On April 10, 2014, the United States Postal Service (USPS) implemented a new policy called Load Leveling on standard (bulk) mail drop shipped to the DSCF level. This new policy changes the way mail enters the DSCF level and moves through the postal system. The new policy is meant to “allow a more balanced distribution of DSCF standard mail across delivery days.”

Last week we released our first ebook: Political Direct Mail In The Digital Age. The book explains why with all the technology we have, political direct mail in the digital age is still relevant. We explain how you should decide on direct mail and targeted communications strategies for political and advocacy campaigns. We also discuss the cost of direct mail, micro-targeting strategies and how to use direct mail for GOTV.

Advocacy campaigns get inspired by GOTV.  Get Out The Vote, has come a long way. A good GOTV program can give a political campaign a big lift and those tactics are now being used for advocacy. you can read more about GOTV techniques here and here. GOTV techniques have transcended their former use as “valued election tools”, and are now the core component of modern GOTV Tactics.

The way we write must change. It’s kind of sad actually, but due to the ways search engines operate, we need to consider how folks search for content into the way we craft our words. While repeating a phrase like content marketing seems crazy, SEO has made some keyword repetition throughout your content marketing a necessity - but there is more to it than stuffing a bunch of keywords.

Although media consensus paints causes and candidates, blue for liberal and red for conservative, the USPS is color blind and regards all mail politically directed, motivated or otherwise, the same.  However, when the USPS sees RED (tags) on mail, it acts quickly on ALL political mail!

Advocacy and fundraising don't always mix but when they do it can be magic for an organization. I have written over the past year about the difficulty of getting true engagement for nonprofit advocacy groups. The ice bucket challenge has done an amazing job of engaging people who have not participated in advocacy in a long time as well as getting folks who had done some advocacy work but never for ALS.

This year’s Netroots Nation conference marks the progressive online community’s ninth and largest yet. More attendees, more panels, more progressives and certainly much more press than ever before, spent three days in Detroit, MI learning from and teaching one another.  Here are some highlights from the conference itself, and the overall impressions I got while there.

How much should a campaign training cost? Here at The Campaign Workshop, we believe it's important to train campaign staff by providing individuals who want to become campaign operatives the opportunity to go out and gain hands-on experience. If your goal is to work on a campaign, we suggest finding a training program with a strong track record and high attendance.

As a first-time candidate, you’ll likely 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 embark on this process with your eyes wide open.  Here are a few things you’re likely to hear that should cue you to take a beat and assess their accuracy.

In the world of Digital Advocacy, what’s all the rage right now? Leveraging your Facebook audience to grow your email list. A well-targeted Facebook campaign can obtain "Likes" at a fraction of the cost of running traditional digital ads.