adminSo you’re running for office and now need a marketing strategy for your campaign? Branding and voter perception are key. Remember the saying, ‘You only get one chance to make a good first impression’? Well, the same applies to campaign marketing strategies. You will only have a few seconds to impress or turn away voters with your campaign speech, website, literature, push cards, etc. Here are a few tips:
• Website – You need a website. Unfortunately, the free ones don’t usually get the job done. Remember, branding is key so you’ll need to include your full name as it will appear on the ballot on your domain name. Strong, to the point, and factual content is crucial.
• Social Media – Look around. How many people walk around with a newspaper in their hands? a radio? a television? Not many. How many people have a smartphone with social media access in their hands? However, social media has changed enormously and requires a financial investment to get any worthy visibility. You will need a professional or someone who understands how to get your message out properly with Facebook ads. I get too many candidates that tell me their 7-year-old daughter is handling their social media. Not good.
• Images – I’ve had candidates send me pictures from their cellphones to use for their campaign literature. One candidate sent me a picture from her living room where you could see a broken lamp in the background. No. Invest a little with a good photographer or at least a high-resolution picture.
• Hot Button Issues – Have at least 3 hot-button issues to present to voters. What’s currently bothering voters? Tell voters why it’s to their benefit voting for you. Running against an incumbent with a bad voting record? You will need to educate voters. You will be surprised how many voters don’t know what goes on behind closed doors at a local city council meeting, much less at the state or national level.
These are just a few of the many key points to remember while marketing your campaign. AND AS I’VE SAID BEFORE: You must know your audience to prepare your message. And you must prepare your message so your audience will understand it.
Good luck to all on the campaign trail.