The Candidate Statement: Communicating Your Vision to Voters
Who are you to voters? At the start of an election campaign, political candidates outline their positions on various issues. These are called candidate statements, and they are used to help voters make informed choices. In this article, we will explore what a memorable candidate statement is and the key elements you need to write one.
Let’s start with the most obvious question:
What is a candidate statement?
A candidate statement is an outline of a political candidate’s qualifications. It summarizes their positions on key issues, and their plans for the future. It’s more like a stump speech, as a statement is designed to be straight to the point, and connect with voters on a personal level.
Think of it as a voter introduction.
Versions of this information may be eventually reworked and included in voter information guides, campaign websites, and brochure material.
Writing a candidate statement isn’t as hard as you think.
Elements of a Candidate Statement
When writing a candidate statement, the final result should easily provide voters with an understanding of the candidate’s background, platform, and vision. Just like a candidate’s personal bio, your statement should be concise and highlight your unique skills and values.
An effective candidate statement should include the following elements:
Introduce yourself and provide your background
Your introduction should be concise and clear. It should outline who you are and what office you are running for. Then go into a short background description, while highlighting your unique qualifications for the elected position.
For example, you can mention how growing up in the local area gives you a unique perspective on how you can help improve the lives of residents today.
For example, you could say something like. “I was fortunate to have grown up in our vibrant community. It’s this very upbringing that instilled in me the values and understanding that make me qualified for mayor. My roots in this area have given me insight into the challenges we face, as well as the opportunities that lie ahead.”
Lean in on your experience and skills
The background section should be all about your education, work experience, and other relevant accomplishments. Provide context so voters can better understand how your experience and skills directly relate to the position you seek.
For example, suppose you are running for sheriff of a county, and an important election issue is that of community policing. You have a law enforcement background and worked as a community outreach officer. This makes you well-qualified to address the issue. So, when drafting your candidate statement, you might highlight your specific qualifications, such as:
- Graduated with honors from a police academy.
- Served as a community outreach officer and earned a trusted reputation acting as a liaison between the community and law enforcement.
- Led successful initiatives that focused on officer training and building relationships with community leaders.
By focusing on these qualifications, you’ll show voters that you have the experience and skills to handle the role of community policing.
Describe the issues and your platform
This section is perhaps the most important, as it is where you outline your positions on the issues. Highlight the most pressing issues that your voters are facing. Break down your platform into a concise, informed, and well-organized summary. For each issue, provide details on policy solutions or initiatives that you plan to implement if elected.
Wrap it up with a call to action
Finally, finish up with a summary of your main points. And don’t forget to add a clear call to action. Typically, this will be a request for your audience to support the campaign, to donate, volunteer, or get involved in some other way. Deliver your conclusion with confidence and conviction, so you leave a strong impression on the audience.
“Our community is at a crossroads. We have challenges, but also opportunities. We have to work together to make a difference. To do that, I need your support this November. Only then can we shape a better future for our city.”
Preparing for your audience
Before you start writing your statement, you’ll need to do some research and preparation. Here are key elements of this process:
- Research: Before writing a candidate statement, it’s important to research the issues and concerns that are most important to the electorate or audience. This can involve focus groups, researching polling data, and finding out more about your opponent’s stances.
- Writing: Once the research is complete, you or your team will begin the writing process. Again, what you say should be concise and easy to understand. It should include a clear message that reflects your vision for the future. You will end up creating several versions, as your material should be tailored to each specific audience you present to. This may determine whether you mention specific endorsements or organizations that you belong to.
- Editing: Once the writing is done, it’s time to edit and refine the material. This may involve cutting out unnecessary information, adding additional detail, or rephrasing certain sections for clarity or impact. Carefully review your text to ensure that it is free of errors. Make sure that it effectively communicates your message.
- Rehearsal: After your statement is written, it’s time to rehearse the speech. You should do it enough so you are comfortable delivering it in a public forum. You may want to practice in front of a mirror, record yourself on video, or deliver your speech to a few trusted supporters or advisors for feedback. The more you practice, the more comfortable you’ll be speaking before an audience.
Conclusion
Overall, a well-crafted candidate statement can make a big difference in your political campaign. It can help establish credibility and build support for your election.
Recommended Reading: Political Candidate Profile and Biography Worksheet [PDF]
How to Build a Winning Political Campaign Team
Putting together an effective political campaign team is one of the most important steps a candidate can take. It doesn’t matter if you’re running for city council or Congress—no one runs a successful campaign alone.
