The Campaign Workshop Blog

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…

When It Comes To Political Communications, Make Your Point and Keep It Brief

Say it! Say it loud and say it proud. Political communications can spread fast or move like molasses depending on how you use it.  We live in a world where political and advocacy campaigns have a lot of ways to communicate and influence their community advocates and opinion leaders. Tactics like television, direct mail, print, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, blogs, online video, SMS, etc. are all engaging in their own ways.  However, with all…

A Strong Political Campaign Strategy Means a Strong Campaign

At any level, campaign fundamentals can mean the difference between building a winning or losing political campaign strategy. A lot of this will seem like common sense (and it is), but bear with me, because a lot of this stuff often falls by the wayside as campaigns are being built. In essence, a strong political campaign strategy (meaning, the overall plan to achieve an electoral victory) should rest on a foundation of some very basic building blocks and principles that will help to…

How Do You Use Native for Political Campaign Ads?

Native ads have become popular over the past few years, but can you use them for political campaign ads?  What is native advertising exactly?  Simply put, native ads are a type of advertising that fits into the content of the media where the ads are placed. An example of this is when you are reading an article about the tech industry – let’s say on your favorite news site – and you see an article about IBM’s innovations in the tech world. That article about IBM is likely sponsored by IBM, which…

Everything You Want to Know (and More!) About Our Advocacy Trainings

Martín Diego Garcia has worked to promote a more representative democracy throughout his career. He has worked on candidate and advocacy trainings to support marginalized communities and progressive politics for the last nine years. Martín began his career as a member of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and Institute’s political team. He worked with Latino Victory Project and Wellstone Action before joining The Campaign Workshop as a Vice President with a focus on training…

Why Should I Attend An Advocacy Training?

We strongly believe in continued learning and leadership development and advocacy training at The Campaign Workshop. We even budget resources for our own staff to continuously learn throughout the year, ensuring they’re constantly growing in the areas that they’re interested in. The progressive space has too long leaned on the “learn on the job” model of leadership development. We’re here to tell you that this is not always the best solution. In fact, we’ve found that when our team members have been…

7 Questions to Ask Yourself When Reviewing Political Direct Mail Samples

Even in the digital age, political direct mail is a critical part of any campaign’s communications program. Not only is it cost-effective and efficient, but it is also an impactful way to target and communicate with potential voters. Therefore, when hiring a Democratic direct mail firm, you want to make sure you choose the firm that will produce the best product for…

What Storytelling Techniques Will Help Me Stand Out?  

Gavin Edwards is a three-time New York Times-bestselling author and public speaker. Throughout his career, he has written twelve books and made appearances on NBC’s Today show, VH1’s Behind the Music, and NPR’s All Things Considered. The common thread between Gavin’s praised writing and skilled public speaking is his ability to tell a story in an effective and engaging way. He shared his thoughts with us on his career…

What Campaign Management Tools Do I Need This Election Cycle and Why? 

So your advocacy or political campaign is gearing up for the 2020 cycle, and you’re already starting to find that you can’t possibly keep track of everything that’s going on. Fear not — the 100+ Best Campaign Management Tools List will make your campaign life easier! Updated with new tools, Joe’s 2020 Picks, refined categories, a fresh new look, and a SUPER easy-to-use…

Political Direct Mail Is Here to Stay 

For over a decade, folks have written off political direct mail as a remnant of the past akin to the flip phone. In reality, political direct mail is still thriving in the digital age—and it’s playing far more than a supporting role. During the 2018 midterm election cycle, direct mail and television ads accounted for about half of all media spending (whereas digital ads accounted for only…

Political Consulting Firms - A Step-by-Step Hiring Guide 

Picking a political consulting firms is not an easy decision. This is, after all, going to be your largest expenses, so it’s important that you get it right. Hiring the right consultants cannot guarantee you a win but hiring the wrong ones can guarantee you a loss. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to hire a political consulting firm. Step 1: Figure out what you need There are several types of political consulting firms out there that provide a variety of services and most firms these…

Why Integrate Political Campaign Ads Into Your Larger Campaign Strategy?

When planning your overall campaign strategy, political campaign ads play an important role, however they are not without their issues. One of the biggest problems with digital campaigns is that they are not tied closely enough to your overall campaign strategy. Digital tools are an important vehicle to help you reach your overall political goals and should be thought of as such. What are advocacy campaigns doing right when it comes to online engagement that political …

Our Top 3 Advocacy Strategies to Cut Through the Noise

If you work for a health advocacy group and are in search of advocacy strategies that apply to your specific industry, then you’ve come to the right place. In this blog we outline strategies that will help you maximize your impact, increase engagement, and move people to the polls on your behalf.  Here, at The Campaign Workshop, we work on all kinds of health advocacy issues, (e.g. keeping chemicals out of our drinking water, reducing cigarette smoking, and increasing access to affordable…

What’s Next for Political Campaign Ads in 2020?

While digital advertising is always in flux, in the past two years and even the last few months there have been a whirlwind of changes for political campaign ads and it’s caused some uncertainty in the industry. While we don’t have a crystal ball to see into the future of political advertising online, there are some pretty sure bets you’ll want to keep an eye on a couple of trends in 2020. Read on below to find out what we’ll be watching carefully in 2020.  New Legislation The arrival of General…

Your Very Own Political Direct Mail Cheat Sheet

The world of political direct mail involves a lot of terms you don’t hear in everyday conversation (unless you’re one of the few amazing people who love direct mail so much that USPS regulatory updates figure prominently at your weekly coffee klatch, in which case, you’re a star). This post will take you through the acronyms, strange words and technical terms that you should add to your lexicon in order to be a pro when it comes to building out a political direct mail program and kicking ass at…