A List of Our Best City Council Campaign Slogans
As a candidate running for town or city council, you’ll want to stand out from your opponents. Great campaign slogans helps keep candidates in the minds of voters. It’s often the first thing voters hear about someone, and often what they remember most.
As city council member, your actions gives you an active role in your community. Your election slogan should best reflect the priorities and major issues of your campaign.
Here is a list of our best slogan ideas for city council:
- It’s About You
- It’s Time for a Change
- Let’s Make a Difference!
- Make the City Work for People Again
- Getting Results for [Location]
- Proven [Leadership/Tax Cutter]
- Make Your Voice Heard
- Working Together, For Change
- Our City, Our Council
- Keep Moving Forward
- Fighting for [Location]’s Taxpayers
- For Effective Government
- Community Action Starts NOW!
- Your Vote, Your Voice
- Keep the Progress Moving
- Restore our City
- Your Voice for Positive Change
- Protecting Your Tax Dollars
- Right Time, Right Choice.
- New Leadership for a Better [Location]
- Fighting for Open Government
- Vote for a Better Tomorrow
- Standing Up For What’s Right
- Fighting for Our Families
- Serving People, Not Political Parties
- A Better City Starts Today
Voter turnout for city council or town elections can be low. This is because people tend to care more about the national and state races. However, local elections are just as important to a community and it’s quality of life.
Create a great slogan that speaks to voters
- Come up with a few of the most important issues facing your city or town. They may already be part of your campaign platform.
- Are there any hot topics that are of interest to voters and will inspire them to turn out at the polls? It might be taxes, local growth, traffic. Other issues include trust in local government, police and infrastructure.
- Brainstorm some slogan ideas and refine them.
- Select your final slogan and use it in your signs and print material.
Winning a city council election is are often determined by voter turnout, where one candidate manages to get more supporters to vote then their opponent. A catchy slogan can boost your exposure and help you win your election.
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Handling Negative Posts About Your Campaign
Politics – and especially local politics – can be vicious, especially on the web. And if you are a candidate, watch out! You will certainly face some sort of abuse online. It may be in posts, comments, or even through memes and imagery.
Nasty things are posted on social media. Anonymous posts can be the worst. The temptation exists to do something about it.
In this post, we discuss how to handle online trolls and other assorted vermin.
Listen to this post here:
Most negative posts don’t really influence anyone and generally make the person making the nasty post look … well, nasty. In most cases, negative posts and comments likely have a small audience. They likely influence you more than anyone else.
When dealing with cyberbullies, it is best to not engage with them.
Sure, the posts or comments may contain blatant lies, phony allegations, and so on. But it’s important to handle these matters delicately, or else the situation can quickly spin out of control.
In most cases, simply ignore the posts. If a response is absolutely necessary, it’s best let someone outside of your campaign or organization respond. Whatever you do, don’t create new “personas” to support your positions on social media, in forums or on message boards. You’ll likely be caught – and that tends to make the situation worse!
Sometimes the criticism is justified
Perhaps while you posted from your mobile device, you made a misspelling or the autocorrect feature fouled up an important word. Hey, it happens to everyone.
You may get called out on a mistake like this. Someone may blow your blunder out of proportion and make a big deal about it. Hyperbole often runs rampant online.
So, how should you deal with it?
Just apologize and move on. You can correct a Facebook post, but for Twitter, you’ll need to either remove the original tweet or just add a comment explaining the problem. However, it’s probably better to delete and repost the proper message.
When posting, make sure you check your spelling and grammar. You may want to have someone else look at what you are posting before you hit the submit button.
Misspelling or a real word?
Responding to negative posts about your political campaign
If you are the person on the receiving end of criticism, it can be hard to figure out how to respond. Sometimes you’ll feel that you cannot respond in a way that is acceptable to everyone or actually address the issues raised.
Here are a few tips when responding to negative feedback about your campaign:
- Update your about section: Add comment rules in your page’s About section. This can include no profanity, abuse, etc. This gives you justification in blocking offensive users.