A proper political campaign structure allows for division of labor and delegation of key responsibilities. This frees up the candidate to focus on voter outreach, fundraising, and refining the campaign message. Meanwhile, others can manage operations, logistics, and strategy behind the scenes.
Put together key political staff positions
Recruiting key staff members is important when running for office. Each member should be selected based on their skill set, campaign experience, and ability to operate under pressure. Here’s who to look for:
Campaign manager – a critical member of the team
The role of the campaign manager is critical to success, as they take charge of all campaign-related activities. They serve as the main point of contact between the candidate, staff, volunteers, and outside consultants. In smaller campaigns, they may be the only paid staff member. Finding the right person for this role is critical.
Note: Candidates should NOT act as their own campaign manager. We’ve seen it happen too often when a candidate takes on too many roles and becomes overwhelmed. In the end, they are not left with enough time to do the activities that a candidate should perform, such as voter outreach, personal contact with donors, etc.
Campaign treasurer
This is the person in charge of the campaign’s financial and accounting operations. The job involves approving expenditures, creating and maintaining a budget, tracking contributions, and making sure that the campaign operates within the bounds of election laws and regulations. Ideally, this person has a background in accounting or finance and is familiar with state and federal election laws. Most jurisdictions legally require naming a campaign treasurer before accepting or spending funds.
Field director
A field director is responsible for overseeing and managing the direct voter outreach. This includes organizing door-to-door canvassing, managing phone banks, and coordinating voter registration drives. They also play a crucial role in the final Get Out the Vote (GOTV) operations, making sure that voters are motivated to head to the polls on election day. A field director should have experience organizing and managing volunteer teams, as well as a deep understanding of the political landscape and voting demographics.
Communications director
The communications director handles media relations, messaging, and public appearances. This includes press releases, speech prep, media bookings, and social media coordination. Strong writing and speaking skills are essential, along with the ability to control the campaign’s public narrative.
Fundraising director
A fundraising director is responsible for overseeing fundraising efforts. They identify and contact donors, plan fundraising events, and ensure financial compliance. This person plays a crucial role in raising donations. Strong networking skills, organizational skills and an understanding of the political landscape are needed. This person should be highly organized, have strong networking skills, and understand both the legal rules and the realities of political fundraising.
Political director
A political director oversees the campaign’s political operations, including building relationships with key stakeholders, and developing and executing a political strategy. Your political director should have a deep understanding of the political landscape and experience building and maintaining various relationships. They must also keep on top of identifying key trends and issues, and to help develop effective tactics for the candidate to deal with them.
Digital director
The digital director manages the campaign’s online presence. They oversee the website, email marketing, online ads, online fundraising tools, texting campaigns, and social media platforms. Even small campaigns should have someone focused on digital outreach.
Note: Make sure that more than one person is able to maintain your digital presence. We’ve seen candidates lose their social media expert in the middle of the campaign and be unable to access Facebook or Twitter accounts.
Volunteer coordinators
These people manage volunteers and ensures their activities run smoothly. They often work under and answer to the field director. Volunteer coordinators should be able to work well with others and keep individuals and groups well organized. Volunteers perform all sorts of tasks. They include neighborhood canvassing, operating phone banks, putting up signs and posters, working at events and more.
If you’re running for a larger or more competitive office, such as district attorney, county executive, or state representative, it may make sense to bring on professional consultants or experienced volunteer coordinators early in the campaign. Paid consultants are typically used in larger campaigns for specific tasks. These include political strategy, advertising efforts, managing field operations, and more.
A campaign team is only as good as the people who staff it.
Where to find your team members
For smaller offices like town council or school board, you might start with a few key people and scale up. Larger campaigns for offices like mayor, sheriff, or state senate will need more specialized staff from the beginning. If you’re wondering where to find qualified team members, start with these sources:
- Personal Network: Campaign team members can often be found among the people you know. This includes friends, family, acquaintances, and former colleagues.
- Professional Organizations: Professional organizations such as the American Association of Political Consultants are great places to search.
- Online Job Boards: Online job boards such as LinkedIn, Indeed, and even Monster can be great resources for finding qualified staff.
- Political Parties: Political parties are often a great source of campaign staff. Reach out to your local political party or organization and see if they have any recommendations or connections.
- Campaign Training Programs: Campaign training programs, such as the Campaign School at Yale University and Dare to Run, can be great places to find experienced campaign staff.
