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| Political campaigning |
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Acampaign management tool[1] is software that facilitates the launching and coordination ofpolitical campaigns across multiplesocial media platforms.
In the past,political campaigns were conducted using traditional methods of personal contact, such astelevision andradio media purchasing, print advertising and direct mail. However, the rising popularity of theInternet has changed how campaigns talk to voters, and also how campaigns maintain communications betweenstaff members, volunteers andpolitical consultants, and getting the campaign message out via the web,e-mail and interactive web forms.
Campaigns are also utilizing an increasing number of tools that assist with accounting, contact management, and handling increasingly complicated government regulations.
The exact best implementation of these sorts of tools is under debate. Politicians in many states have started websites andweblogs (or "blogs") with a variety of degrees of success. Socialsoftware has been used to benefit politicians. However, at the same time, companies are offering tools that push the edge of social responsibility, including those for publishingspam. Other companies pretending to be legitimate polling agencies, attempt to influence voters throughleading questions, in so called "push polls".
Some of the tools are those which enable the formation of local groups. These rapidly forming groups give citizens the confidence that they are not alone, and inspirecollective actions. AsReed's law predicted, tools that enable group formations at the edges of the network (Edge Tools), deliver measurable value, as can be seen by the use ofMeetup andGet Local on theHoward Dean campaign. While manyactivists and technologists see great value in these tools, many campaign professionals fear the loss of control. The value of these tools to campaigns below the Presidential level also remains uncertain.
Other kinds of internet tools for campaign management do not have such specific methods of organizing people. There is an increasing number of companies providing web-based software to replace database systems that require a specific computer or network. By making databases forGOTV/voter tracking, fundraising, accounting and campaign management accessible from any location, these vendors are allowing campaigns to take advantage of resources that many individual volunteers and campaign staff have available at home, expanding the use of distributed campaigning techniques.
