Google+ Hangouts On Air: The Tool All Public Figures Should Understand
Since its launch, Google+ has struggled to compete with Twitter and Facebook as a social media platform. Nevertheless, the live Google+ hangout feature has incredible potential for growth, and many public figures are already taking notice.
We’re not just yelling anymore.
Since its inception, political communication has revolved around one key question: How do I get my message out to the largest number of people possible? There is hardly consensus as to what the first piece of political communication technology looked like, but one thing is certain: It was simple.
Not So Super…Bowl Ads
Here at CRAFT, the general consensus seems to be that Chrysler Group’s “Farmer” ad (Ram Trucks) was the most memorable ad of this year’s Super Bowl. It was unlike every other ad that ran on Sunday night. There were no sexual innuendos. No celebrity brand endorsements. No reference to popular culture. And shockingly enough, no [...]
What is Native Advertising?
It happens every once in a blue moon. You’re on your computer (about to get in your YouTube fix for the day), when you run into a monetized ad. But this isn’t just any click-through diatribe. No, this ad is tailored to your liking. So much so that you forget about the video of the [...]
Getting the Most Out of Your Email
In today’s digital age, email lists are precious commodities. These lists can be massive—and the possibilities for optimizing their sends are limitless. Here are a few of the roles an email list plays in digital marketing: Communication: Email is by far the most direct method of communication between an organization or stakeholder and its supporters. [...]
What Makes Good TV?
It’s an oft-asked question in the political space: What makes good TV? As a FOX News producer, I was able to sit in on a few meetings with Roger Ailes. He imparted some simple concepts that stayed with me through my experience at FOX News—and I return to them often in my work booking clients [...]
Post-Election Digital and Social Media Presence
Election Day has passed—and it’s time to get to work. You’ve worked hard to build a campaign website and cultivate followers—and as a result, a newly elected official has a valuable audience of constituents who can help share and promote content and keep the conversation going. Now is the time to update your campaign site [...]
CRAFT Project: Heritage Foundation’s New Mobile App
Debating liberals on-the-go just got a lot easier. Today our team is thrilled to announce the launch of The Heritage Foundation’s brand new mobile application—now available on iPhone, iPad, and Android. This application provides the latest news, research, videos, and infographics straight to your mobile or tablet device. Next time a liberal is debating you about how Paul [...]
How To Use Twitter When You’re Not You.
There is no greater faux pas in social media than a personal Twitter account that is obviously run by someone else. Accidental, careless posts in the third person or Tweets that just lack an overall sense of genuine humanness can completely derail an otherwise sustainable social media strategy.
How do you spell CRAFT?
With a K. The CRAFT team is proud to announce its move to K Street. As CRAFT joins this influential, iconic neighborhood, it brings a new brand of creativity, flair and integrated thinking to the ‘established’ public affairs and political consulting marketplace. Come visit us at our new digs and say hello to our talented [...]
Tweeting Effectively: What’s Your Plan?
Twitter can be a powerful tool for sending messages or increasing consumer engagement with a brand—be it commercial or political. CRAFT lets you in on some of the basics of what you need to get the most out of your Twitter experience. Twitter allows you to send messages with a limit of 140 characters. Tweets [...]
Decoding CRAFT Digital
In the CRAFT offices, you can tell who works long hours. In the digital office where our web developers work, a tangle of Ethernet and power cords runs along the floor. The blinds are usually pulled closed. If anyone says anything, it’s something worth saying. The same could be said about their work – anything [...]
Text to Donate: The Future of Political Campaigns?
On June 11, the FEC shook up campaign finance when it approved a proposal that will allow campaigns to accept donations via text message. If carriers choose to participate, the ruling will allow candidates to register 5- to 6-digit codes, which donors can key in to contribute. The change comes in response to a petition from [...]
If You’re Not There You’re Square —CampaignTech Conference
CRAFT is proud to announce that our own Justin Germany, Matthew Dybwad and Lyndsey Fifield will all be participating in or leading panels in their respective fields of expertise. Justin Germany will lead a discussion about Using Video as a Messaging Platform. He will be joined with Casey Phillips of RedPrint Strategy, Dan Beckmann of [...]
CRAFTing Your Facebook Timeline Page
The new Facebook timeline format creates an opportunity to make a huge impression for your candidate or organization—so you need to be prepared. CRAFT produced a simple infographic that highlights the main specs and new features. This is especially important now because all pages will automatically transition to the timeline format today. Below we’ve elaborated [...]
CNN Showcases CRAFT Client
It’s always exciting for our team at CRAFT Media / Digital when our clients garner positive coverage in the national media, but it feels even better when that client is receiving that attention for helping veterans from Iraq and Afganistan succeed in business.
Impressions are Passive
Glad to see Coca-Cola, the world’s largest beverage company, has come around to our way of thinking. A recent article by the Harvard Business Review takes interest in an approach that CRAFT is already using to garner client success. With our new Pay for Performance model, clients only pay for results. This includes everything from [...]
Should I Disable Ratings on My Political YouTube Videos?
People often ask me if they should disable the ratings system for political YouTube videos they upload. Although it generally depends on the content, below I provide general guidelines to consider. I will also explain how the ratings system can be used against you using Governor Rick Perry’s “Strong” video as a case study. Without [...]
Gimmicks Schmimicks
In Politics, Gimmicks Rarely Produce Results If you’re following the current Presidential race, you know exactly what doomed campaign I’m talking about if I say, “9-9-9.” It doesn’t take a political insider to automatically think about Al Gore when you hear “lock box.” Or think about wonky Steve Forbes whenever anyone brings up the notion [...]
Why Make a YouTube Video if Nobody Will See It? Part II
This is Part II in a series about marketing YouTube videos. This post references sections from Part I that can be read here. 3. Uploading Since your video description and tags were written before the video is uploaded, this should only require a simple cut and paste to fill out the forms. If you didn’t [...]
Why Make a YouTube Video if Nobody Will See It? Part I
It is amazing how much time and money is spent producing online videos without an equal amount of time and effort marketing them. For some reason people think high-quality videos magically go viral by uploading them. The truth is that most videos reach a large audience because they were marketed correctly. This series of posts [...]
Microsoft’s Rust Lung Email Problem
A promotional email I received this morning from Microsoft suggests that immulsion fumes are beginning to turn marketers in Redmond into primordial Lambent Drudges. Their blunder is tragically common, and easily mitigated with better strategic planning and creative copy development. Xbox LIVE successfully melded the real-time over-the-net competition of PC gaming with the intuitive, user-friendly [...]