- Your Volunteer Pool: Starting with volunteers can be a great way to find dedicated and passionate campaign staff. Many successful team members begin as volunteers and work their way up to become key staff members.
Recruiting and Managing Campaign Volunteers
A successful campaign structure needs more than staff—it needs committed volunteers. Start by reaching out to your existing supporters via email, social media, and events. Make it easy for people to sign up and get involved. Once they do, follow up quickly and plug them into meaningful tasks.
Tips for Managing Campaign Volunteers:
- Assign a volunteer coordinator early in the process.
- Provide basic training for tasks like canvassing, phone banking, or event setup.
- Set expectations for hours, responsibilities, and behavior.
- Keep in touch through a clear communication plan—email, phone, or group chat.
Give volunteers regular updates, thank them often, and remind them that their efforts matter.
Onboarding New Team Members
An effective onboarding process is a key factor in having a well-managed team. This process should include introducing new team members to each other. It should provide an overview of the campaign platform and behavior expectations. And when they start, everyone should have the resources they need to do their jobs.
Onboarding should also be tailored to the individual’s specific needs. For example, a new field organizer may require more extensive training on voter outreach and mobilization. A new data analyst may need in-depth training on the campaign’s data analysis tools.
By taking the time to properly train and onboard your volunteers, it will help ensure that everyone is properly prepared for their roles.
Develop a clear division of responsibilities
To develop a clear division of responsibilities, the campaign manager or team leader should take the following steps:
- Assess strengths and weaknesses: Assess the skills and experience of each team member and determine what tasks and responsibilities would be a good fit for each person.
- Create a task list: A comprehensive list of tasks and responsibilities should be created for each position.
- Assign tasks and responsibilities: Each member should be assigned specific tasks and responsibilities based on their strengths and experience.
- Communicate the division of responsibilities: Each team member should know what is expected of them and of others, so there is no confusion in their role or position.
We’ve worked in campaigns where a team manager did not communicate effectively with the candidate and volunteers. This led to misunderstandings that caused volunteers to quit. Once this happened just before a yard sign delivery run, and it delayed putting out signage by several days.
When everyone knows what they are to do, they can focus on their specified tasks. This can help prevent burnout and ensure that everyone stays on track with their short- and long-term goals.
Conclusion
Building your political campaign team is one of the most important steps you’ll take as a candidate. Choose people who are capable, trustworthy, and committed to the cause. Give them the tools and guidance they need—and let them do their jobs.
You don’t have to do this alone—and you shouldn’t.
Need help launching your campaign website? With Online Candidate, you can get a custom political website up quickly, complete with donation tools, contact forms, and more.
Start strong and stay organized—your team (and your voters) will thank you.
Tips for Writing Your Political Candidate Biography
Anyone running for office needs to write a political candidate biography. A good story adds a personal touch to your campaign. It provides information about your background, qualifications, and your positions on important issues.
Your candidate biography is a profile about yourself. It’s where you introduce yourself as a political candidate and persuade voters that you are not only on the right side of the issues but also the right person for the elected position. Your bio should provide both a compelling story and an interesting read. Done properly, it will help establish credibility and legitimacy, which are important in convincing voters to support you.
If you want to learn how to write a solid political profile or candidate statement, read on!
How to introduce yourself as a political candidate
Who are you? Begin with some background information about yourself. Try to include some qualities that separate you from your opposition. Keep your political bio positive and touch on some issues that are of concern to voters.
[bctt tweet=”Your candidate biography should provide a compelling story and be an interesting read. via @onlinecandidate”]
Describe your personal experience
What experiences in your personal, professional, or within a member organization have helped shape you and made you the person you are today? Discuss your education, job titles, community and civic work, awards, and other offices you’ve held. How do those experiences translate into you being the best and most qualified candidate?
Don’t just create a laundry list of accomplishments, but work your experience into a larger narrative. You control the narrative, so make your biography statements informative, interesting, and educational.
Add relevant details about yourself
Add relevant details about yourselfA little bit about you personally goes a long way. Voters want to know about you, but maybe not every detail of your life. Include photos or even video from member organization events or initiatives you’ve been a part of. Both personal and professional content helps provide a rounded idea of who you are. It’s a bit like writing an autobiography, but just using the good stuff.
Include any endorsements you’ve secured. Have you won awards or been recognized by community organizations? Use those outside sources to help sell you on your desired position or office. It’s easy to say great things about yourself, but when others do it, that carries a lot more weight.
