Campaign Message

In our line of work here at The Campaign Workshop, there are a lot of common mistakes we see in political messaging. Getting political messaging right is more art than science. You need to take a lot of things into account, including timing, authenticity, emotion, contrast, your call to action, and more. Learn the common mistakes folks make in their political messaging and how to prevent them. 

When you’re a part of an advocacy campaign, spotting issues and fixing them are not always easy. In the realm of advocacy, there will always be bumps in the road, that is the nature of making change. Identifying common advocacy hurdles and proactively planning for solutions is a good strategy that can improve your campaign. 

For those of us who closely follow political debates and electoral politics, only a few things are as disheartening as seeing our favorite candidate veer off course from their intended candidate messaging. Whether it’s a rant, a lengthy tirade, or a complete departure from their message, it’s truly frustrating to see them lose their way to the point of becoming incoherently off track.

Have you been implementing SMS for advocacy, or texting for advocacy, into your issue advocacy or public affairs campaigns? Texting for advocacy is an important tool for nonprofits and organizations creating an issue advocacy communications program.

Advocacy message development can be challenging. Join us as we go through the basics of developing an advocacy message, as well as more advanced steps to build an advocacy message that goes the distance.

Kate Childs Graham is currently a principal at West Wing Writers but has long worked in the field of political speechwriting. She is the former communications director for US Senator Amy Klobuchar. She also wrote speeches for principals and surrogates during the Clinton-Kaine campaign and the 2016 Democratic National Convention.

Eric Schnure is a former speechwriter for Vice President Al Gore who has been a freelance writer and communications consultant for over 20 years. Eric has spent his career helping elected officials, business and nonprofit executives, and entertainers hone their public speaking. He is known for incorporating humor into his speechwriting which led him to cofound the Humor Cabinet, a communications consulting firm.

Social pressure, Does it work? We care deeply about social norms. Our desire to be liked and accepted by our peers shapes our behavior more than we’d like to admit. We lie about our bad behaviors and exaggerate our better tendencies to fit in. What’s more, we do things when we think other people are watching that we’d otherwise never bother with. That’s why social pressure is such an effective tactic for campaigns and organizations when it comes to getting folks to turn out and vote. Check out our tips for incorporating social pressure into your GOTV mail program this fall.
 

Everyone has a story to tell. For politicians, advocates, and change makers, how you tell your story is essential. A great way to do this is through writing a book about your life. Every major politician of the last few decades has penned an autobiography, telling their story of how they achieved the American Dream. Political advocacy books include how the writer grew to overcome obstacles and persevere to make the world a better place.