- Offensively block. Use the word block list in your Page settings for profanity and low-quality indicators.
- Take your time. You may want to lash out, but it’s all too easy to make things worse if you reply while you are angry.
- Kill them with kindness. It’s a lot easier to thank someone for their contribution than to try to debate them. Most online trolls post and move on. They probably won’t even see your reply.
- Use humor. You may be able to disarm a troll with a witty reply. One tip is to acknowledge the criticism, apologize for it, and make light of the situation.
- Encourage supporters to be positive and leave positive comments. To help to combat cyber-bullying and other forms of social media harassment, try to foster a supportive community that will actively engage with others by commenting on the campaign’s goals. Having people speak enthusiastically for your campaign can help it grow and develop without any negativity.
- Hide the offensive content and note your own online policy against such material.
As a last resort, you can block report the offender. Do this as a last resort if the poster’s material is especially bad. If a user breaks the terms of use of a social media service, they can be penalized. Don’t count on that happening, though.
Online trolls often hit and run.
Should politicians block people on social media?
You may be tempted to block people, but you should avoid doing this. Generally, public officials should not block people unless someone is clearly abusive or engaging in hate speech. A better tactic, as mentioned above, is to hide offensive comments while noting your online policy against such material.
In 2017, the Knight First Amendment Institute filed a lawsuit on behalf of several people who were blocked from former President Donald Trump’s Twitter account. The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit both ruled that Trump could not block users, arguing that his Twitter account constituted a “public forum” under the First Amendment.
However, in January, 2021, Twitter removed Trump’s account from its platform. Without account access, Trump cannot block or unblock users. This fact may make the argument in Trump v. Knight First Amendment Institute moot as the case heads for review with the Supreme Court. As of this writing, the petition for review is still open.
In conclusion
Social media moves fast. It’s here, it’s gone, it’s usually forgotten. It if becomes an issue where the topic appears when someone searches for you on google, that’s a different problem.
While it’s practically impossible to make negative material disappear from online searches, positive web content (such as further social media posts, campaign website updates or online press releases) can be created to help push down negative publicity, making it less visible to searchers.
Running for office is difficult and requires a strong sense of perseverance. If you want to be a politician, you will often be attacked – from all sides. You’ll need to work hard and take criticism with a thick skin if you really want the job.
Want more tips for running an online campaign? Running for Office as an Online Candidate is our packed with tips and online strategies for campaigns and candidates.
So You Want To Run For Judge? Here’s How To Get Started
Judges in the U.S. make important decisions every day that can affect the lives of all citizens. If you’re going to run for judge, you will need to know what is needed to campaign for the office.
Here are some ideas of what to expect and how to prepare if you’re thinking about running a campaign for judge.
What types of judges are elected to office?
The role of a judge is to serve the public by making impartial decisions. Judges that are elected by voters serve for a limited period of time. While on the bench, they are expected to act as the unbiased authority on the law.
Some judges are elected by the people of the county they represent, but many of the most influential judges at the state level are appointed or approved by senior politicians. The types of judges that may run for office include:
- Municipal court judges
- County court judges
- Magistrates
- Justice of the peace
For locally elected judges, the specific rules regarding elections vary by state. Variables include the length of the term, when elections occur, and the maximum number of terms a judge can serve.
County and municipal judges and magistrates are often elected by voters.
What skills do you need to be a judge?
Judges play an integral part in our society. They have the responsibility of interpreting the law and applying it fairly to ensure that justice is done. This is difficult job, and judges need to be qualified for the position.
To become a judge, one must be licensed to practice law after receiving their J.D degree from an accredited institution. Lawyers or attorneys that want to become judges often have years trial experience and are familiar with the working of court. They may serve as either prosecutors or defense attorneys.
The qualities and skills of successful judges include:
- The ability to think logically and analytically
- To understand written case law
- An understanding of the human condition
- The ability to be unbiased and impartial
- To be respectful towards all parties in court
- To be patient, have a sense of humor, balanced, fair and open minded.
