When your favourite TV series is finished, what do you do? Do you quit TV forever?

via GIPHY

Thought not! Political types and activists don’t either. Political campaigns come to a natural end, it’s called polling day, but why should your political journey end there?

Check Linkedin and see how many people volunteered in the Obama Campaign in 2012, if you look a little bit closer, you will also see that a lot of these people went on to work on different campaigns, some even ran for office themselves. Funny, not many of them vanished in thin air!

People who use Ecanvasser use our platform to help them solve a problem, many want to get elected, many want to conduct door to door canvassing in a more streamlined manner, many want to do surveys in shopping centers, and many want to use the latest technology on the market. We pride ourselves on helping you accomplish the first part of your problem, but we don’t expect you to vanish after polling day, we want to help you accomplish part 2 of your mission.

Two things happen after polling day, you could be in office or you could be back to the drawing board. Either way, you’ll have work to do. Politicians who use 'being elected' as an opportunity to go into “hibernation mode” are not the politicians we want to work with and are definitely not the politicians we want to be represented by.

So...

How to use Ecanvasser post election day:

Literature drops

Ecanvasser's platform can be used to help you present yourself to the world in a variety of ways. You can use the software solution to help you carry out literature drops. Done right, lit drops are one of the most effective and efficient methods of direct voter contact with your target audience. For many smaller races, lit drops are a highly targeted and relatively inexpensive way to combine field strategy with your communications and also something you can do continuously when not in election mode.

Using Ecanvasser to track where your lit drops happens and at what time, helps ensure you gain valuable insights when polling day does come around again. It helps with message reinforcement, sometimes even offering more detail than face-to-face direct voter contact.

Lit drops can also help with voter education and this becomes incredibly important in-between voting cycles. Mail can effectively be used for more ‘complicated’ actions such as voter registration, early vote, vote by mail and more important Get-out-the-vote (GOTV) mail.

Face to face canvassing

Many candidates think that canvassing is a secondary activity when out campaigning but it's importance is not lost on politicians who are invested in building long term relationships with their voters. Votes won't always be won in the short few weeks leading up to polling day. Many politicians believe in canvassing in between terms, and as a result, never losing touch with your past voters while simultaneously building new ones. Using Ecanvasser to help bridge the gap between election cycles has never been easier!

On street canvassing

The great thing about using Ecanvasser after your election is over is that you can always build on your database. With our new mobile app Ecanvasser Go, you can grow your membership out in the community and never miss an opportunity to record conversations.

Email

The best way to stay in touch with your supporter database post election day is the coveted and often underused newsletter. The much maligned email blast once a month is a lot more powerful than you would think. We have become used to seeing social media updates from politicians and community reps but sometimes putting a bit of work into your email will stand to you in the long run. With Ecanvasser's email functionality, you can stay connected to your consenting supporters with the click of a button.

Surveys & Polling

Understanding the mood of your electorate is so important and it's best to test this on a regular basis. Conducting surveys and polling are inexpensive and very informative. Using Ecanvasser Walk or Go will help you get the responses you need to make sure you never lose touch with your supporters. It will also help you derive the correct messaging ahead of the next election.

Surveys are useful in capturing the characteristics of a large population. No other research method can provide this broad capability, which ensures a more accurate sample to gather targeted results in which to draw conclusions and make important decisions for your next campaign.

With Ecanvasser Go, the anonymity of surveys allows respondents to answer with more candid and valid answers. To get the most accurate data, you need respondents to be as open and honest as possible with their answers. Surveys conducted anonymously provide an avenue for more honest responses than other types of research methodologies, especially if it is clearly stated that survey answers will remain completely confidential.

Member feedback

Another important aspect of continuing to campaign even after polling day is that problems for the electorate don't just suddenly disappear. The voters will always need help and that is why it is important that we track their issues and feedback somewhere secure. With the Ecanvasser CRM and apps, you can log any issue an individual may have at any time.

Data insights

With all the work you will be doing, gaining learnings will be important, being able to view results on the surveys and outreach you will be doing shall allow you to plot your next move and will also help frame your ongoing campaign messaging.

It is important to remember that even though an election is the catalyst for many people getting involved in politics, it doesn't have to be the beginning and the end of campaigning. Understanding that great campaigns never really stop is what separates great campaigns from your average campaign. Be great, use Ecanvasser.