(Chuck Muth) – A Campaign Hot Tips subscriber working on a state legislative race in the state of Washington wrote this week…
“We are currently discussing information and photos for a mailer. Do we really need professional photos? Is content more important than pictures?”
In my training workshops I suggest that if you’re not going to pay for anything else in your campaign, you should pay for a professional photographer. Why?
Because in most cases, the ONLY time most voters will see you is in a mailer, on your website or on social media. And first impressions go a LONG way.
As Andre Agassi said, image is everything. And a picture is definitely worth a thousand words. So I highly recommend getting at least a professional head-and-shoulders photo done in a properly-lighted studio.
Where to find one? Here’s a hot tip from Kim Walsh-Phillips, co-author of “No B.S. Guide to Direct Response Social Media Marketing” …
“To find an affordable one in your area, check out a site like www.Thumbtack.com. You can post the job there, and photographers will apply to take your photo, giving an estimate upfront. You can usually get a good headshot for less than $100 using this service.”
As for designing graphics with your headshot for mailers, social media and your website, you can use free templates found at Canva.com. It’s a fairly easy program to use, even for us techno-troglodytes.
Show Me the Money!
I want to thank everyone who completed the Survey Monkey questionnaire last week and told the doctor where it hurts. I’ll be replying to several of your questions over the coming weeks, but one thing was crystal clear…
The most common pain point is…fundraising. So I’m going to be focusing a lot more time and attention to that challenge in future Campaign Hot Tips and Psephology Today.
To get the ball rolling, here’s the link to a Special Report I wrote for folks just starting out who would rather get a root canal than ask a stranger for money: campaigndoctor.com/fearless
Remember, the wrong attitude is “We can’t afford to do that.” The right attitude is, “We can’t afford NOT to do that, so how do we raise the money?” Cheers.