Tools > Resource Directory
Below is a list of resources to help you get started with your online campaign. The political service industry is an active one, with new services coming and going all the time. Please note that the author does not endorse these sites and is not responsible for their content.
Search Engine Accounts
Creating website accounts with the major search engines acts the same as a site submission. Website accounts allow you greater insight into how each engine indexes your website and provides additional tools.
Google Account (https://accounts.google.com/SignUp) – Create a Google account to get started and access the other account functions below. All services are free.
- Google Alerts – Keep track of online mentions for names, phrases, and websites.
- Google Analytics – Track the who, what, and where of your website visitors.
- Gmail – Free email account.
- G Suite – Business version of Gmail, Google Calendar, Docs, and more.
- Google Search Console – Improve your site’s visibility in Google search results; discover links, query traffic, and gain other information about your site.
- Google Ads – Google’s pay per click advertising network.
- YouTube – Google’s video service.
Bing Webmaster Tools
https://www.bing.com/toolbox/webmaster
Social Media Resources
Facebook.com – The largest social networking site in the world.
- https://www.facebook.com/pages/create/ – Create a new Page.
- https://www.facebook.com/help/ – Help center.
- https://newsroom.fb.com/ – News about the Facebook community.
Twitter.com – A popular micro-blogging site.
LinkedIn.com – Build and engage with your professional network.
YouTube.com – The largest video website on the web. Most political candidates who use video have a presence on this site.
Instagram.com – Photo-sharing app, owned by Facebook.
Pinterest.com – A popular site for displaying and sharing images with others.
Social Media Management Tools
- Buffer.com – Social media scheduling, publishing, and analysis tool.
- Hootsuite.com – Monitor conversations, compile reports, and post to multiple social media networks at one time.
- TweetDeck.com – Real-time Twitter tracking, organizing, and engagement.
- Warble.co – Daily email alerts for Twitter. Track keywords, phrases, #hashtags @mentions and more.
Social Media Tracking Tools
URL Shorteners
These tools shorten links so they will fit better in Twitter posts, within emails, or for other purposes. Some services and tools have their own built-in shorteners.
File Storage Tools
- Dropbox – https://www.dropbox.com/
- Google Docs – https://docs.google.com
- Microsoft Office Web Apps – https://products.office.com/en-us/free-office-online-for-the-web
Online Communication Platforms
Video Conferencing Services
- gotomeeting.com
- Google Hangouts (limited participants)
- Skype.com (limited participants)
- webex.com
- zoom.us
Video hosting sites
- Wistia.com
- Sproutvideo.com – Good for large storage needs.
- Vimeo.com
Political Fundraising Services
There are a growing number of political fundraising services. These were selected for cost, ease of use, and for meeting the needs of local campaigns. Vendor specifics are subject to change.
- ActBlue.com – Democratic fundraising service.
- Anedot – Donation and payment system for non-profits, political campaigns and causes. Integrates with multiple services.
- FundHero.io – Fundraising service with built-in Contact Relationship Management system.
- NGPVan.com – Democratic fundraising service.
- PayPal Donations – Many smaller campaigns still use PayPal, but it lacks many tools and features of political-specific services.
- RaiseTheMoney.com – Provides campaigns and organizations with a streamlined way to accept online contributions.
- WinRed.com – Fundraising platform for conservative and center-right groups.
Online Marketplace Services
Email Messaging Vendors
The best way to get a solid, responsive email list is to grow it yourself.
- AWeber.com – Free to use. Includes features like autoresponders and split testing.
- MailChimp.com – Free for up to 2,000 addresses. Limited features and send ability with free plan.
- MailerLite.com – Free for up to 1,000 addresses. Includes a library of app integrations.
- SendGrid.com – Can accommodate larger lists and higher volume.
Voter Data Services
- L2political.com – Voter analysis, voter mapping and selection tools.
- TargetSmart.com – Offers several voter and list services.
- TheDataGroup.com – Offers voter lists, email and phone data.
- DataFinder – Append your existing voter list with additional information, such as email addresses.
- TowerData.com – Get information from your existing email list subscribers to segment your messages.
Campaign Software and Apps
Campaign software services include voter information, segmentation, field operation apps, and more.
- Ecanvasser.com – Manage door-to-door canvassing remotely.
- EventBrite.com – Create, manage, and promote events.
- Handraiser.com – Identifies, activates, and measures the participation of every voter.
- OutreachCircle.com – Friend-to-friend outreach platform that enables supporters to identify and connect with eligible voters.
- Votesharp.biz – A constituent communications tool specifically for state and local elected officials and candidates.
- SummitPoliticalApps.com – Mobile apps for political campaigns.
AI Tools
There is a large and growing number of AI tools for all types of purposes. Here are some of the more established tools, along with a few directories to explore additional services.
