The Campaign Workshop Blog

Learn How to be a Next Level Grassroots Organizer

The 2018 election cycle is here! Everyone has a renewed spirit of social justice and resistance. Lots of activists are looking for ways to get involved in the new wave of change. Are you thinking about becoming a grassroots organizer? During campaign season, every campaign, issue, and political organization is looking for “fellows,” interns, and volunteers, all otherwise known as unpaid volunteer campaign staff. All of these positions will be asked to be grassroots organizers. As a volunteer…

Learn the Do's and Don’ts of Political Scheduling, as well as Why It’s Such a Tough Profession

For any brave souls that have dared to take on scheduling for a political candidate or even on a professional level, you’ll truly appreciate this post. Political Scheduling isn’t easy—it’s an art form and not for the faint of heart or the disorganized. Most people think, “Well all you do is just put events on a calendar, so it can’t be too hard.” Well, truth is, it is way more complex than it appears. When working for a candidate, so many factors have…

Finding Campaign Jobs: Political Career Resources

Finding campaign jobs can be hard to find. There is more than one path to navigate the road to a good campaign or non-profit job. Trying to navigate the landscape of job boards, job banks, and list serves that are part of any good political or campaign job search can leave you with a headache or worse, having to pay for services that don’t yield you the job you seek. Headhunters for non-profit and political jobs are few in number (but important if you can find them) so good networking combined…

Using the Best Practices to Make Sure Your Political Direct Mail Is Accurate

Printing errors and typos can turn your direct mail message into a crisis overnight. Whether it is a mailing of a holiday card or official ballots in an election, it is imperative to implement the best protocols and practices to ensure that your direct mail job gets into mailboxes without a hitch. There are many high profile printing errors and typos every election that probably could have been prevented with better planning and proofing.  With ever changing technology…

10 Songs Perfect for a Political Campaign Mental Break

Working on a political campaign can be stressful. As a consultant and a former organizer, I can always count on my music to help keep the peace during the crazy election cycle. Friends inside and outside of politics always ask me which songs are my go to for a much-needed mental break. Here are my top ten choices: 1. The Groove Line – Heatwave This song is perfect when you need to take a victory lap after a minor win. It is disco based, providing the perfect soundtrack for a 7-minute dance…

Knowing how to make your campaign budget work is a key to victory. Learn about campaign trail efficiency.

When running for office, think of your bank account as something that should seldom be touched. Your main objective is to have as much cash as possible for voter contact and GOTV.  Regardless of what you’re running for, or how much money you’re able to raise, you should always exercise campaign trail efficiency. Showing restraint now will help you in the end. Take these tips for the most common types of expenditures: Travel – Depending on…

Psychology books every political consultant should read:

It’s tough for any political consultant to stop ruminating on the questions that have plagued progressives since the 2016 election. How could anyone have voted for Trump? Why did people care so much about Hillary Clinton’s emails? How can Republicans in Congress be so spineless? Why would anyone believe a fake news story? Political consultants can find solace in knowing that psychology has explanations for these phenomena. As we dive into campaign plans to persuade voters in November,…

Harnessing Geo-Fencing Technology for Advocacy

(Updated 2/6/18) Mobile advertising in and of itself is no longer cutting edge, but how can you use it in new and interesting ways to get your advocacy message out there? One tactic we have been using more and more is geo-fencing technology to run mobile ad campaigns. Essentially, geo-fencing means that an advertiser creates a virtual fence around an address and serves ads within that area. The retail market has frequently used geo-fencing to get people to purchase items or frequent a place of…

Annie Duke shares her insight on making smarter decisions in life and in politics

Annie Duke is a decision-making expert and a former professional poker player. She won her first World Series of Poker, as well as the World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions, in 2004. In 2010, she went on to win the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship. Annie Duke founded a nonprofit called How I Decide in 2014 that helps young people develop stronger decision-making skills. Prior to her professional poker playing career, Annie Duke was awarded a…

Political Campaign Photography Shoots Are Worth the Money

Good political campaign photography is a must. Good political campaign photography is the cornerstone of a quality communications program. We’ve all seen bad political advertising. It’s a kind of bad that transcends the traditional meaning of the word. But it doesn’t have to be all European stock photos misused in Kentucky or…