An online marketing strategy starting with the .VOTE (dotVote) web address

Not all constituents actively seek out electoral information, meaning that you need to meet your voters where they are in the physical and digital space. The exciting part about campaigning is that there are never-ending new ways of marketing your brand. The more methods you try, the better success you will have in winning the support of a large and diverse demographic. Traditional print-campaigning includes postcard and flyer direct mailing, sign advertising, and swag items such as buttons, stickers, shirts and caps. A modern tech approach features automated calling, radio, TV, media and online news, collaborations with bloggers and social influencers, friends’ and family’s social feeds and email marketing. Promote your brand in all of these places and drive voters to your online presence where you can educate and win them over with your policy.   

You inspire the best online branding. Your name is your brand, and your brand is you, so why not make your website address your first and last name dot vote (i.e. www.YourName.VOTE)? As we mentioned previously, your campaign website will be the hub of your online presence. Your official branded website address is the perfect kickoff point in your campaign trail, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised to learn that getting your brand online is easier than you think.

Everyone is familiar with .COM and .NET domain names, you probably even know about .ORG, .INFO and .BIZ, but did you know there are hundreds of new domain names that are industry, product, and profession-specific? It’s a new and exciting era in how we categorize the internet.

A little history on the internet

The term “domain name” is what most people refer to as a website address. It is common to think a domain name and a website are the same. While they are closely connected, they are very different things. When you register a domain name, it gives you sole ownership and rights to that domain name for the term you have registered it. However, just because you have a domain name does not mean that you automatically have a website ready to show the world. To create and operate a website, you will need a domain name and website hosting (which we will discuss later in this chapter). The way in which domain names operate on the internet is similar to postal addresses in the physical world. Each part of the domain name provides specific information. These pieces of information enable web browsers to locate your website.

A domain name or web address is made up of a few parts: protocol, a third-level domain or subdomain, the second-level domain and the top-level domain (TLD). The top-level domain is the farthest to the right after the dot and is the most important part. There are TLDs for countries (i.e., .FR for France, and .CN for China) and as we briefly mentioned before, now there are hundreds of new descriptive generic top-level domain names like .VOTE. The second-level domain is the part that you can customize which usually gives context to the content one will see when visiting the corresponding website.

Why choose a .VOTE domain name for your brand over a .COM?

Have you ever tried Googling your name online? Chances are you are not the only person with your name who pops up in the search results. .COM has been around since the beginning of the internet, and most of the first name last name combinations in .COM were snatched up years ago. In the past, this would leave you with no choice but to add extra words or letters until you could find an available name. Today, new generic domain names like .VOTE offer a robust solution to the saturated .COM namespace and offer many benefits including a greater chance that your name is available and the opportunity to have brand-specific keywords in your domain name.

From a first glance, the .VOTE domain tells Internet users who you are and what you do. The .VOTE domain creates a space for voter-focused, politically oriented content on the web and people like you who are running for office. .VOTE is versatile and attention-grabbing, adding a serious boost to your personal and professional brand whether you are running for a student government position or President of the United States. Unlike other new domain names available like .GOP, .REPUBLICAN and .DEMOCRAT that alienate independent voters (and those from the other party you may wish to win over), .VOTE is inclusive and easily adaptable, even offering a Latino version with .VOTO. .VOTE can improve your performance in search engines like Google with a keyword rich website address. It’s no doubt that someone searching for voter information online is more likely to click on a link that has the .VOTE keyword they were searching for in the domain name – and that’s a big win for your campaign!

A .VOTE domain name is short, professional and memorable. You can see the strong statement a direct and custom .VOTE domain makes in the campaign yard sign above. The Facebook link to the right is not the website address you want representing your campaign and featured on all of your marketing material. You want a website address that is easy to relay from word of mouth and radio advertising, that looks great in print and is a call-to-action to vote for you. It’s your name, your politics, your official .VOTE domain name.

How to use a .VOTE website address

Option 1: You don’t need to be a web designer to build a stunning and professional website; you can do it yourself. Create a 2-page website with a .VOTE website address for free at 101domain.com (type in GetMyName.VOTE for a special offer).  

Pick from a selection of politically designed templates, with features like a Donate Button, Contact Forms, Social Media Icon Sets, and more. Drag and drop anything into place, change the text to make it yours and add images to show the world who you are. You can move anything around at any time, even your templates. All of your content will remain intact as it perfectly morphs into the new template and you can bring it all to life with the click of a button.

Option 2: Use web forwarding or what we call a redirect to have your custom .VOTE website address point directly to your candidate profile page at PoliticalBank.com. A PoliticalBank profile is a painless way to establish your brand positioning, messaging and policy instantly on the web without spending the time, effort or cost associated with creating a website. It even provides a donation page.

Option 3: Forward your custom .VOTE website address to your social media websites like Facebook, Medium, Instagram, or even Twitter. Web forwarding is included free with your .VOTE domain name registration at 101domain.com so when anyone types in your personalized .VOTE website address they simply arrive at your designated social media account instead. Redirects allow you to maintain consistent branding throughout your campaign with a single official .VOTE domain name that is branded with your first and last name.

Option 4: Hire a web designer, This is the most expensive option and is necessary for higher profile campaigns, but hey you will still save money in paid advertising with your branded .VOTE website address, and 101domain.com offers hosting services compatible with WordPress and other website design services for a low monthly fee.

Drive your campaign home with a .VOTE email address

Email will be a leading method of communication in your campaign, in collaborating with your team, driving your message through email marketing and receiving valuable donations. A custom email address like mail@YourName.Vote is the perfect match for your .VOTE campaign website address and an upgrade from yourname86@yahoo.com. Free email services like Yahoo and Gmail are great for personal use, but you want a professional email address associated with your campaign that is in brand compliance with your marketing materials and most importantly the center of your digital brand - your campaign website address. A custom and branded email address communicates trust, improves click-through rates for your campaign and drives voters to your online presence. You can purchase a custom email address like campaign@YourName.Vote or donate@YourName.Vote at 101domain.com. A domain-based email address is the best investment you can make for your campaign, and you can get started with one email box for as little as $1.00 USD a month at 101domain.com.

Creating an online presence for your brand is as easy as you think it should be in this day and age. Your branded first and last name .VOTE website address is the foundation of your digital brand. From there you can harness the power of social media to grow your brand, drive your message and spread your policy. Promote your brand with your custom .VOTE website address in every traditional print and social media outlet and be everywhere your constituents are in the physical and digital space because at the end of the day you are not going to wish you tried less. Technology has the power to take your brand to the next level in politics – do not give the opportunity to claim your official .VOTE website address and seat in office to someone else. Investing in your digital brand is the best investment you can make for your brand, your campaign, and your future.