- chat.openai.com – ChatGPT provides text generation and translation, content creation, and even casual communication.
- DALL-E (openai.com/dall-e-2) – Text-to-image model developed by OpenAI. Generates digital images from natural language descriptions
- Grammarly.com – AI-powered grammar and writing assistant that helps users improve their writing by identifying and correcting grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style errors.
- Jasper.ai – An all-purpose AI tool designed to help users with various tasks, such as content and AI image generation.
- Midjourney.com – A generative AI that can convert natural language prompts into images.
- OnlineCandidateResources.com – From Online Candidate, providing resources, creative templates, and AI-powered tools for political campaigns.
- Quiller.ai – AI copilot that helps Democratic campaigns and allied organizations draft and deploy high quality, effective fundraising content.
- Speechify.com – Create human quality voice over recordings in real time. Narrate text, videos, explainers – anything you have – in any style.
- StableDiffusionWeb.com – Text-to-image diffusion model capable of generating photo-realistic images given any text input.
AI Directories
Voice and Text Messaging Services
- Point Blank Political offers very competitive pricing vs other carriers. They offer SMS, MMS and Voice messaging services.
- Callfire.com
- CallHub.io
- Rumbleup.com
- Textmarks.com
- Trumpia.com
Online Advertising Services
Besides these services, there are other independent firms that specialize in digital advertising.
Social media advertising
business.instagram.com/advertising/
Pay-per-click services
ads.google.com
Retargeting services
facebook.com/business/goals/retargeting
IP targeting services
Free press release websites
OnlinePRNews.com – Allows for embedded link.
Website Tools
Search engine accounts
Analytics
ga-dev-tools.appspot.com/campaign-url-builder
Website policy generators
Privacy Policy Generator
bennadel.com/coldfusion/privacy-policy-generator.htm
FreePrivacyPolicy.com
freeprivacypolicy.com/free-privacy-policy-generator.php
PrivacyPolicyOnline.com Terms of Service Generator
privacypolicyonline.com/terms-of-service-generator/
Video editors
Camtasia Studio (echsmith.com/video-editor.html) – Screen recorder and video editor. Allows you to record anything that you can view on your computer screen including software applications, web pages, PowerPoint presentations and more.
OpenShot.org – Free and open-source video editor for Linux, Mac, and Windows.
SRecorder.com – Free software that records your PC desktop at a high video and audio quality.
Online surveys
Graphics Resources
Free or low-cost graphics tools and resources.
Canva.com – Recommended. A graphic-design tool website that provides access to over a million photographs, graphics, and fonts.
FreeImages.com – All free for personal and commercial use
Gimp.org – A freely distributed piece of software for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and authoring.
loc.gov/free-to-use/ – Library of Congress digital collections that are free to use.
Pexels.com – Free, high quality images.
Pixabay.com – Free, high quality images.
Photoshop.com – Free trial version available of the popular graphics editor.
PicResize.com – Free image resizer tool.
Unsplash.com – Free, high quality images.
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page – Wikipedia Commons is collection of freely usable media files.
Campaign Town Hall Services
A campaign town hall is a coordinated event in which one or more speakers may interact with their audience online.
Candidate Training
- American Majority offers online training for conservative candidates.
- Emily’s List helps train Democratic women.
- FEC offers opportunities for training on the federal campaign finance laws.
- GOP Political Education provide candidates, campaign managers, and staff with campaign tools and information.
- National Democratic Training Committee offers free training for all Democrats and Progressives.
- VoteRunLead works with women of all political types.
Campaigning Resources
Podcasts
Digital Politics with Karen Jagoda
Since 2007, this show has highlighted impact of new technologies on the campaign landscape, how expectations of voters are changing, role of online fundraising, digital and traditional means of persuasion and getting out the vote.
Elected. The Podcast
This podcast started for one simple reason: to pull back the curtain and show women what running for office, as a woman, is really like.
How To Run For Office
This series, by Raz Shafer, Founder of My Campaign Coach, focuses only on winning election campaigns. Though the series ended in 2019, there is plenty of useful material for local candidates.
Running for Office Podcast Series
Ned Ryun, President of American Majority, provides tips on numerous campaign subjects from get-out-the-vote efforts and raising name-identification to utilizing new media and preparing for campaign debates. This series is from 2010, but provide a good roadmap for candidates over its 22 episodes.
Voter Registration Tools and Websites
Electiontools.org – Free resources for election officials.
Rockthevote.org – Registration platform tool and resources.
Vote.org – Technology to simplify political engagement and increase voter turnout. Includes free and paid tools.
Voteamerica.com – Voter registration information and tools.
Wecanvote.us – Voter registration information and tools.