What does it mean to be a “Good” judge?
A good judge is someone who can take in information, organize it, and form a decision. This person would have to be unbiased, open minded, logical, and fair to all parties involved in a case.
Why do you want to run for the position?
There may be a number of reasons why you are interested in becoming a judge. It may be to hold a position of prestige and power. It might be because you care about the legal system and want to make it work better. At some point, you will be asked that question by a voter or reported. It’s better to have your reasons prepared ahead of time.
Common reasons why people run for judge:
- You want to play part in making the legal system work better for everyone.
- You value fairness and accountability in applying the law.
- You want to stand up for what is right, even if it not popular with public opinion or powerful moneyed interests.
- You want to see that the principles of the Constitution are upheld within the courts.
Whatever your reasons, you should be authentic in what you will stand for as a member of the judiciary.
Are judicial elections partisan or non-partisan?
It’s not necessary for the candidate to be affiliated with any political party when running for judge. Judges in the United States are usually required to be nonpartisan, meaning that they can’t show favoritism to a political party. Therefore, judges in this situation must remain non-partisan when they are campaigning for election.
However, some states allow judicial candidates to compete in partisan elections. The idea behind this is that it makes it easier for the public to hold judges accountable for their decisions.
Judicial elections are often non-partisan.
What are the requirements for becoming a judge?
The process of running for judge is not easy. There are certain requirements that must be met.
In most states, eligibility requirements depend on age, residency, and criminal conviction. Some states have additional requirements to run for office.
There are states which require the candidate to be a lawyer. Other states require the candidate only to have an active law license.
Additional requirements may include that the candidate must be a citizen, that they be a practicing lawyer or judge, and that they reside in the district where they seek the office.
And on top of that, they must win their election.
Running an effective election campaign
In some ways, running judicial campaign is similar to other political positions. For example, there are expenses such as printing costs, signage and advertising.
Many judicial candidates will build a campaign website to promote themselves. However, candidates are often limited as to when they can start the site and are subject to strict standards of conduct. For example, a judge must shut down their campaign site after they are seated to the bench.
There are many restrictions on judicial candidates, and they vary from state to state. For example, campaigning activities are often limited to specific time periods. They cannot receive donations from any parties or organizations with a stake in the case before them. They may be limited on how they can use social media.
Candidates running for judge are not allowed to use public funds for campaign purposes. They may also be limited as to when and how they can fund raise.
Judges often cannot actively seek endorsements from organizations or individuals. This is the most common way traditional political candidates gain visibility and credibility to help get elected.
Taking positions on the issues … or not
Judicial nominees are prohibited from taking a position on any issue that could potentially come before the courts because it could affect the way they might rule on cases with similar facts.
This limits the messaging options to general platitudes, and this is one of the reasons why judicial elections tend to be ‘boring’. Voters often know little about any candidates for judge, and simply cast a ballot for the candidate with the most name recognition.
Because name recognition is one of the most important factors in winning, judges need to do all they can to promote themselves. The most common ways to advertise are through mailings, radio and TV ads and online ads, such as IP targeting.
Now that you have a basic understanding of the qualifications required to run for judicial office, it’s time to start campaigning!
Related:
- So You Want To Run For Judge? Here’s How To Get Started
- A List of Our Best Judicial Campaign Slogans
- Local Election Laws And Your Campaign Website
- Judicial Logo Design
Start your judicial campaign website with Online Candidate. With simple pricing and easy to use features, we help hundreds of candidates each election cycle.
When Your Web Designer Disappears Mid-Campaign
Why every campaign needs control over their website—and what happens when you don’t.
Nothing stalls a campaign faster than being locked out of your own website. Maybe your web designer’s sick. Maybe they’re swamped. Or maybe—like we’ve seen too many times before—they quietly closed shop and didn’t bother to tell their clients.
When you’ve been in this business long enough, you hear some stories.
