At events, ask voters to write down their phone numbers and email addresses. Then each candidate should speak for 10 to 15 minutes. Day of, play fun, rousing songs, and get a popular community leader to welcome the crowd. Publicize the event on social media and with cheap, targeted Facebook ads. Team up with others on your party ticket (e.g., if you’re running for state legislature, cohost with a school board candidate), says Amanda Litman, cofounder of the progressive group Run for Something and author of Run for Something But the number one thing is that you can’t be shy when you’re talking about your capabilities and saying, “Invest in me.” If you don’t believe in yourself, you can’t ask someone else to believe in you. But on the flip side, there are fewer female candidates and there are female donors out there. Many women I’ve met are reticent to ask for money, and fundraising can be harder for women. Your opponent will take note if you violate them. Every state has different campaign finance laws, and you really do need to educate yourself on those. Some states have caps on what people can give. If it’s a local race and it’s your first campaign, charging $50 to $100 per couple to attend is reasonable. Throw a fundraiser at a friend’s house or at a local community center to keep expenses low. Then cold-call the candidate they donated to and ask if they’d be willing to introduce you, or cold-call the donor directly (yes, it’s uncomfortable). Find out if they own a business, and get a feel for what they’re capable of giving so you ask for a reasonable amount. It’s a good resource to find people who already value political giving. īeyond your network, I personally would look at campaign finance reports at FEC.gov. (I prefer in-person meetings to phone calls.) When I fundraise, I find ways to connect with the person-bring up our common interests and common values-and talk about why an investment is beneficial to them. Then see who in your network may know other people who are interested in investing in your candidacy. Sometimes that’s the hardest ask, but they usually always want to get involved and will often give you a good head start. Go out to your network of friends and family. Those platforms often take some cut of the money raised, and if you’re not raising that much, you can’t afford that. I don’t use online fundraising platforms for smaller campaigns. “You don’t want it to be a one-way conversation,” adds Matthews. If you’re running to improve air quality, retweet environmental leaders, share news, and make a short video about why this matters to you. Perfect those before adding Instagram to the mix.Īim to post once a day on all platforms, and ramp it up as election day approaches, says Gordon. Twitter is best for engaging with media and donors. Scrabble champion.”įor political campaigns, Facebook reigns supreme (yup, because Grandma’s on it and older people vote). Introduce yourself in your own voice (if that includes humor, use it!) and list a few key components of your personality, says Gordon. (identified by that little blue checkmark). Then apply through each social platform site to get verified Make your personal accounts private (you still have to scrub ’em-you never know who’s lurking among your followers). “I come from a family with special needs.” “I’m a Navy veteran, and I want to ensure that more veterans like me have access to the care they need.” That’s your issue! Now work with that for a slogan. Sometimes these broad themes don’t say anything because they’re so vague and trying to be too inclusive. It’s very hopeful and inclusive.ĭon’t be generic. And that’s how a lot of women and members of marginalized communities tend to win office. If you think back to presidential campaigns, “A New Day,” “Un Nuevo Dia,” “A New Way”…those are meant to convey a contrast with the status quo. And then you take it down to “Do More.” Does it match your original intent? That’s an effective slogan.īe hopeful. “We want to do more.” Okay, great, let’s work with that. Some thought it was against the establishment, against public structures others thought it was the anarchists. The “Occupy” movement kind of lost ground because nobody really knew what it was fundamentally about. “We Care,” “We Do Belong,” “Black Lives Matter.” You know right away what their position is. Taglines and hashtags are more effective the simpler they are.
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