Down-ballot campaigns are going digital

Continuing the down-ballot emphasis, Facebook’s Katie Harbath made a great point in a CampaignTech panel—Facebook is likely to be a more important tool for local candidates than it is for people running, say, for president. The logic’s obvious when you think about it: Facebook organizing is free as long as you’re not running ads or paying to promote content, making it perfect for candidates with more enthusiasm than cash. And a candidate’s Facebook page can serve as a public rallying point for supporters, which is particularly important for races that may be won by a relative handful of votes. At the presidential level—or even statewide—campaigns will have access to a ton of online options, from email to advertising to custom social networks. While they almost certainly will use Facebook, it’s likely to be just one arrow in the quiver: a big campaign basically needs to cover all the bases.

Campaigns & Elections