Ahead of what is sure to be a busy 2010, now is an ideal time to start mapping out your online strategy.  Colin Delany at Politics Magazine published a useful article, “Ten Ways to Blow It Online,” covering a lot of common pitfalls of online campaigning, as well as some useful tips.

In particular, Delany hits on two themes that really ring true with our experience:  The first is the importance of starting early to build your online presence and recruit supporters.  The sooner you can launch your online effort and start attracting supporters, the better positioned you’ll be when it really counts.  Not only that, you’ll also have more time to foster real relationships with your advocates—and help them feel like they have a stake in your efforts—which is very important to the long-term success of your program.

The other key point is the value of an integrated approach.  If your different online efforts are tied to each other, rather than existing in isolation, they will be better able to drive the results you need.  As Delany writes:

“Once people are on your list, are you asking them to help spread the word through the online (and offline) channels they use most? Done correctly, the various parts of your online outreach will reinforce each other and the rest of your old-world communications work.”

We have long found that having a solid, integrated strategy and getting a head start can pay real dividends for advocacy programs—both online and offline.  Especially when a crisis hits, having the ground work in place can make all the difference. 

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