Promote, Promote, Promote
Hollywood stars – who make millions of dollars starring in blockbuster films with millions of dollars worth of PR advertising behind them – nevertheless spend an inordinate amount of time with personal appearances on radio, TV, newspaper, magazine and online interviews promoting their new films when they come out.
You need to do the same for your political campaign. If it’s good enough for Johnny Depp, it’s good enough for you.
Giving Clubs
A “giving club” is a special program set up to provide certain special benefits to major donors who contribute at a certain dollar level. Generally, the higher the donation, the better the benefits. Kinda like a frequent flier program.
Ideally you should set up three separate giving clubs with three different giving levels – such as $250, $500 and $1,000 for smaller campaigns. And give each club a different name, such as Century Club, Inner Circle, etc.
Then decide what special benefits members will receive depending on which club they join – special seating at events, a certificate, a recognition pin, exclusive newsletter, etc.
For a good example of a very successful giving club, click here to check out the President’s Club at the Heritage Foundation.
Saying “You’re Wrong” is Wrong
“’One of us is wrong…and it's not me.’ That's the way every single conflict begins. Of course it does, because if it didn't, it wouldn't be a conflict, would it?
“So, given that the other person is sure you're wrong, what are you going to do about it? Pointing out that they're wrong doesn't help, because now you've said the second thing in a row that your (voter/donor/volunteer) doesn't believe is true.
“The thing that's worth addressing has nothing much to do with the matter at hand, and everything to do with building credibility, attention and respect. Only then do you have a chance to educate and eventually persuade.
“We cure disagreements by building a bridge of mutual respect first, a bridge that permits education or dialogue or learning. When you burn that bridge, you've ensured nothing but conflict.”
– Seth Godin, Seth’s Blog
Don’t Get Carried Away with Social Media
When it comes to reaching the most important voters – undecided and persuadable – at the most important time, the old standbys of direct mail, phones, radio and television still rule…but it is undeniable that social media – Facebook, Twitter, etc. – is now part of the mix.
But don’t go nuts.
Tom Edmonds, Republican media consultant and chairman of the International Association of Political Consultants, notes that high-propensity voters in the 55+ age category “have been very slow to embrace social media.” In addition, a Pew study from earlier this year shows that “95 percent of them are not on Facebook and 99 percent of them have never sent or received a tweet in their lives.”
“In fact,” Edmund continues, “CNN Tech reports that 59 percent of all seniors don’t go online at all. And as hard as it is to believe, more than one in five adults do not use the Internet at all.”
When it comes to political campaigns, Edmunds concludes: “Social media remains a work in progress.”
SOURCE: Campaigns & Elections Magazine
Personal Contact
While many people complain about the over-abundance of campaign mail and robo-calls, you rarely hear anyone say, “You know, those Jim Johnson supporters sure stopped by the house way too often.”
In fact, volunteer coordinators will tell you that voters who have had their door knocked again and again on a regular basis get far more excited about the candidate and are far more likely to turn out. Words to the wise.
11 Great Website Design Tips
- You don’t need to spend a fortune to design a fancy “image” logo. Just “pimp out” some fonts like the Huffington Post does.
- If you need help designing a sharp-looking logo that won’t cost you and arm and a leg, check out Envato.com
- On your website, use one or two fonts…not every cool font under the sun. Arial and Georgia are two good, safe ones.
- Use hard-left alignment except for headlines and sub-heads.
- 130-140% line height
- Don’t use all-caps for more than 5 or 6 words
- For signatures, consider using the “Jenna Sue” script font
- Use shadows, gradients, subtle reflections and thin lines
- Your headline should be a 30-40 point font. Subheads between 18-24 point font. And body copy in 12-14 point font.
- Building your website or blog on WordPress? Check out HeadwayThemes.com
- DepositPhotos.com is a great resource for premium royalty-free stock photos and illustrations
SOURCE: Pete Hudson
Famous Last Words
“The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending; and to have the two as close together as possible.” – George Burns
The same principle applies to the secret of a good political speech!