As the political campaigns gain momentum in Kenya while all candidates warm-up for the general elections scheduled in August 2022, just a few months away, a political candidate should have an attractive website to showcase their brand, just as you need a captivating website to launch a new business.
Your constituents will want more information if they hear about you at community meetings, see your political commercials on TV or in the newspaper, or hear you talk on the radio or in podcasts.
Your political marketing and advertising plan will be built around an informative political website.
A good political website will introduce you to the public the way you want to be known, assist you in recruiting volunteers and raising funds, and develop trust.
According to a recent study, 75% of website visitors assess an organization’s (or a political campaign’s) trustworthiness depending on the appearance of their website.
In addition, your Kenyan political and campaign website will perform the following functions:
- Keeping the community informed – Inform your people on a frequent basis about your goals for improving their community and other ways you’re keeping your campaign commitments on subjects that matter to them.
- Allow people to connect on a personal level — Your website allows you to convey your narrative, explain your candidacy, and layout your strategy for achieving your objectives. You may express yourself with a blog, images of you and your family, or photos of you out in the community.
- Promote your knowledge – Whether you’re a specialist on environmental concerns, crime reduction, or increasing the odds of small companies succeeding, you’ll want to have a platform where you can tell people what you plan to do if elected. You will improve your political brand and keep your constituents informed about important topics.
Your political campaign website is obviously crucial to your entire plan if you are aiming for that political seat in Kenya.
But what makes it so effective?
We’ve compiled a list of pointers to help you make a terrific first impression.
How to Create and Launch a Website for your Political Campaigns
Whether you are aiming for the top seat of the country, campaigning for the presidency, gubernatorial seat – campaigning to be governor, Senator, Member of Parliament (M.P) or you are in the grassroots, mobilizing people to vote for you to become an MCA or Women Rep, these 7 tips will prove helpful for your ambitions.
1. Create a marketing strategy for your brand.
A politician seeking re-election is a brand. You must sell yourself and your manifesto aggressively and persistently to gain the exposure required to attract votes.
Every tweet, blog post, and Facebook post should be consistent with your brand identity and message standards. Your website should exemplify your brand.
You must also acknowledge that we now live in a digital advertising world.
According to research, “Kenyan adults now use digital media for an average of 6 hours each day. Digital advertising is expected to account for 54% of all ad expenditure in 2019 “Kenya is a country in Africa.”
Today, a good digital campaign is critical to advancing as a political candidate. Its characteristic is your website, which is an important component of digital marketing.
Recognize that “a picture is worth a thousand words” and collect a variety of photographs to offer voters a visual representation of who you are and what you represent.
Don’t be hesitant to go personal with your social media campaign and include your partner, spouse, or family. Allow voters to see the genuine you, the whole package.
The homepage of your website provides you the opportunity to address queries that your visitors may have. You will provide the following to voters on your homepage:
- Who you are
- What you do
- How you can help them
2. Make Your Website Responsive
Because mobile devices account for more than half of all online traffic, your website design must be mobile-friendly. It will also assist you in achieving a high ranking in search results.
Choosing the incorrect font or utilizing unappealing headlines are two common website design blunders. To prevent these mistakes, set aside a portion of your marketing budget to engage a competent web designer or an agency.
3. Use A/B testing to boost your site’s conversion rates.
A/B testing is used to compare marketing pieces like a website or landing page. Page A will be seen by a portion of your site’s visitors, while page B will be seen by the rest. The version that performs better will be the one you keep on your site indefinitely.
Best methods include doing A/B testing on
- Your headlines
- Images
- Length and format of text
4. Make your website simple to use.
Make sure that your website is simple to navigate. Create distinct sections and pages for your history, experience, and the topics you intend to address.
Your Kenyan political campaign website should be simple with drop-down menus that address all of a first-time voter’s queries.
5. Create a user journey map for your website.
Create a website with the greatest user interface, often known as UI, and user experience, or UX design.
A good UX design will lead consumers to the objective you want them to achieve, avoid frustration, and lower bounce rates.
The most effective approach to achieve this is to plan out the user path ahead of time. This trip refers to the full experience your reader has on your website, from beginning to end. This mapping can help you understand the user’s workflow, what he wants to do, what obstacles he faces, and how you can enhance it.
Understanding your site’s user experience is beneficial in addition to improving the design. It may also assist your team in determining what type of content to develop, as well as understanding customer complaints and removing any pain spots.
Greater knowledge of your target audience adds context to your Kenyan political campaign website and results in a well-informed and motivated workforce.
6. Create a Website That Performs Well
A website should be search engine optimized. You want people to be able to locate you when they do a Google search for your name. Your website should include the following features:
- Be eye-catching
- Make your branding consistent with the rest of your advertising materials.
- Be mobile-friendly.
Include Calls-to-Action (CTAs) — include a section where you invite viewers to participate by signing up for emails, volunteering, or donating. Include a plea for someone to vote for you.
7. Integrate Your Digital Marketing Campaign With The Rest Of It
We spoke about how important it is to have a consistent brand.
Make sure that all of your campaign materials, from your website to posters, banners, and logos, are in sync and convey the same message. Like Uhuru Kenyatta and William Samoei Ruto’s slogan “Tuko Pamoja (We are together)” or Raila Odinga’s slogan “Tuko Tayari” use your phrase repeatedly and make it a mantra that people will respect.
Your website should work in tandem with your other marketing tools, such as social media, email marketing, print, and digital ads.
When you hire a specialist, they can provide you with specific advice on how to combine your marketing across all of your platforms and include SEO best practices into the design of your Kenyan political campaign website for increased reach.
4 best Kenyan Political Websites and How they are spot on!
-
The President of Kenya’s website
The official website of Kenya’s President is a great example of a site that is both interesting and easy to use.
It features spectacular, high-resolution images and videos of the president interacting with his constituents, greeting them warmly, congratulating them, and listening to them. These are dynamic and graphically depict the President interacting with the public, emulating the interaction between the site and the user.
The President, Big Four Agenda, Flagship Programs, and Briefing Room are among the well-organized and concise sections.
The site is effective because it is visually appealing, clearly displays the Kenyan President’s brand, and gives Kenya Citizens answers to their inquiries about the president in easily accessible locations.
2. ODM’s Raila Amolo Odinga’s Website (Azimio la Umoja)
Former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga’s campaign website depicts a politician in action. RAO interacts with components in the photographs on the site, which are dynamic.
Each photograph reflects the enthusiasm and vigor with which this seasoned politician approaches Kenyan politics and the whole political sphere.
His book recounts her life and emphasizes some of her significant accomplishments while in government.
The reader immediately understands what this politician stands for.
The website uses consistent messages and selects photographs, narratives, and examples to assist further this young politician’s progressive beliefs. Some of the images are warm and amusing, allowing the candidate to be more humanized.
3. William Ruto’s UDA Website (Kenya Kwanza Alliance)
Wilam Ruto’s UDA website design matches the organization’s mission: to strengthen young people’s political power. The website is clean and vibrant, featuring youthful, appealing photographs of young people, as stated in the headline. The organization’s purpose is stated on the homepage and in the About Us part of the website, making it obvious to their audience what they’re all about.
The site’s minimalist design makes it simple to browse.
It’s also educational. These two traits make it simple to swiftly and readily obtain a wealth of information about the firm.
Users who wish to receive the information they need may do so without exerting undue effort.
