Political Campaign Tips and Strategies by Online Candidate

Local Campaign Letters to the Editor

letters to the editor When it comes down to it, letters to the local newspaper editor is a form of campaign advertising. Of course, the letters are the opinions of the writers, but they typically represent honest views and bring up points or subject matter not covered in the usual political campaign ads.

Of course, in this digital age, ‘letters’ can also mean e-mails. Many newspapers allow letters to the editor to be sent electronically. For the purposes of this article, we are referring more to physical letters, but the same principles apply to both forms.

Like most aspects of your campaign, letters to the editor can be a coordinated effort. It’s one facet of an advertising campaign that can help grow support for a candidate and promote the campaign message. A well-written letter can influence a voter. A number of well-written letters published week after week can influence a LOT of voters.

Encourage your supporters to write letters to the editor. Tell them that they can help by writing and sending to local newspapers a positive message about the candidate and the issues. You really never know what people will say. Some letters will be pro-candidate, others will talk down an opponent. A few won’t make much sense at all. Some of the best letters will come from voters who are not affiliate with any party or organization, but simply want to express an opinion.

For close supporters, you can provide them with specific issues or ideas that would be particularly helpful to the campaign. Close supporters should still write their own letters in their own words. It may be helpful to have these letters written early and collected so that they can be mailed to the newspapers on a schedule, starting weeks or even months before the election day.

Using a standard format for structuring a letter is fine, but letters should NOT be pre-written for people to simply sign. When a bunch of letters are published that all have the same talking points and the same phrasings within them, it’s propaganda. Readers can usually see though propaganda, and most won’t like it.

Finally, don’t wait until the last days before the election to have supporters send in letters. Newspapers get flooded with campaign letters to the editor and will probably not publish them all. Letters that are sent in the weeks prior to election have a better chance of being published.

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DIY Homemade Political Yard Signs

Homemade political signs can be useful for small to medium-sized campaigns. They are often used to supplement tradition printed yard signs. Making them requires little more than some materials, paint, stencils and time.

Most campaigns purchase the bulk of their yard signs. However, local campaigns with a limited budget may not have funds for purchasing a large number of signs.

Most signs created as DIY efforts are done in limited numbers. It’s difficult, but not impossible to mass produce your own yard signs. With some cardboard, a stencil and spray paint, you can make your own campaign signs. For your sign stakes, you can either make or purchase them.

Elements of a DIY political sign

All signage have common elements that you want to include:

Logo: You may or may not have a logo. If you can add a copy of the logo, do so. If not, stencil in your name and office as large as can fit.
Copy: Keep additional copy to a minimum. Depending on the size of the sign, you might be able to add a slogan or website domain.
Colors: Keep your color scheme simple to only a color or two. More colors or photographs on a sign make it hard to read, especially for drivers on the road.
Borders: A simple design element is to border the edge of the sign with a solid color.
Size: Larger signs are easier to read and will stand out from others. You may be limited in how large a sign you can publicly post, even on private property.

Advantages to making your own campaign signs:

1) They give your campaign a more ‘grassroots’ look. Anyone can have hundreds of yard signs printed up, but with homemade signs, people can tell that actual people took real time in supporting the candidate.

2) They can be made in any size. Homemade signs are not constrained by the typical printed yard sign sizes. But before you decide to make giant billboard-sized signs, check your local laws to find out how large they can be.

3) They can break up the monotony. As Election Day approaches, voters become blind to the myriad political signs dotting the landscape. Homemade signs, especially when deployed close to Election Day, will definitely stand out.

4) They can rapidly spread a message. One clever use of signs is to have a number of them in sequence create a message for drivers to read. This technique works well on straight roads with a low speed limit. Simply split up your message into a few words and post them on large, readable signs in the order you want them read. For example, “Want Lower Taxes? …. Smarter Growth? … Better Schools? … Vote Smith for Mayor!” These can be placed on multiple yards over a quarter mile or more to be read by everyone who passes.

How do you make your own political campaign yard signs?

Making a do it yourself political campaign yard sign is a great way to show support for a candidate, political party, or to raise awareness about an issue. There are many ways to make signs of different sizes and shapes.

Here is a list of materials that you will need to make your own signs:

PVC or Styrofoam board
Vinyl backing, if you are making a banner or a sign that hangs
Marker pens or paint
Ruler
Adhesive
Stencils
Stakes, if you are creating yard signs

There are even kits that you can purchase to create your own signs. The cost varies depending on the size, material, and complexity of the design. They can range from $1 to $5 each.

One downside to DIY signs is that they can make your campaign look ‘amateurish’, especially if the signs are crudely designed. They can also signal that you could not raise enough money to purchase signs from a vendor.