What is it that you want to accomplish in office?
What do you want to accomplish during your time in office? Perhaps your goals can relate to previous accomplishments in your life. Use specific examples in your profile. Take a situation, describe how you effectively handled it, and use it as a template for this section.
- Take a stand on your most important issue and expand on it.
- What are your solutions or plans for tackling the issue?
- How do your plans differ from those of your opponent or from the way the issue is being handled currently?
Even more importantly, what’s in it for the voter? For example, how will your policies make a difference in the community and the lives of the voters? What will inspire people to join and support your cause? Be detailed in your initiatives and spell out how they relate to the voter.
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What makes you the right person for the elected position?
This is where it all comes together. A political biography does not have to be particularly long. 400-500 words should be long enough to get the major points across. Here are some questions you should answer:
- You know the issues, and you have the background, but what makes you the right person for the job?
- How does your experience relate to the elected position? Have you worked with organizations or other government entities?
- What skills can you apply toward your goals? Showcase personal, organizational, or professional skills that will help you perform your duties.
- Back up your claims. This is a good place to reveal endorsements from community organizations or influential people. Have you won awards or professional achievements?
End your candidate statement on a strong note
Finish your candidate election biography with a strong statement about your purpose for running and what you hope to accomplish in the office you seek. Be inspirational in your summary. Be specific about the issues you hope to tackle. Leave the reader knowing that you deserve their vote on Election Day.
Find sample biography examples at OnlineCandidateResources.com.
First or third person presentation for the web?
Some candidates prefer to write their bios in the third person, others in the first. While the first person may come across as more personal, that format is not very useful if you are trying to optimize your content for the search engines. Google doesn’t know who “I” and “me” are. Writing in the third person gives your candidate statement plenty of opportunity to use your full name, which can help the material appear in search engine results for people searching for your name.
Candidate video presentation
A written bio can be translated into video. Many candidates create an introduction video, speaking directly to voters about their vision for the office, who they are, and why they want to represent the people. Videos can be added to their website and shared on social media accounts including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and even segments on TikTok.
Another example is a replay of a “meet the candidate” event, where the video includes your introduction and some questions and answers that help tell your story. This video should be edited to make it more concise.
Have your candidate’s biography proofread
Have others you trust read drafts of all your site content to check for grammar, spelling, and content. Others will see your work with fresh eyes and will be able to provide valuable feedback.
Break your bio down for your elevator pitch
Now that you have written a full candidate biography, it’s time to break it down. You should create a concise version for your “elevator pitch”. An elevator pitch is a short description of yourself that explains who you are so that a listener will learn the basics about you very quickly. It should be no longer than 20 to 30 seconds long. It should basically state who you are and what you want to do.
You can also take written sections of your bio and rework them for use in other campaign materials, such as brochures, flyers, mailings, and your website’s media kit. You will even want to incorporate elements into your speeches and public presentations.
These steps will help you write a great campaign biography. A strong candidate statement is the cornerstone of informing the voting public of your background, beliefs, and goals.
Now, get writing!
Recommended Reading: Political Candidate Profile and Biography Worksheet [PDF]
Choosing the Best Political Campaign Handle
Here’s a tip for creating social media handles for your political campaign: Pick a single name that’s going to last for both your campaign website and social media profiles.
One frequent question we get when someone is starting a campaign whether you should include the name of the office you are seeking in your website and social profiles.
In our opinion, you should avoid using an office name in your website domain name and social media handles. It’s better to use just your name and/or include a more generic “vote for” or “elect” in the handle.
Here’s why. If you’re going to be in politics for a long time, chances are the position you’re looking for will change in the future. If that happens, some of the work done to build your online presence will go to waste.
For example, on a candidate Facebook page, after you have secured a certain number of “likes,” you can change your page address to a unique username. However, once you choose a name, you cannot change it in the future. So if your Facebook page is facebook.com/smithforsupervisor, your followers could be lost if you run for a different office and start a new page under a different page name. It can be tough to get your old followers to like and follow a new page.
The same goes for a campaign’s Twitter account. Choose your username carefully. At some point, it will look silly if your social media handle is @smithformayor when you are running for state representative. It may be tough to set up a new account and rebuild your following.
Even if you manage to change your page names or accounts, there may be many links from other sites pointing to the old locations. Broken links don’t help anyone.
