openpolitics.com

Tag: marketing

  • The 9 Political Leadership Tactics Donald Trump Excels At

    Many political pundits underestimated Donald Trump, mistaking Trump’s lack of political experience for a lack of talent and skills. Even today, many critics fail to understand how 9 political leadership tactics have powered Trump‘s business and political career.

    1. Self-Promotion and Media Management: dominating the news cycle through “engagement”.  Trump’s self-promotion skills were a key differentiator when the Republican Primary had 17 candidates.  Had there only been 3 candidates in the primary it would have allowed other candidates to compete more on substance, drawing attention to his empty healthcare policy.  With 17 candidates, the contest worked against those who were weaker at self-promotion.
    2. Salesmanship/Marketing of a certain type: Trump appears to become what you want him to be.  Once he identifies his “mark’s” most core desires– what they are willing to sell their soul for– he could “shoot someone in the middle of 5th aveue and they will still support him”
    3. Looking out for #1: getting others to take the fall.  Trump’s associates often try to protect him from the consequences of his actions.  Inevitably, it is the associates who end up getting hurt (H.R. McMaster).  When he borrows money, it is the lenders, contractors, and employees who suffer, while Trump maneuvers through bankruptcy.
    4. Avoiding Accountability: moving goal posts, and making excuses.  If people attempt to try to hold Trump to account, even if it is a promise he made himself, such as releasing his big beautiful tax returns, he will move the goalposts, for instance, by suggesting that Hillary need to first release her emails.  A later excuse was that he can’t release his tax returns because his was under audit,  even though that is not true — Nixon release his when he was under audit.  In actuality the audit threat was not a legal barrier he faced, but a fear that a new audit might be initiated were his tax returns to face the harsh disinfectant of sunlight.
    5. Attacking the Referees: Trump has seldom been accountable to anyone.  Trump so frustrated his father, that Fred Sr sent him to military school.  Ever since that experience of accountability, he has run his own business, reporting to no one.  As president, the media represents a source of accountability that he can not abide.  While in New York, Trump found he could manipulate the tabloids to his own purposes.  He expected the national political press to work the same way, but has been dismayed to find that they can not all be co opted as easily as the New York Tabloids.
    6. Fighting Spirit: Always Attack and Double Down: He learned from Roy Cohn: Never admit you were wrong.  Always go on offense and double down.
    7. Identifying and Insulting Weakness in Rivals
    8. Using Conflict for his own purposes
    9. Channeling Fear and Grievances, often on scapegoats

  • Digital Marketing Ideas for Writers


    I originally wrote this post for Emtiaz Zourob, but others may find it useful.

    One of the things writers and other artists often need to do is promote their work, so learning some basic marketing skills can be helpful.

    One of the simplest things an artist can do is to purchase the rights to a website address (or domain name).  After this is done, consider signing up for this username on a variety of social networking sites, even if you don’t plan on using the social media site immediately.

    1. Get your own domain name.
      • A domain name is a permanent internet address that you can own the rights to
      • Examples:
        1. openpolitics.com (my domain name)
        2. emtiazzourob.com,  or
        3. emtiazalnahhal.com
      • I found Emtiaz’s site on blogspot:
        1. emtiazalnahhal.blogspot.com
        2. Blogspot is good, but it would be better if the Emtiaz owned her own address, independent of blogspot.com.
      • Having your own domain name is sort of like owning your own home rather than renting.  The owner of a domain name can customize the site, add additional features, and switch to a different hosting provider without having to change the site’s address.
      • You can purchase your own domain name for about $10-15/year.
      • There are many different companies through which you can purchase  a domain.
        1. I use namecheap.com.
        2. I would recommend gandi.net if your site might be controversial because I think gandi will be more likely to stand up for you if others are trying to censor you.
    2. Optional: Switch Your Blog to Your Own Domain Name.
      • After you have purchase your own domain name, you no longer need to rely upon a company like blogspot or wordpress.com for hosting and you have the future flexibility to switch providers.  For example, you can switch from emtiazalnahhal.blogspot.com to emtiazalnahhal.com (or whatever name you choose).
      • I can help you with the hosting and transfer if you like.  Talk to me more if you’re interested in this.  This would likely also mean a switch in software from blogspot to the free version of wordpress.
    3. Register for Twitter.
      1. If you don’t already own your username on twitter (@timlangeman in my case), I would sign up, if for no other reason than to reserve your name.  (It’s free to sign up)
      2. Unlike Facebook, Twitter is public by default.  If you want to get a message out to the public, Twitter can be more effective than Facebook, but Facebook is good for restricting shared material to friends.
    4. Get Business Cards to hand out at readings.
      • On your business card, list the domain name that you purchased in step 1, your twitter username, your email address, and any other info you want, such as phone number
      • Your physical address may change if you move to a different apartment, but your gmail address and domain name can always stay the same.
      • There are many places to get business cards.  I don’t have experience ordering my own cards.
        1. I’ve heard advertisements for vistaprint.com and moo.com but I don’t know how good they are.
    5. Get your own Email Lists
      • You can collect email addresses from people at readings and put a signup form on your website.   As you collect email addresses you can categorize them based on language or interest.  You can send some emails to the whole group and others to a subgroup (like English speakers).
      • The advantage of email lists is that you can target different types of people when you have a book to sell, or an event to publicize, even if those people don’t necessarily follow you on Facebook or Twitter.
      • There are many sites that offer group email functionality.
        1. Constant Contact is a popular site for non-profits
        2. I recommend MailChip if you’re starting with a small list because MailChip is free for lists smaller than 2000 people.