The Campaign Workshop Blog

Joe Weston Teaches Us About Leadership, Resilience, and Stress 

Joe Weston is the founder of the Weston Network, which trains corporations, governments, and other organizations on communication, productivity, and time and stress management. Joe Weston works with individuals to build their self-confidence, enrich their relationships, and gain clarity in their life goals. Joe Weston’s book, Mastering Respectful Confrontation and his Respectful Confrontation workshops teach participants how to de-escalate conflict, improve their resilience, and…

Own a Strategy to Make Your Political Endorsements Count 

Campaign endorsements can still make a big difference in politics. But to make your political endorsements count, you need to have a strategy to collect them and amplify them. Be intentional about what political endorsements matter and how you will use them. Which endorsements matter?  Endorsements, when used right, are a great way to build momentum, but when they are used wrong, it can be a huge waste of time, overlooked potential or even charge momentum for your opponent. Good…

Reflecting on Robinson’s Rules for Campaign Staffers

Will Robinson of the New Media Firm penned his rules for campaign staffers over 25 years ago and they are truly words to live by.  Over the years, these rules have saved money, time and jobs for many campaign staffers who have heard and lived by them. Whether you are working on a candidate’s campaign, ballot measures, or independent expenditures, these campaign rules will help.   Here is our interpretation and commentary of Will Robinson’s rules for campaign staffers, including some of our…

Nonprofit Blogging Is Easier Than You Think

Nonprofit blogging takes a lot of work, but it is easier than you think. Learn how to harness thought leadership, storytelling and simple tips to write blogs and long-form content that engages and converts. This is probably the most meta blog post we have ever written: a blog post about writing a blog post! But blogging, especially for nonprofits, labor unions or trade associations is not always intuitive for folks. Many people who are asked to write a blog post for their organization have never had…

Use Canvassing to Mobilize Voters

Canvassing is special to me. I love knocking on doors. I think it is still a vastly underrated form of communication. Post COVID-19, canvassing is coming back in a big way and campaigns should plan for it now. Why do I think canvassing is so special? Because of the connection, direct contact grassroots combined with paid ads make with targeted voters in a personal and systematic way. With any paid medium you need repetition over a condensed period of time. With door-to-door contact, especially on political…

Download our eBook Collection: Summer Reads for Your Next Campaign

Looking for summer reading suggestions? Whether you are gearing up for an advocacy campaign, in need of communication tips for your current campaign, or deciding whether to run for office, our eBook collection provides comprehensive guides to help you achieve your goals. Download our eBooks today for campaign and advocacy tips and tricks that suit your needs.  Did My Program Work? Try These Tips for Program…

Advocacy Opposition Research - Don't Skip It Opposition research is an important component of any advocacy campaign’s messaging strategy. This research is more commonly associated with candidate campaigns— however, being able to articulate a contrast with the other side is equally important in the advocacy space. If you want to be successful in effecting policy change, you need a…

Democratic Direct Mail: Your Questions Answered

What does a campaign mail firm do? Admit it, this is a question that a lot of people have asked but have never gotten a clear answer. Well, never fear; after producing winning Democratic direct mail for over ten years, The Campaign Workshop is here with answers. Your mail firm is an integral part of your campaign’s communication team. They are available to provide you with advice on the best ways to message your campaign, interpret polling data, and formulate your message in order to create a…

Political Polling -  Dead or Alive? 

Is political polling dead? In the campaign world, this is one question comes back to haunt us every election cycle After polls (and the media outlets reporting on them) suggested an inevitable landslide for Hillary Clinton in 2016, Donald Trump’s victory shook the American public to its core and undermined our collective confidence in political…

How to Run a Political Campaign: What You Need to Know

Learning how to run a political campaign for the first time can be tough. Sure, there are some great resources online (such as the TCW blog!) that can provide insight. There are also tons of great trainings that can teach you the basic dos and don’ts and if you’re interested in learning how to run a political campaign, we strongly encourage you to attend one. But so much of what you need to…

Qualifying ballot measures: Tips For Getting a measure on the Ballot

Qualifying ballot measures is a significant undertaking. Sometimes the most difficult part of a ballot measure campaign is just making it to the ballot. From gathering signatures to overcoming legal hurdles, qualifying an initiative takes planning, time, and (very often) a sizable investment (both in terms of dollars and human capital). Advocacy and political organizations alike have long used ballot measures as a tool to advance their policy objectives where legislative…

Grasstops vs. Grassroots Advocacy: Public Affairs Tactics 

Do you ever ask yourself, "What is the difference between grasstops and grassroots advocacy?" Well, you're not the only one scratching your head.  Here at The Campaign Workshop, we know political and advocacy definitions can be confusing. Even folks who have been around for a long time get campaign terms confused. So, in our never-ending quest to define what we do, we want to define what grassroots advocacy and grasstops advocacy are for our readers. Don't get stuck in the weeds with…

Grasstops Will Grow Your Advocacy Program

A grasstops campaign seeks to persuade the people who can influence key decision-makers. Legislators are often inundated with calls, emails, petitions, meetings, and other communications about a wide variety of issues. Breaking through that noise is tough, and grassroots campaigns, unless they reach critical mass, may not be enough on their own. When those efforts are paired with the authority of grasstops supporters, their impact will be greater, and your campaign will be more likely to succeed. What…

Thought leadership to Amp Up Your Public Affairs Strategy

Thought leadership is not used to its true potential in public affairs. With so much noise out there, engaging thought leaders to build a public campaign around a policy or public affairs goal can be really important. Especially these days, separating your issue from the rest and making it a priority is a necessity. Similar to storytelling…

Online Member Survey Tips

A member survey can be a useful tool to get a sense of how your members feel about specific issues. Traditional phone surveys used to be the only option to keep tabs on the pulse of your organization. Luckily, it’s often easier and more cost-effective to poll your members online these days. Below are some factors to think through in executing a member survey that will achieve your goals and reach the right people—all without breaking the bank. Know your goal. Why are you polling your…