When the Designer Disappears
We’ve had clients come to us mid-campaign, unable to reach the person who originally built their site. The stories usually start the same way:
“A friend/volunteer offered to build our campaign website. They got it up and running (or didn’t finish it), and now I can’t get in touch with them to make any changes…”
Whether the designer meant well or simply vanished, the result is the same: the campaign’s stuck. That means no updates, no control, and no progress.
“Free” Isn’t Free When It Costs You Time
Sometimes the designer hasn’t disappeared—they’re just unresponsive. Maybe they’re juggling a day job. Maybe your campaign is last on their to-do list. That might not seem like a big deal at the start. But once the campaign heats up, that delay becomes a real problem.
If you need a message posted today and your designer says they’ll “get to it this weekend,” you’re in trouble.
You Need to Be in Control
A political campaign moves fast. Timing matters. When news breaks, voters and reporters go straight to the candidate’s website looking for a response or update.
You need to be able to log in and post what’s needed—without waiting on someone else’s schedule. That means having full access to your own website. When you don’t have that access, even small issues become big ones. A fundraiser link goes down, and no one can fix it. Your homepage still shows last month’s event. A news article mentions your campaign, but visitors land on a “Coming Soon” page. These are the situations that cost your campaign credibility, donations, and media opportunities.
Proper control also means owning your domain name. If you don’t, you don’t really own your online presence. We’ve also seen campaigns lose their domain names entirely—because they weren’t the ones who registered it. If the designer disappears or won’t cooperate, you may be forced to buy the domain back (if you’re lucky) or start over with a different URL. Same goes for your hosting account. If someone else owns it, they can shut down your site with one click—and you’re left scrambling.
In some of the worst cases we’ve seen, candidates had to register new domains and rebuild their entire site from scratch because their designer went missing. One client that came to us had to do that less than a month before Election Day. Not an ideal situation!
What You Can Do
Whether you use Online Candidate or go elsewhere, make sure of two things:
- You have full access to your site.
- You control your domain name and website login credentials.
Anything less is a risk your campaign doesn’t need.
A Better Way to Build
With Online Candidate, your campaign site is fast to launch, easy to update, and always in your hands.
Turnaround time is fast. A finished site can be ready within a few business days. With built-in tools and design customization, you don’t need to hire a separate web designer or programmer. You won’t be chasing down anyone for help. You’ll have the tools and access to update your site when it matters most.
Because when the race is on, there’s no time to go looking for a missing web designer.
Dos and Don’ts for Political Campaigns in 2023
To run a successful political campaign, being online isn’t an option. No matter the position being sought, digital campaigning is now firmly part of the political process. Fortunately, reaching voters through the web can be done through a variety of methods.
Here are some of our best dos and don’ts for campaigning online in the 2023 election cycle.
Start early with your online campaign
There is a lot you can do online right now in preparation for your campaign. Begin or continue using social media, put material about yourself online and begin building your online reputation.
Don’t register the wrong domain name. Adding the year or position to the domain name can easily make the name irrelevant in the future. Using a non-specific domain, like a candidate’s name or ‘vote’ and name, can be reused over multiple campaigns.
Don’t commit to a domain name before you own it. Even if you are waiting to start creating your campaign website, do not commit to using your chosen domain name before you have secured it. There’s nothing worse than ordering campaign supplies listing a website that is wrong or, worse, owned by someone else. You don’t want to print a run of brochures or campaign signs with the the wrong website on them. Otherwise, you’ll be spending even more on stickers to correct the mistake.
Engage voters through social media
If you still think social media is still a fad, then you haven’t been paying attention to politics. Start early and get to know how it all works before your campaign kicks into high gear.
Social media has been a powerful tool for political campaigns at all levels. From viral hashtags and social media buzz to building an online community, social media is used as a marketing and engagement tool, as well as for fundraising.
Don’t think that political social media is a one-way medium. It’s a two-way street, and if you’re not willing to engage others online, then it really isn’t social. Listening provides insight and interaction drives engagement. It’s almost like building a real relationship, but online. Most politicians start their social media outreach with Facebook and Twitter. If you have the ability to maintain additional accounts, consider adding additional profiles, like Instagram.