Tips for choosing a good campaign social media handle:
- Keep it simple, short, and easy to remember
- Use your real name or ballot name
- Avoid using numbers or special characters
- Make the name consistent across all platforms, if possible
Before you commit to a handle and create any accounts, check and make sure they are available on all the platforms you plan to use. This can save you the hassle of using different or variant names on different services.
For your campaign site, we recommend that you register your name or include a variant with “Vote” or “Elect” as the domain name. That way, if you later want to run for a different office, switching the political website will be easier. All the old links and traffic will remain, making it easier to restart your online campaign.
When starting a run for political office, choose your online names carefully. And be prepared to keep them for a while!
Online Candidate websites include an easy-to-use interface, tools, and design options to make building your online presence as pain-free as possible. Get started in minutes! Check out our website packages.
What To Know About Starting A Political Campaign
Starting a political campaign, be it for federal, state, or local office, requires a strategic roadmap. It begins by identifying your core values, the unique needs of your constituency, and a clear plan for addressing those needs. You need to assess your personal readiness and understand the impact of that campaign on your personal and family life. As you get going, a political campaign committee must be created, staff must be hired, and a campaign budget must be put together.
On top of that, you have to craft the right voter message and create an effective political campaign strategy to win.
Let’s break it down.
Table of Contents
- Figure out why you are running
- Election preparation includes the basics
- Register as a candidate
- Launching your campaign – the right way
- As a politician, you must build a brand for yourself
- Building your digital presence
- Your online hub: The campaign website
- Set up your social media
- Launch your campaign with style
- Increase your chances of winning the election
- Final tips
Figure out why you are running
The first step in launching a political campaign is deciding what elected position you want to run for. It could be your city council, school board, mayor, or some other position. Once you’ve made this decision, it will shape the direction of your campaign going forward.
The simple question of “Why are you running for office?” often stumps candidates. Being able to articulate a compelling reason for running is important if you expect others to support you. Articulate your motivation for running with specificity, such as ‘I aim to improve local education standards by reducing class sizes,’ to connect with your electorate’s concerns. Establish a clear link between your identity and the positive impact you want to make.
Outlining your post-election goals and policies are also important, as voters will want to know how their interests will be served. Take the time to create a concise elevator pitch.
“Running for office is important, and you don’t really need more than to be right on the issues, and to be able to articulate what it is you believe. You don’t need a certain background. You don’t need to be a lawyer. You don’t need to have some professional degree.” – Matt Gonzalez
While you have your own motivations, you’ll need filter them through the political landscape you face. Learn the demographics of your constituency, current political trends, the major power players, and the issues that are most relevant to your voters. Your campaign strategy and messaging will be based on this analysis.
Election preparation includes the basics
Set concrete goals for your campaign: Short-term might include securing endorsements, while long-term goals could focus on policy changes you aim to implement once elected. Look at the total voter turnout data over the last few elections and how many people from each political party voted. Data and analytics are essential in modern political campaigns. By analyzing voter behavior and trends, you can be sure that your campaign decisions are evidence-based rather than going ‘with your gut.’
You may care about an issue, but if few other do, you’re not going to get much support.
So, what issues should you run on? It’s pretty simple, really. Take a stance, and campaign on the big issues that are important to your constituents and community.
A successful campaign is built on the backs of dedicated volunteers. Effective volunteer engagement involves more than just recruitment. It includes training, assigning suitable roles, and keeping them motivated. A well-organized volunteer force extends a campaign’s reach. It transforms grassroots energy into electoral success.
Find out how much money you’ll need to raise. Raising funds is a backbone of political campaigning. Develop a robust plan that includes political fundraising events, online campaign donations, and major donor solicitation.
One of the largest obstacles that political campaigns face is raising initial funds. Your plans, goals, and budget will determine when and how much you need to raise. A clear fundraising strategy, includes identifying potential donors, creating effective fundraising messages, and determining your fundraising channels. As your campaign goes on, you will need to adjust your strategy based on overall performance and donor feedback.
Put together your campaign team. Determine the specific tasks that need to be accomplished and find individuals with the skills and experience to effectively handle those tasks. Clear roles and responsibilities are important, and understanding each position’s duties ensures smooth operation. It enhances coordination and drives efficiency. When everyone on the team knows their role, the campaign operates at its best.
As you put your team in place, clearly communicate your plans and goals. Clear deadlines and expectations should be set for each team member. Get your people committed and put your plans to action.
