The Campaign Workshop Blog

Step Up Your Political Campaign Fundraising for the Win

Here are some core steps to jump-start your campaign fundraising. But first, let’s be clear that there is no one size fits all solution for campaign fundraising. Fundraising is hard, and even though it is the backbone of any political campaign, it is not easy to do (for a detailed breakdown of what to think about before you run, read our eBook here). Even the best campaigns make fundraising mistakes. If you are…

Everything You Need to Know to Start Your Issue Advocacy Campaign

Issue advocacy campaigns start with the best intentions. We begin with a coalition that cares about our issue and wants to make a real difference. But without a bit of strategic planning and issue campaign know-how, you will fall off track.  What is issue advocacy?  For starters, issue advocacy is when a group or organization advocates for a specific issue or policy.  This is different than electoral advocacy which will have the magic words “vote for” and “vote against”.  Why is…

Choosing the Best Demand Side Platforms

What are the best demand side platforms for advocacy or political campaigns? That depends on what your needs for digital campaigns are.  How much staff capacity do you have?  What are the budgets you’re looking to spend?  Most vendors now also give you the option to have a dedicated member of their staff manage your campaign or will give you the keys to their demand side platform to manage your campaign yourself. How do you decide which demand side platform to pick and which method to use? What Is a…

Some Quick Information on Political Consultant Awards.  

Lookin for an award winning political consultant? If you’re reading this post, you may have just found out political consultant awards like the Pollies, Reeds, Goldies and, more specifically, political ad awards actually exist. So, now you might be asking yourself if it even matters whether consultants you might be hiring have won awards for the work they’ve produced.  What political consultant awards are there? Let’s first dive into what the awards are. These types of awards are given…

Political Campaigns and Coronavirus. How To Manage Both.

Political campaigns and Coronavirus - It's a tough time for the world and political campaigns, We've written this guide to help you manage your political campaigns response to Covid-19. Coronavirus is impacting large and small political campaigns. Political campaigns and groups have stopped door-to-door canvassing, in-person fundraisers and events. With political campaigns and Coronavirus, there are constantly changing elements. Campaigns are reacting and planning ways to protect…

A Holistic Approach to Campaign Mailers

The world of campaign mailers is varied and complex, but don’t let that stop you from sending rad mail that gets you noticed. We’ve pulled together some things for you to think about as you start to pin down exactly how your campaign’s mail program is going to take shape. Five Questions to Ask Before You Send Campaign Mailers Before you create and send campaign mailers, ask these five questions to lay the groundwork for a winning direct mail campaign. 1. Do you need a direct mail consultant? For mid-size…

Using Call Time to Become a Campaign Fundraising Champion

Let’s face it campaign fundraising is hard, and call time is often the most dreaded part of it. No candidate wants to press pause on the many other duties of their campaign to dial for dollars. Every candidate will say the same thing: “I just hate asking people for money!” But whether you’re running for town supervisor or president, call time is a critical part of campaign fundraising efforts—and therefore, a critical part of every campaign. In this blog, we will provide you with some…

Be Data Savvy with Your Democratic Direct Mail

Good data makes all the difference in building an effective Democratic direct mail program. Understanding your voter file access options is critical to laying the groundwork for a strategically targeted voter communications campaign. What’s more, knowing the ins and outs of voter file models and other data points will help you maximize your resources—after all, you can’t afford to target every voter in your…

Avoiding Recusal Issues in Your Campaign Mailer

Writing a campaign mailer for a judicial candidate presents its own set of challenges. For most legislative races, it’s easy to say that you’ll “stand up for affordable healthcare” or “fight for a living wage.” But judicial candidates often can’t come out for or against a particular issue. If they do, they may have to recuse themselves in the event that they win and one of those cases comes before them as judge. So, if you can’t say you’ll be for or against something, how do you develop a contrast…

Tips and Tricks for Getting the Most Bang for Your Buck on Your Political Campaign Ads

Political campaign ads are part of every election cycle and we’re rounding up some tips on how to get the most for your campaign. In this post, we’re focusing on digital ads. Digital ads tend to be more cost-effective than TV, so you can reach a wider audience with a smaller budget. Where you run your ads and on what platforms is determined by your budget, target audience and the size of your race. Social Media Social media ads are a must for any digital…