by: Hasan Iqbal

Hello fellow Candidates! My name’s Hasan and I’m a Director on the Board at the Davis campus!  I’m going into my second year of the Computer' Tech program and love the digital world (as I’d like to think we all do). I know it can be nerve-wracking to launch a virtual campaign, especially if it’s your first occasion; however, it doesn’t have to be that way.

Virtual campaigning allows candidates like you to communicate directly with supporters and affect the overall vote. You can reach people who otherwise might not be listening, establish support, highlight important points and bring awareness to your competitors’ flaws. Virtual campaigning also highlights the necessity of using the internet in new-age political campaigning. By using different kinds of the social media platforms, including Twitter, Instagram, and other networks, you can learn a lot about your demographics. Once you get to know your audience, you’ll know how to engage with them throughout your virtual campaign.

I should mention, virtual campaigning also has its challenges. Reaching people online and offering your ideas and manifestations is difficult for a few reasons; one, nobody's coming. Online campaigns are not constrained by time or place, and participants can engage from where they are. The challenge with this, is that your campaign will not automatically pique the interest of potential participants. Secondly, nobody's staying. Virtual campaigns are easy to join and, therefore, easy to leave since it takes just one click. The goal is to create experiences that keep your target audience energized and renewed. Lastly, nobody knows what works. Social media platforms acquire a lot of information about their users. It’s difficult to process everything sometimes and even more challenging to find helpful information. It’s important to create a lot of content and make content the audience actually needs. You can still create an immersive and rich experience for students online.

Other than having challenges, campaigning virtually has advantages.

1. You might love campaigning because there is a higher probability of reaching more people.

2. You might love that virtual campaigning helps you spread information faster and information can be updated instantly, whether through mass emails or social networking websites.

3. You might love that you have the space to create more fun, virtual ideas online.

I would encourage you to campaign with all your might and know you'll look back one day and be proud of all that you did and all the memories and experiences that you’ve built. This is your only chance so go for it!

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