- Social media has become more important than ever, especially after the start of the global pandemic in 2020, at it has all the ingredients for online campaigning: high engagement, low cost, and access to a wide variety of audiences. Tools like Facebook Live can help you run your campaign efficiently at little cost and with the ability to reach voters in alternative ways.
- Don’t overextend yourself. Getting on every social app out there may sound like a great idea, but if you don’t have the time or volunteers to maintain the platform, don’t bother doing it. Consider signing up for just a few accounts that will help you reach the largest number of voters and keep your message consistent across multiple platforms.
- Budget for digital advertising. Social media is a great tool that can help you connect with voters, but it’s no longer a place to throw up content without paying for the privilege. If you want exposure, you will need to dedicate some of your advertising budget toward online advertising and digital voter outreach.
- Get yourself authorized to advertise on Facebook and Google. If you plan to promote posts on Facebook or run pay per click or display ads on Google, you need to be authorized. It’s a process that changes frequently, but is absolutely necessary if you want to run ads on these platforms.
Invest in a campaign website
A website is a critical part of your online presence. It’s a place to inform voters, accept online donations, and act as a hub for social media and advertising efforts. Fortunately, the barriers to creating a website are low. There is no reason why candidates in local races should not have a campaign website. At Online Candidate, we work to make the process as simple and painless as possible.
Accept online donations. Integrating donation functionality into a website is not difficult these days. Third-party payment processors are a simple and affordable way to accept payments online. They also provide a quick and easy solution for accepting payments through your campaign website, social media and even offline. Before you start raising money, don’t forget to open your campaign bank account!
Don’t let visitors leave without a strong call to action. There are many reasons why people may leave your website. The most common ones are that they’re not seeing what they need or they don’t find what they’re looking for. It’s important to keep people engaged with your site so that they stay longer and take action. Every page of your website should ask for something. It can be a donation, a share, a volunteer request or even simple reminder to vote for you.
Do know the difference between your primary and general election. While nothing is ever really ‘deleted’ on the web, you may want to consider modifying or expanding your online messaging for the general electorate. ‘Red meat’ may get you through a primary, but a candidate usually has to attract more than just the base to win a general election.
While many candidates tack back ‘toward the center’ for a general election, this year we’ve seen candidates as far as to completely scrub their sites of certain topics and issues.
When it is time, wind down your online campaign properly. Don’t just ghost your accounts and leave everyone wondering what happened. Your supporters deserve acknowledgement and thanks.
Online Candidate websites include an easy-to-use interface, great custom design, and built-in tools designed specifically for political candidates. View our political website packages.
How To Win A Local Election (When You’re Broke)
It doesn’t matter if you have a better grasp of the issues. It doesn’t matter if you have better qualifications than your opponents or you are a more eloquent speaker. The fact is, if you raise and spend less money than your opponent, you are much more likely to lose your election.
In fact, 90% of the time, the better-financed candidate wins. That said, it’s virtually impossible to win a political campaign with no money.
Candidates get their funding in a number of ways. Being personally wealthy certainly provides a significant advantage when running for office. Rich candidates can self-fund their campaigns and do not have to worry about raising money. They also tend to have a circle of friends and acquaintances who can make substantial donations. That lessens the need for more ‘grassroots’ or small donations from individual donors.
But let’s assume you are not wealthy. Let’s assume you are broke, or nearly broke. You don’t have much of a budget, but you still want to make a run for office.
That means you must fundraise and build a donor base. Local races usually cost several thousand dollars to run. But if you are running for Congress or state office, you’ll need to raise a lot more money. According to USAFacts, the median fundraising amount for Senate race winners was $5 million in 1996, when adjusted for inflation. By 2018, it had risen to $11 million. In that year, the eight successful Senate non-incumbents spent an average of $23.8 million.
The costs are even higher today. Because of this, working-class people may find it extremely difficult to afford a run, especially for federal office.
Even for local school board or town council races, you’ll still need to raise and spend a significant amount of money.