Hopefully, your homemade sign looks more professional than this.

Like traditional yard signs, homemade election signage should be readable and get the message across in a few seconds.

And as always, seek permission before placing any signs on private property.

Related: Common Campaign Sign Questions

Super Cheap Signs currently ships over 10,000 yard signs, banners and other printing products to 50 states every week. If you are an Online Candidate website client, we can provide your original hi-res website graphics to make your signage and website look seamless.

Campaign Advertising in the Local Paper

Because local newspapers have a limited area of distribution, they can be an effective way to get your message across to local voters.

Ethnic papers are also a great way to target a particular population in your district.

Newspaper ads are usually sold by the column inch for each day that an ad runs. Prices are based on circulation. Here are some tips for campaign advertising in the local newspaper.

Start Early

Don’t wait until the last minute to buy ad space. Start plotting out your advertising campaign as early as possible, and get to know the newspaper’s advertising staff. Find out their rates. Many papers provide substantial discounts to bulk purchasers. Try to purchase as much advertising space as possible in advance. Smaller newspapers may allow candidates to buy a bulk contract together at a lower rate, leaving the candidates to allocate the space themselves.

Use Your Clout

During the campaign, you will be sending out news releases. Sometimes you have to fight for coverage. A press release can carry the same message as a paid ad, and it costs a lot less. If the paper never runs your news releases, call up the advertising manager and complain. If necessary, you can threaten to pull your ads. Odds are, your releases will probably start getting more attention.

In theory, newspapers have a wall between editorial and advertising, but in the real world, well … things happen. This trick works better if you have purchased a decent amount of ad space early in the campaign.

Know Your Deadlines

Advertising space is usually set up several days ahead of time, usually before the news deadline. Have your ads worked out ahead of time so that you do not run up against the deadline. That’s how mistakes get made.

Finally

Many local laws require that political ads carry a disclaimer. It is up to you to make sure that you comply with those requirements, if necessary.

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Never Turn Down a Campaign Volunteer

Political campaigns can attract all types of people, and you never know what somebody can bring to the table.

If someone volunteers to help, never turn them down.

If the person wants to do something that isn’t something you planned to do, try to get them to do something more in line as to what you need done. Many times people who have never worked for a campaign will volunteer to take on all sorts of duties. Enthusiasm may exceed ability. It’s better to have a volunteer take on simple jobs to start, and gradually give them more responsibility when they have proven their reliability.

Sometimes a volunteer will present a new idea. If it’s something beyond what you were planning to do, consider letting the volunteer take charge of the idea and begin the organization process.

That said, any actions taken by your volunteers reflect on the campaign and the candidate. Volunteers should not be allowed to perform actions on behalf of a campaign without the express permission of a volunteer coordinator.

Putting people to work for a single purpose is a great thing. Everybody can do something. Enthusiasm is contagious. Don’t let it go to waste!

3 Online Strategies For Your Campaign’s Final Stretch

As Election Day grows near, reaching out to voters becomes more and more critical. There are the obvious ways of contacting them, such as through mailers and get-out-the-vote calling. Here are three ways to use your online resources to help get your campaign through that final stretch.

Use your Email List: Increase the number of messages as election day grows near. Use them to address specific issues, and to react to any unplanned issues that come up. Keep your messages brief and to the point. Some topic ideas include encouraging final campaign donations, providing absentee voting instructions and notifying voters who need rides to the polls.

Start or Ramp Up Your Online Advertising: Drive traffic to your campaign website with Pay Per Click or social media advertising. If you have the budget, consider running banner ads on local newspaper websites. Flooding the online market with advertising makes it appear to others as if your online support has surged.

Push for Final Donations: This is the endgame. Make use of the ‘rule of three’ and ask for a final donation from those who have already given, and have them donate through your website. Consider making the donation request already on your site more prominent. Remember that having a donation request for a specific purpose (such as a final mailing) is more effective than a more general donation request.

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Your Last Fund Raising Appeal – Make that Final Push!

Starting Your Political Campaign As voting day nears, don’t become complacent! Make that final push for a campaign contribution.

The key at this point in time is to make your last fundraising appeal specific, and make let the donors know that the money will be used for a specific goal that is critical to victory. For example, you could say that you have one final brochure printed and ready to go, but you need money for the postage. Or that you need to hire more phone bank staffers to help get out the vote.

Of course, what you say you need the money for in your letter should actually be what the money is used for. Targeting supporters who have already donated to the campaign is a smart strategy, as they already have a vested interest in the campaign.

Your letter should be frank, but also a bit alarmist by reminding the reader that the campaign has come too far, and is too close to victory to lose it all for a lack of money at the very end.

And be sure you thank your supporters no matter the final outcome.

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