Tech trends come and go, and with every new election cycle, there is always some kind of hot new invention. Creating your own network of supporters and managing communications are some of the core fundamentals for any campaign. We have compiled a list of our 4 Most Useful Campaign Softwares to help set yourself apart from the opposition.

Content & Community Management Tool : NationBuilder

The tech company NationBuilder is one of the fastest growing businesses in the US. The non- partisan political data firm have found themselves indispensable to many campaigns particularly when voter databases vary from state to state. With no federal agency overseeing voter data or registration, it can be a messy field to navigate. NationBuilder founder and chief executive, Jim Gilliam states that ‘it is extremely important for campaigns to be able to know who can vote for them, and be able to do legitimate outreach and engagement’, thus creating their own ‘Nation’.

Voter Files: L2 Data

L2 Data maintains the US’s most comprehensive data files of all registered and non-registered voters. L2 can provide your campaign with a robust voter file, continually uploading and cleaning voter records. They acquire their data from state and county level registered voter files, national telephone source files, US Census data, election return data with results and privately sourced lifestyle and issue data.

When you access a voter file through the likes of L2 Data, the options of how best to utilise the information is endless; mailing lists, phone banking etc. Building engagement is the most important thing and L2 streamlines this process by making this crucial information easily obtainable.

Constituency Management: iConstituent

iConstituent seeks to improve democracy in the US by connecting government and constituents through technology. The cloud-based government to constituent communications provider is one of the leaders in the field when it comes to delivering CRM to governments all across the country. iConstituent prides itself on being different from other CRM/eNews providers. Their user-friendly platform interface is easy for staffers to use and if they run into any stumbling blocks they offer training classes on the side. Providing services such as Signal CRM, Gateway eNewsletter, data services, websites services, iTownhall and social media ads, iConstituent is certainly an expert in their field.

Voter Outreach Tool: Ecanvasser

Much more than just a canvassing tool, Ecanvasser knows just how important voter targeting and issue tracking are for the everyday candidate. This simple to use and affordable app provides the candidate with a constituency management feature long after the knocking on doors is done. Logging any concerns and comments from the public onto the mobile app while you are at the door, the app then allows you to track and follow your voter issues easily. The five-star rating feature allows you to grade your reception at the door on the first canvass and then revisit later according to priority. Ecanvasser has also just released a major integration with poli-tech company NationBuilder. Campaigns already using NationBuilder to host their web presence and build voter support will now be able to plug into Ecanvasser for outreach work and voter correspondence