Here is a basic outline for winning a political campaign without much money:
- Put together a strong team
- How much money do you need to win an election?
- Raise initial funds to get started
- Open a campaign bank account
- Friends and family – your first donors
- Set up your ways to accept donations
- Throw a kick-off fundraiser
- Leverage influencers
- Leverage your grassroots efforts
- Leverage technology to win
- Always follow the law
- Conclusion
A political candidate with no money is in for a tough race…
How to win a local election – Put together a strong team
One of the most important parts of any political organization is the campaign team. Those positions include the campaign manager, fundraising manager, event coordinator, volunteer coordinator, finance director (treasurer), and grassroots coordinator. Larger organizations may have additional positions such as a communications and advertising director.
Local candidates, like those for the school board or city or town council, may not have a large team. If you don’t have money to hire staff, you’ll need to leverage your friends and supporters to handle the various roles. Everyone involved should know the chain of command and where they fit in the organization.
In small municipal races, one person may handle several roles in running an effective grassroots organization. What your campaign lacks in size, you will need to make up for in strategy.
A dedicated team can perform more effectively than a large team. Focused volunteers and staff can be extremely productive if they are committed to helping you win a political campaign. (This is how to win an election as an underdog candidate.) Hiring the right people can be a big advantage, but that can be done as the organization grows.
How much money will you need to win the election?
Winning a local election starts by getting your finances in order. To start, you should determine your foreseeable expenses and make a budget. That will tell you how much money you will need for the campaign. This includes signage, print and online ad spending.
How many mailers you’re going to send out? What staff, if any, are you going to hire? What other expenses do you expect to incur? The amount can be influenced by several factors. If you face a primary or are up against multiple opponents, you may find that you need a greater budget.
Look up how much money was spent by the winner of the last few elections. That should give you an idea of how much you should expect to raise and spend.
To achieve that number, you’ll need basic fundraising plan. Say you determine that you need $25,000 to be competitive in the race. Your donor breakdown could look something like this:
50 donations of $500 = $25,000
125 donations of $250 = $25,000
250 donations x $100 = $25,000
500 donations x $50 = $25,000
1,000 donations x $25 = $25,000
You’ll need a mix of larger and smaller contributions to reach your goal. That’s where your donor research will come into play. You will segment your donor requests based on past history. It makes no sense to ask wealthy donors to contribute $25 when they have a history of contributing larger amounts to similar races.
Besides money, you must know how many votes are required to win. Research into the past few cycles and find out how many votes the winner received. Winning candidates focus on the number of votes they need to win. To get an average cost per voter, divide the amount of money you need by the number of votes required.
Now you have your financial goal and total voter goal.
Even the greatest was once a beginner. Don’t be afraid to take the first step.
—MUHAMMAD ALI
Raise initial funds to get started
Figuring out how much money you need is the easy part. Now it gets a little more complicated as we put together the pieces of your campaign’s finances.
At this point, let’s assume that you have already established a political committee with your local county Board of Elections.
You’ll need a campaign treasurer to track income and expenditures and handle financial reporting.
Open a campaign bank account
In most jurisdictions, you need a campaign bank account in order to legally deposit political donations. Consider using a local bank, if you can. Here is information on how to open a political campaign bank account.
Friends and family – your first donors
To start, you will need initial seed money. This can be tough for first-time candidates who cannot self-fund. The first people that you will ask to give will be your friends, family and other wealthy supporters you know.
When asking, you should explain why you are running and how their initial support can help. Your initial backers will be some of your strongest advocates going forward. They’ve made an investment in you and your election. They want to see you succeed.
It may be difficult, but if you don’t ask for money, you won’t get any.
Set up ways to accept donations
At this point, you should already have a website in place. While checks are nice, you should be able to offer the ability to make online donations right from the start. A political campaign website can be easily created, makes your budding organization appear established, and it provides a fixed place to send donors.
Next, you’ll need a way to accept donations online. There are a variety of online fundraising services. Some are partisan, most are not. Many services incorporate social sharing, e-ticket sales for events and other viral tools. They are geared for the reporting requirements of states or the FEC.
