The digital landscape has evolved dramatically since the early days of Facebook-only strategies. Today's advocacy campaigns need to meet supporters where they are—across multiple platforms, each with its own strengths, audiences, and engagement styles. From Instagram and TikTok to Facebook, LinkedIn, and Snapchat, understanding how to leverage unpaid digital advocacy effectively can save you thousands on large-scale digital advertising while building a more engaged community.

Self-care is a must after a grueling election cycle. Getting through Election Day is a huge accomplishment, but it can take a toll on your mental health. Late nights, too much pizza, a prolonged, laser-like focus on work—it can leave you feeling drained, foggy, and exhausted. Moral of the story, you deserve to kick back with a good book (or a great crossword, if you’re a nerd like me) and an even better drink in hand. Here are our top 10 tips for treating yourself. 

The process for finding good political candidates doesn’t involve filling out a job application. When a candidate decides to run for office, they may not realize that the time commitment requires hours of work and many more hours in the day. Sadly, the time commitment it takes to be a political candidate is not changing anytime soon.

When planning for an independent expenditure, it’s critical to avoid common mistakes that can drain your budget or even backfire. A strong independent expenditure program should be strategic, compliant with the law, and designed to complement–not harm–your favored candidate. 

Here are three areas to look out for to set yourself and your independent expenditure up for success. 

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. 

If you make use of USPS for political direct mail, there are some important changes happening with the United States Postal Service (USPS) beginning in January 2014. The biggest change is that Full-Service Intelligent Mail is now required for automation pricing (automation pricing gives you discounted postage rates) for First-Class and Standard letters and flat mail as well as Periodicals and Bound Printed Matter.

Political blogs as a news source can seem very 2004, but finding local- and state-specific perspectives on politics and communications is hugely important—it can help you develop a much-needed local perspective. Here at The Campaign Workshop, we enjoy reading national- and state-based political blogs to learn about local politics in states across the country and stay up to date on cutting-edge campaign innovation (during breakfast or otherwise!).

Every year, campaigns are looking for cheap campaign staff who are willing to work long hours for low wages.  If you want to enter the field and you're smart and driven, you should be able to find a job. To be clear, it will likely take some time, and your first political campaign job might not be the exact job that you wanted. You will probably be required to travel, eat bad food, sleep in a house with way too many people, and work in an office that should have been condemned long before you arrived. Sound like fun? Then get on the road!

Here are some tips to begin your search for a campaign job.

A campaign job is a great way to gain political experience and responsibility quickly; however, not all campaign jobs are the same, and being a staffer is hard work. Whether you are looking at a long-term career in politics, using it as a stop on the way to grad school, looking for more meaningful work, or other paths, becoming a campaign staffer can be an important steppingstone. Below are some core choices folks make in the world of campaign jobs.

As a first-time candidate, you’ll have a steep learning curve and a lot of information thrown your way. Whether you’re still deciding if you want to toss your hat in the ring or you’re just starting to get your campaign moving, it’s important to be critical of yourself and of the advice you hear to decide if you're ready to embark on this journey.