on your social media.
A political candidate must hire a social media manager. No, I do not mean your sister or son who you gave your password to. Not even your secretary. I am referring to someone who is trained in social media. Someone who knows how to create a content calendar and stick to it. Someone who knows what, how, where and when to post.
COMMUNITY RELATIONS
5. Not simply grassroots initiatives
This may seem pretty straightforward since a candidate cannot win a seat if he or she has no relationship with the members of the community they are hoping to represent. However, community relations is about more than grassroots movements such as door-to-door canvassing and leaving literature in mailboxes, it's about doing what is necessary to convince voters that your interest in their well-being is sincere.
6. Community outreach
A candidate, while on the campaign trail, should have at least one ongoing initiative in their constituency. This could range from employment to environmental, restoration and beautification, sports-team sponsorship, or even an 'adopt-a-school' programme. This not only reassures voters of your willingness to improve their lives but it will also bring the community together.
7. Fostering good will
A candidate should take no issue with going above and beyond to win the respect, and X of voters. Politics is hard work. A political campaign is even harder. I know of a new candidate who tries to attend all of the funerals in his constituency to pay respects to the family, and also to secure that X. Hugging babies will no longer suffice in these times.
INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS
8. The importance of communications
A candidate cannot win an election by his or herself; they must have a team. The success of the campaign will be a team effort. A candidate must have a team of people who are competent in their respective field. The team should always be on the same page. In order to achieve this, the communications director should appoint an internal communications officer.
The ICO will be responsible for scheduling meetings, project assignment, phone calls, solving issues among staff, and volunteers, drafting and disseminating memos and emails to team members. With technology at our fingertips, various messaging apps have made communication easier. The internal comms officer should be responsible for creating, maintaining and updating the Whatsapp group chat.
9. Staying on message
There is nothing more frustrating than having members of the same team unaware of what stage the campaign is at; what is next, who is responsible for what, what time the press conference is, or worse, what the campaign message is. I have witnessed canvassers interacting with voters and when asked about the candidate's message and vision, they were clueless.
A sound internal communications strategy will see members of the team on the same page at all times. It will ensure the campaign is ran smoothly.