Some candidates today are ‘testing the waters’ by using crowdfunding services to secure initial financial support. You can get pledges of support before establishing a formal run. It’s a technique that has become more popular for many down-ballot candidates.
Throw a kick-off campaign fundraiser
Once you’ve raised some seed money, you’ll soon have your first opportunity to spend it. Kick off your official campaign by having an event. Some make their initial event free, in order to attract more people to hear the candidate’s message. Other campaigns may make the kickoff event a fundraiser. It’s up to you.
Eventually you will need to host an initial fundraiser. For local candidates, you can go with a number of political fundraising ideas. You may want to go simple, such as an event held at at a friend’s house, a local restaurant or a part. You may want to charge $25 or $50 a person.
Put together a press release (and press packet) to announce your event. Submit it to your local newspapers as a way to announce your candidacy. Promote the event online through your social media and email contacts.
When planning a kickoff event, you will need to front some money to cover expenses. Make sure your event costs and attendee pricing is set up so you will have a positive return on investment (ROI). The last thing you want is to have a fancy event and actually lose money on it at the end of the day.
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Leverage influencers
Find the influencers in your district. These can be individuals or organizations. Be engaged with your local party. They can provide substantial support in the form of donor lists and other information. (But don’t necessarily rely on them for financial backing.)
If you can identify and reach individual and group influencers, then you can leverage their connection networks. For example, non-profit groups may not be able to publicly support a candidate, but you may be able to speak at group meeting. Individuals may help you set up meet-and-greets or host additional fundraising events.
Start early and lock up key endorsements as soon as you can.
Leverage your grassroots efforts
If you can’t afford traditional advertising, you’ll need to boost your grassroots efforts to get your name out there to voters.
A grassroots campaign is about getting your message to the masses on a one-to-one level. These activities can include:
- Door to door canvassing – and target your audiences with specific messaging.
- Literature drops
- Voter registration efforts
- Social media – viral media targeting local issues.
- Events and fundraisers
You’ll also need yard signs to boost name recognition. You may want to start with a small number early on just to get your name out there.
“The basic job of any campaign is to translate grassroots energy into turnout.”
– Jon Ossoff
Leverage technology to win your election
In all aspects of your campaign, make sure you leverage technology to accomplish your financial and person-to-person goals.
- Social media – Use Facebook and Twitter to promote your campaign events. Don’t use personal accounts for your campaign. However, you will want to encourage your personal followers to follow your campaign social media accounts. Facebook advertising is affordable and can be well-targeted to reach specific voter segments. You will want to have your campaign verified well in advance before you start running any ads.
- Campaign website – Keep your site up to date with events and news. Make it an inviting place for voters to learn more about you and the issues that effect them. It’s also your donation hub, so you’ll leverage it to raise money. Campaign websites do not need to cost a lot of money. (Use Online Candidate for your political web design needs.)
- Accept online donations – Depending on your platform, you can set up donation forms on your website, through email links and through social media. Be sure to track what channels your contributions come through. It will help you become more effective in asking for more support throughout the election cycle. Set up recurring online donations through your fundraising platform so donors so can keep supporting you through Election Day.
- Email – This can be one of your most effective digital channels. Start building your email list as soon as you can, starting with friends and relatives. Put a signup form on your website and add emails from offline sources (with permission, of course).
- Online advertising – You can advertise on social media, through pay-per-click, through banner advertising on local news sites, through retargeting, P2P text messaging and IP targeting. Those take money, of course, but my the end of the campaign, you should have some money available to advertise and get out the vote.
Always follow the law
You need to know the campaign finance laws and regulations of your state. If you skirt the law, even inadvertently, it can cause problems. It’s a distraction you don’t need and an advantage you don’t want to hand to an opponent.
In conclusion
Let’s face it. You can’t win an election without raising money at some point. The best strategy is to start early, be organized, and leverage every advantage you can. With limited resources, it’s all about getting more votes for less time and less money.
Good luck!
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