Email Registration
With 96 percent of internet users having access to email in 2005, one could assume that nearly everyone online is currently able to be reached via this communication. Often times, the first interaction a voter has with a candidate is through the campaign websites. By allowing those first-time visitors, as well as loyalists that continuously visit the site, easy access to the campaign email registration form, each candidate is able to begin a permission-based dialogue with each of those registrants.
Three key elements of the email registration process:
1. Email Sign-Up Call Out -- Clearly promote the email sign-up for visitors. Distinguishing this email sign-up from full website/campaign registration or "Join the Team" is imperative to attracting undecided voters. Both Sen. McCain's and Sen. Obama's campaign sites allow first-time visitors to land on a page that clearly states the campaign tagline, with an image of the candidate with his family and a quick email registration form. McCain's website has the added ability to convert these email subscribers to Team Members on the second page of the registration process.
2. Registration Form -- Make this process as simple as possible; collect only the necessary data to begin an email dialogue. Only email address and ZIP code (used for geographic segmenting) is needed. There were a few campaigns that have confusing and cumbersome email sign-up processes. Both Gov. Romney and Sen. Clinton's campaign sites employ landing pages for first-time visitors but use the language "Join Our Team" as the email registration call-out and have extensive forms asking more questions than necessary.
3. Welcome Email -- Send each email registrant an initial welcome email immediately following registration. Not only is this a best practice for deliverability for future emails, it also allows for an immediate touchpoint while the candidate is on top of the registrant's mind. Surprisingly, Sen. Romney's campaign was the only one that deployed a welcome-style email after registering for each candidate's email program. This could be because it was such a strenuous registration process.