“I don’t think running for office is anything I’m prepared for or could even prepare myself for.” – America Ferrera
Networking and relationships are important
Building and maintaining relationships is key in politics. Strong connections with community leaders, local influencers, and voters are invaluable. These relationships provide resources and support. Effective networking involves establishing and nurturing these connections both before and while you are running for office.
Many candidates leverage the advantages of coalition building. This means aligning with groups and organizations with similar values or goals as your organization. These other groups can help amplify your campaign’s reach and credibility through their own networks. To create a coalition, you’ll want to identifying potential allies and engage with them with the goal of forming partnerships that benefit both parties.
Register as a candidate
The registration process and requirements to get on the ballot differs between states. Most states have a registration deadline in order to get on the ballot.
Check with your secretary of state’s or county election website for information on filing requirements. There will be certain paperwork and fees you will need to pay. If there are signatures required, you will need to figure out how you will get them in time.
Understanding campaign law is crucial for political campaigns. It ensures all activities are legal and ethical. This includes finance regulations and electoral rules. Knowing your local campaign law helps avoids legal issues and problems on the campaign trail.
Launching your campaign – the right way
Whether you are running a congressional campaign or want to begin a local political campaign for mayor or town council, you’ll want to prepare early.
Your campaign theme is the message used to communicate an integrated political message. It should be based on a clear reason why you are running, and backed up by an overall identity that shapes the overall campaign. This message should be short enough to not only tell a story, but can also be broken down for talking points that can be delivered to voters.
Your theme may be closely related to your campaign brand, which incorporates the look of your print material, signage and online presence.
As a politician, you must build a brand for yourself
Choose a color scheme and logo that reflect your campaign’s values and make them consistent across all materials, from your website to yard signs, to build a recognizable and trusted brand.
Think of your campaign as a brand that promises value to voters, requiring strategic marketing to effectively communicate your vision and solutions.
Developing a strong media relations strategy is also key. Crafting press releases, managing media inquiries, and building relationships with journalists can amplify your campaign’s voice.
All your campaign materials, from print material like brochures, flyers and signs to your online presence, must be consistent in design and color.
This means keeping your messaging – visual, design and tone – consistent across platforms.
Invest in a professional headshot, as this image will become a visual synonym for your campaign across multiple platforms. Here are the most important photos you should have ready when you start your campaign:
- A Candidate Headshot
- Family Photos
- Informal Photos:
- Candidate with Audience Engagement
- Notable People and Endorsers
- Local Landmarks and Locations
In addition to still photography, consider the power of video content. Campaign videos can range from policy explainers to personal narratives, providing a dynamic way to connect with voters.
Once you have established your brand, don’t change it. Changing up your campaign logo, colors or slogan midway through the race will only confuse voters. We’ve seen clients change logos halfway through a race, and it almost always causes more disruption than it’s worth.
Related Reading: The Power of Branding Your Political Campaign
Building your digital presence to expand your reach
Running a local political campaign is tough. No matter the position you are running for, it’s a battle both offline and online.
If you don’t define yourself online, someone else will. And that will probably be your opponent.
Leveraging data analytics tools can provide insights into your campaign’s online performance, helping you to optimize your digital strategy and measure the impact of your content.
Your online hub: The campaign website
Your campaign website is the centerpiece of your online brand. It is the hub that ties together your print, social media, email marketing and digital advertising.
You want to be able to direct people to your campaign website to sign up to volunteer and make donations before, during, and after your political campaign launch.
The most important pages of a political website include:
- Homepage: Feature your identity and campaign goals; update as needed for developments and shifting focus.
- Biography: Condense your personal history into a concise bio that resonates with voters.
- Issues: Outline your positions and differentiate from your opponent; separate into distinct pages if needed.
- Endorsements: Include organizational endorsements and quotes across your site.
- News: Maintain a blog-style section for announcements, news links, and event coverage.
- Donation: Enable online donations and provide giving options.
- Volunteer: Gather volunteer information through an online form.
- Events: Display upcoming events in a list or calendar format.
In addition, keep load speed and mobile responsiveness in mind. Utilize SEO best practices to ensure your site ranks well for relevant keywords and phrases, such as the candidate’s name, position sought, and location. This will increase the visibility of your campaign online.
Donors will find it much simpler to give if you have a website that can receive donations. It’s much simpler to ask someone to make a donation by clicking on a link than it is to have them fill out a check, place it in an envelope, and send it. If you can organize your fundraising efforts online, you will be able to bring in more money in a shorter amount of time.
Set up your social media for success
For social media, you’ll want to create a Facebook page for the campaign. Other social platforms, like Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat, can come later.
