How to use Google alerts

Candidates and campaign staff can use Google alerts to do "oppo research" on an opponent as well as keep abreast of issues in their district.  All you need is a Google account and a few minutes to set up an alert.  Alerts are sent to your email address.

Make sure that you are logged into your Google account and then go to google.com/alerts to get started.  Instructions are shown below.  Enter your topic.  You probably don't want to get alerts more than once a day.

In the "Tom Crosby" alert above, notice that there is an alert for another Tom Crosby in a different area.  This, of course, will happen with common names.  You can "train" alerts by marking an alert item irrelevant.

Also use alerts to get a message out through social media by selecting either the Facebook or Twitter icon if you have campaign accounts on those social media platforms.

Suggestion:  create an alert for yourself, see what others are saying about you and your campaign!