The Campaign Workshop Blog

Tailoring Digital Best Practices for Your Ballot Measure Campaign

Just like all campaigns, a good ballot measure campaign will include a strong digital presence on both organic and paid media. One big differentiator for ballot measure campaigns is that you’ll likely need to focus on persuasion more heavily than with other campaigns. You also may need to do more explaining as to what the ballot measure is about, why it’s important to vote for or against it, and how it appears on the ballot. Here are some great digital tactics you can use to make…

Persuade and Educate the Public about Your Ballot Measure Campaign

If you’re running a ballot measure campaign, chances are you’ll need to educate and persuade voters in order to get the results you want at the polls. The best digital tactic for education and persuasion is video as it gives you more room than a static ad to explain what the measure is for and how you want people to vote on it. Make sure your video meets digital advertising best practices so it moves the needle on your ballot measure campaign. Below are 3 simple tweaks you can…

Get a Head Start: How Polling for Ballot Measures Can Help You Win

We’ve discussed in past blogs that a large part of executing a #winning political campaign is doing your background research, and polling for ballot measures is the best way to find out if you can win and how you can win. Depending on your district, getting a measure on the ballot may be an arduous process. If you have the budget, you may want to do a poll before you qualify to make sure there’s a path…

7 Questions with Todd Herman on the Alter Ego Effect

Todd Herman is an author, entrepreneur, business coach, and mentor who has helped tens of thousands of people harness an alter ego to activate the best versions of themselves. Todd works with business executives, athletes, entertainers, and beyond to help them overcome obstacles to achieve their goals. We asked Todd about his latest book,…

Key Takeaways and Lessons from Our Campaign Survey

Shortly after the 2018 election cycle, The Campaign Workshop sent out a post-election campaign survey. We sent this campaign survey out to our network of campaign professionals and got back 49 total responses. We asked a variety of questions on topics ranging from campaign tools, voter contact mediums, and key takeaways and mistakes. The people who responded to our survey worked on political campaigns…

Highlight the People Impacted by Policy with Testimonials

Testimonials can work wonders for your ballot measure campaign—especially if you’re dealing with an issue that’s abstract or polarizing. If you work in the progressive movement, you’ve probably run into a campaign or two (or ten) where what you’re trying to accomplish isn’t something voters are naturally inclined to support (and we’ve got tips across the board for running campaigns of all stripes). Consider a tax…

Ballot Measures Are Complicated, Direct Mail Is Not

Ah the land of ballot measures. It can be a complex, rocky terrain full of accusations of unforeseen consequences and government-run slush funds. Because of that, the messaging around ballot measures can get complicated, often requiring both a positive thrust and a set of careful inoculations (though you may also get lucky and just get to shout “Vote NO” at the top of your lungs and call it a day).   Complexity and nuance are key ingredients to a successful ballot initiative, but they have a…

Your Resume is NOT your Stump Speech. Connect with voters by telling your story.

Wired for storytelling Stories have been a part of civilization since the dawn of time. Stories have been used to pass down history through generations. It is also how we connect with each other through a shared humanity. It’s no wonder we’re all wired to engage with and react to stories that includes voters! Stories are all around us in books, TV, movies, music, news, brunch, literally everywhere.  As a candidate you’ll get much farther with your constituents by…

Your Political Job Search Doesn’t Have to Be Painful

If you’ve ever endured a political job search, chances are, your journey brought you to Brad Traverse Jobs. Whether you’re a recent college graduate or a seasoned political practitioner, finding a job in government or politics can be frustrating and intimidating (to say the least). Luckily, sites like Brad Traverse Jobs make the process easier by compiling relevant job listings in one place. With more than 30 years of experience in government…

This Year, Kick Ass! 9 Campaign Plan Tips To Give You The Best Chance of Winning

If you’re running for office, you’re going to need a campaign plan. Your campaign plan should outline the challenges and opportunities you anticipate facing over the course of the election cycle as well as your priorities and goals. With these 9 campaign plan tips, you will give yourself the best chance of winning your race: 1. Have a campaign plan that outlines specific goals: Give yourself a pat on the back if you’ve already outlined your campaign…