Tech Tip: Never use personal social media accounts for your political campaign. Facebook, in fact, does not allow for political campaigning on personal accounts.
If you began using social media early, you may already have an audience of supporters that you can communicate with. You can cross-post your content to multiple networks when possible to save time and reach more voters. Facebook, in particular, is a powerful platform to request donations and begin political advertising.
Many politicians use live streaming to interact with voters and non-voters. It’s not particularly difficult, and you don’t need a broadcast studio. In many cases, you can simply use your mobile phone to broadcast. These types of virtual events have become more popular through services like Facebook Live.
Cutting through the noise on social media can only be accomplished through paid advertising.
Recommended Reading: How Much Should Your Political Campaign Budget For Digital?
Launch your campaign with style
The exciting task of officially launching your campaign calls for careful planning. Every aspect counts, from picking the ideal location to determining the ideal day and time to meet your target demographic.
Here are some ideas for holding a campaign launch event:
- Community Center Town Hall: A city council candidate hosts a town hall launch event at a local center. Key speakers discuss issues, followed by candidate speeches and Q&A.
- Park Rally: A mayoral candidate organizes a park rally with music and food trucks. Candidate speeches, media interactions, volunteer sign-ups, and online donations are featured.
- Virtual Launch: A state legislative candidate hosts an online event with live-streamed speeches, polls, and Q&A. Attendees engage through social media and contribute online.
- Walk and Talk: A school board candidate leads a community walk, discussing education priorities. Followed by a meet-and-greet for personal interactions and campaign support.
Organize a speaker lineup that raises interest in your campaign’s message. Press releases distributed to the local media can generate interest and raise awareness.
Increase your chances of winning the election
Launch day for your online campaign is always exciting. Put together a checklist to cover all your action items. To increase the chance of everything going smoothly, you’ll want to have the following in place:
- Your campaign website, which should be easy to navigate and include clear calls to action,
- Social media accounts, along with their graphics.
- A campaign Google account for analytics, email, and more.
- Broadcast email system, including signup forms on the site.
- A plan to advertise, and perhaps a digital budget earmarked to make it so.
Creating and distributing campaign material is another essential way to reach the electorate. When developing a content strategy, you should do the following:
- Identify your target voters: Learn the key demographics and interests of your audience. Create content that directly speaks to them.
- Clearly define your message. Clearly articulate and repeat your political message over and over. In other words, always “stay on message.”
- Create online content that engages: Go beyond text and images with your content. Use videos, infographics, press releases, and social content to keep your audience engaged.
- Use a content calendar. Plan out your content in advance and schedule material for specific times, such as primary and Election days. Also, plan out how you will promote campaign events and fundraising initiatives.
- Develop and use marketing channels. Social media is fine, but also consider mobile outreach and email to engage a wider audience.
Final tips
Many candidates keep their campaign websites on a ‘coming soon’ page right until the campaign launch day. Then they wonder why their site does not immediately show up in search results. Search engines take time to index websites. Just because your site goes live does not mean that it will be indexed right away or at all. One way to trigger search engine spiders is to link to your site from another source, such as a Facebook or Twitter account.
Launch your campaign website ahead of your announcement to ensure search engines have indexed it. This makes it easier for voters to find you right from the start. Besides, no one will likely be searching for it anyway. And if they do find your site, does it really matter? That’s not to say that your launch announcement should not be heavily promoted. You will need that initial excitement to capitalize on your initial fundraising and outreach efforts.
Getting into politics is a big decision. Even if you are running for local government, you need to lay a proper foundation and prepare to announce your candidacy.
Download the Free Checklist: Pre-Campaign Planning Checklist [PDF]
Additional Resources:
- Opening a Political Campaign Bank Account
To succeed in politics, you’ll need to raise money. Establishing a campaign bank account is one of the first steps you should take. Here are a few things you should know before you head to your financial institution. - What To Know Before You Take Donations Online
Even the most local candidate can set up an online donation page. Here are some things you need to know as you plan and begin your online fundraising strategy. -
Planning Your Political Campaign – Candidate Checklists
There are many tasks required in preparing for a campaign. Candidate checklists play a big part in getting there. - Political Candidate Training Programs
With the help of online training programs, political candidates can prepare and educate themselves on all aspects of running for office.
Sign up to our email list below for campaigning tips and strategies. Online Candidate also provides a variety of political web design and marketing services.
