Toolkit

Non-Political Books for Politicos

May 10, 2018 by Elena Veatch

10 Non-Political Books Every Politico Should Read

*Originally written by Joe Fuld and updated by Elena Veatch 4/3/18

When you get into politics, it’s hard to resist the all too common tunnel vision of focusing only on politics. But be careful – binge watching Veep or The West Wing is not going to help you run a better campaign or organization; nor will reading solely political books.

The fact is, you are running a business. And while we like to think of politics and business as totally separate realms, it’s tough to run any political operation without a Business 101 crash course. So, take a break from the latest Clinton campaign staffer or Obama aide memoir you are probably reading, and check out some of our non-political book recommendations. Below are ten non-political books that will be helpful to any politico running a campaign, a non-profit, or really any operation.

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Digital Advocacy: Advertising Campaign Goal Setting Part II

Jan 30, 2017 by Sophie Thurber (she/her)

Digital Advocacy Advertising: Making the Most of My Campaign.

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Get Out the Vote with Social Media: Digital GOTV

Oct 06, 2016

How to Use Social Media for Get Out the Vote

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Content Marketing For Politics

Feb 08, 2016 by Joe Fuld (he/him)

Content Marketing in the World of Politics

In my 20 years working in politics, I have seen a lot of things change. Technology in particular has done a lot to change the way that we communicate with voters. Yet somehow, we in politics have access to more information about our audience than ever before, but our audience engagement is at an all time low. 

That’s because politics relies on the same tools we always have: TV, radio, door-to-door, mail and now digital ads. Campaigns are missing an important piece of the puzzle: content marketing.  

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Four Tips for Nonprofit Facebook Ads

Dec 14, 2015

Four Tips for Nonprofit Facebook Ads

Choose the Right Image for Your Ad

Your nonprofit facebook ad will need an image to display on users newsfeeds or right-hand rails. In a platform like Facebook, where viewers are accustomed to scrolling continuously, you’re going to need an image that is arresting enough to stop the scroll. Make sure the photo or illustration you use has a clear focal point that is either intriguing or easily recognizable and relevant to a viewer’s interests. If you sell shoes, pick your snazziest pair, put them on a clean background that shows them off. If you’re running for office, you could use an image of a local landmark or a picture of a well-known person who is endorsing you. Whatever image you choose, make sure it is arresting, and communicates something important about you, your cause, or your business.  

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Winning Advocacy Strategies for 2015 and Beyond

Jan 05, 2015 by Joe Fuld (he/him)

The Evolution of Advocacy Strategies

Advocacy strategies have changed a lot over the last 20 years. When I was a chief of staff in the New York State Legislature, I don't remember there ever being a real advocacy campaign around public support of an issue that focused on legislators. The main way groups moved legislation was to hire a lobbyist and that was really it. There were occasional print ads and lobby days, but day-to-day mass contact from constituents that were driven by member groups were few and far between. Today, we spend a lot of time running advocacy campaigns on the state level.  Issue advocacy tactics that were once only used on large, federal issues are now seen on smaller federal issues as well as state and municipal issues.

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Campaign Toolbox Tips

Dec 11, 2014 by Joe Fuld (he/him)

Open up Your Campaign Toolbox, What Will You Find?

We understand what it’s like to operate a campaign on a tight budget, so we’ve found some free tools to include in your campaign toolbox to help you along the way.  We hope you will find them useful as you launch your campaign or look for ways to better organize it. to ve clear no campaign tool will solve all of your campaigns problems.  Whether fundraising for a nonprofit, managing an independent expenditure campaign, or seeking office, a few of these tools will surely help you along your way.

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GOTV Tactics for Advocacy

Oct 02, 2014 by Joe Fuld (he/him)

Using GOTV Techniques for Advocacy and Organizing

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. They are being turned into engagement plans and are being used in advocacy, nonprofit organizing, and the corporate world. 

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