We see politics in many colors: red, white, blue, and orange.
While living in Washington, D.C., for eight years, I’ve seen politics at its finest. I’ve also seen campaigns at their worst.
I’m not talking about :30 second ads, negative mail pieces, or annoying phone calls you get during dinner. I’m talking about its adoption rate into using new technology and/or platforms. To think, just 10 years ago (and probably somewhere still today) there are political organizations using paper lists and 3×5 notecards stuck in a shoe box.
This inspired my introductory blog post: where can the political world leverage Eventbrite to make its life easier?
#5: Phone Banks. For decades, campaigns have been using phone banks to reach out to their voters and constituents. But how do you know who is coming?
Solution: Make a phone bank registration page, slotted for the time and number of spots you have open, and have it recur for the total number of days your phone bank will remain open. It’s super easy, its online, and you can keep track of everyone registered on an on-going basis. Totally Free.
#4: Town Halls. Members of Congress and other elected officials are meeting with their constituents every week.
Solution: Having a list of people who are planning on coming to the town hall is a great way to make sure you have enough space for the meeting. It also helps you communicate with those that came that day with a follow-up, ‘Thank You’.
#3: Rallies. I’ve seen some of the biggest presidential rallies in American political history over the course of my 12 year career in politics. It’s truly an amazing an energetic event to go to.
Many times though, the registration for these events are handled by custom email addresses and full voicemail boxes. Inevitably, someone is being left off of the list and tons of data is getting left behind of those people who haven’t been entered into a database.
Solution: Set up a registration page for the rally. Have people fill in their names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses so that you have their contact information. That way, you can communicate with them before and after the rally.
Conventions are a staple of any political campaign; Eventbrite can be the stapler.
#2: Conventions. Conventions can be some of the most complex events for campaigns to manage. Knowing who is coming, where they are coming from, and who they are representing, are some of the most critical parts of their operations.
Solution: Instead of having to keep track of that through faxed forms, countless emails, and duplicative spreadsheets, allow your convention delegates to register online with an event registration page. You could also use it to sell tickets to various events going on during the convention itself.
#1: Fundraisers: Political fundraisers can be countless numbers of checks and piles of faxed or emailed table requests. Why? Political entities may not have the ability to process credit cards onsite for those events. Well, look no further.
Solution: Eventbrite can help you sell as many tickets as you want, in advance or at the door! If you have a big enough event, you can ask the Eventbrite staff for help with securing an ‘At The Door’ point of sale system. You’ll never have to worry about having multiple lists and leaving an important donor on another sheet of paper, back at the office. Now, just check everyone in from the comfort of your iPhone or laptop. So easy, so painless, so many cost savings.
Those are just some of my tips in helping advance your political event or campaign into becoming a well-oiled data collection and payment processing machine. Now go out, be BRITE, and make your life, and your job, easier.
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