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10 Facts About Digital Political Campaigning To Keep You Up at Night
What scares you most about running for office? For many individuals, the thought of running for office can be both exciting and daunting.
From asking people to donate to your campaign to the pressure of public speaking, there are numerous fears associated with campaigning that can feel overwhelming. Online campaigning adds its own unique challenges that require planning and attention to detail.
And if that isn’t enough, here are ten more things you might not know that can absolutely ruin your online campaign.
Your digital past can damage your campaign
If you’ve ever had embarrassing photos, tweets, posts, or other online information put online, there’s a good chance that they still exist in some form. Even if you try to do an online cleanup, it’s hard to fully eliminate everything out there. Saved screen shots, old photos on a hard drive somewhere, and even old social media posts can return to bite you.
Tip: Regularly review your digital history and remove or address problematic content. Don’t wait for opponents to find it first. Because they will.
Even offline, your reputation is online
Just because you’ve sworn off online campaigning doesn’t mean that newspaper articles and other material doesn’t exist about you online. When you become a political candidate, you become a public figure. If you are not putting information about yourself online, then someone else will.
Although it may feel overwhelming at times, monitoring your online mentions and setting up alerts can help you stay informed and prepared for any situation.
Free Digital Campaigning Tips: Subscribe for free guides and updates.
Your domain name can be hijacked before you start
Even if you are in the planning stages of running for office, you should reserve your domain name. If someone else registers the domain name, you may have a tough time getting it back. Often nothing is done with a high-jacked name, but announcing a website before you have registered the domain (or actually created the website) is just asking for trouble.
Your campaign branding can be hijacked, too
Political websites or accounts clearly designed to trick people into thinking they’re on a legitimate campaign website have been on the rise over the last decade. These spoof sites suggest the look and feel of legitimate sites. At first glance, they appear to be supporting a candidate, but in reality, they might providing misinformation or even raising funds for the opposition. Donors beware!
There’s no guarantee that the web will pull in money
There’s no guarantee that the web will pull in moneyThe web is a powerful tool for fundraising, but it’s not a shortcut. Just because you slapped a donation button on your website and your social profiles does not guarantee that you will raise a single dollar. You need the right tools, messaging, and real support to raise funds. Done properly, the effort put into online fundraising can pay off handsomely. If you do it poorly, well…
Related: How Local Political Candidates Raise Money
Social media accounts get hacked … regularly
Social media account takeovers had increased over 1000% percent from 2020 to 2021, and have continued to rise in the 2020s. With those kinds of numbers, you’ll want to keep an eye on your campaign’s social media profiles. If multiple people have access to your campaign accounts, the risk of unauthorized access is increased. Best practices include limiting the number of people with social media account access. Only give people the minimum amount of access they need, and change account passwords frequently.
Tip: Use a password manager to securely store and rotate your campaign account credentials.
Social media accounts get mixed up … regularly
How many times have we heard about politicians posting inappropriate material to their social media accounts? You may wonder why this happens so often. The reason is simple. In most cases, someone posted publicly what was to be a private message sent to an individual. In other cases, someone (usually a staffer) was logged into the campaign’s social media account instead of their own. Either way, this can lead to an embarrassing situation requiring deletions, apologies, and negative media coverage.
Tip: Maintain separate devices or browsers for your campaign and personal accounts.
What you post is yours … until it isn’t
Your Facebook page, Instagram, and X / Twitter accounts are subject to the generosity of those services. Follow the rules for posting. Remember that these services can pretty much remove anything they want, at any time. If someone claims you are violating their terms of service, you could be in trouble. Losing a social media account late in the election cycle can be disastrous!
Just a few bad emails can cripple your email system
If a few people on your campaign email list don’t like your messages and report you as a spammer, it could ruin your chances for future messages to get through to anyone. Email service providers are quick to suspend accounts that are suspected of spamming.
Tip: Clean up your email lists regularly. Best practices include using double opt-in for new subscribers, and monitoring engagement metrics like open and click-through rates, and limiting the number of links in your messages.
Even when it’s over, it’s not over
If your election is over, consider hanging onto your website. If you let your domain name lapse, someone else can pick it up. You’ll probably have a tough time getting it back. Also, you’ll also have no control over a new website that someone may create with your lapsed domain name.
Online Candidate has been a trusted leader in candidate websites for over 20 years. We provide monthly and annual website packages with design and setup included. Explore our services today to see how we can help your campaign succeed.
Online Candidate makes it easy to launch your political website and build your online presence.
