The Campaign Workshop Blog

Virtual meetings don’t have to suck. Due to COVID-19, most organizations are Zoomed out, but virtual meetings are not going away anytime soon. Learn how to get the most out your Zoom meetings while being informative and engaging.

Canvassing rural areas present a unique set of challenges. You want to door knock as many homes in these areas as you can. Grassroots canvassing is the most effective method of volunteer voter contact so plan for the door-to-door canvas program to take time and resources. You also want to be conscious of your resources and canvas in a way that makes sense for both you and your canvassers.

Looking for campaign management tools?  So, you are gearing up your political campaign or advocacy program for the 2022 cycle, and you’re already starting to find that you can’t possibly keep track of every campaign tool you need. Fear not. We are back with our 4th edition of the 100+ Best Campaign Management Tools List. This year’s version will make your campaign tools choice easier! 

Whether you like peer-to-peer texting or hate it, it is essential to understand it if you run an organization or a political campaign. This is due to a changing landscape with real implications for fundraising, organizing, and voter turnout activities in the short and long term.

There are ads all over the internet to buy a political email. As easy as it sounds, do not do it – do not buy a political email list. They are waste of money, can hurt your online reputation and upset constituents. Instead, build a list organically. Building a political email list is a daunting task, but with a few tactics, planning and patience, you can increase your supporter base.

Tim Gibbs has worked in the public policy sphere for more than 20 years, where he helped pass impactful laws at both the municipal and state levels. In the last five years, Gibbs played a critical role in passing over 100 local ordinances, including successfully advocating against the sale of flavored tobacco products within various urban and rural areas of California.

We’ve written a lot about political organizing and tactics like canvassing and phone banking in the past. But what does the future of political organizing hold in a post-pandemic world? Will digital be more important than in-person? How will grassroots and tech work together? What will the role of data be?

IssueVoter founder Maria Yuan decided to start the nonpartisan platform after working on a successful political campaign in one of Iowa’s swing districts and for a Texas State Representative. The organization seeks to increase civic engagement and communication between constituents and their members of Congress.

When it comes to digital campaigns an organic approach is often overlooked. The first place most of us look to answer a question is online. But often digital advocacy campaigns and political campaigns forget about search especially organic search in their digital strategy.

Molly Connors is the Director of Business Development for Care2, a social network for good with 50 million members starting Care2 petitions and sharing stories that inspire action. Care2 helps connect nonprofits and mission-based brands with supporters who are passionate about their causes.

Joe Weston is the founder of the Weston Network, which trains corporations, governments, and other organizations on communication, productivity, and time and stress management. Joe Weston works with individuals to build their self-confidence, enrich their relationships, and gain clarity in their life goals.

Campaign endorsements can still make a big difference in politics. But to make your political endorsements count, you need to have a strategy to collect them and amplify them. Be intentional about what political endorsements matter and how you will use them.

Will Robinson of the New Media Firm penned his rules for campaign staffers over 25 years ago and they are truly words to live by. Over the years, these rules have saved money, time and jobs for many campaign staffers who have heard and lived by them. Whether you are working on a candidate’s campaign, ballot measures, or independent expenditures, these campaign rules will help.

Nonprofit blogging takes a lot of work, but it is easier than you think. Learn how to harness thought leadership, storytelling and simple tips to write blogs and long-form content that engages and converts. This is probably the most meta blog post we have ever written: a blog post about writing a blog post!

Canvassing is special to me. I love knocking on doors. I think it is still a vastly underrated form of communication. Post COVID-19, canvassing is coming back in a big way and campaigns should plan for it now. Why do I think canvassing is so special? Because of the connection, direct contact grassroots combined with paid ads make with targeted voters in a personal and systematic way.

Looking for summer reading suggestions? Whether you are gearing up for an advocacy campaign, in need of communication tips for your current campaign, or deciding whether to run for office, our eBook collection provides comprehensive guides to help you achieve your goals. Download our eBooks today for campaign and advocacy tips and tricks that suit your needs.

What does a campaign mail firm do? Admit it, this is a question that a lot of people have asked but have never gotten a clear answer. Well, never fear after producing winning Democratic direct mail for over ten years, The Campaign Workshop is here with answers. Your mail firm is an integral part of your campaign’s communication team.

Is political polling dead? In the campaign world, this is one question comes back to haunt us every election cycle After polls (and the media outlets reporting on them) suggested an inevitable landslide for Hillary Clinton in 2016, Donald Trump’s victory shook the American public to its core and undermined our collective confidence in political polling.

Learning how to run a political campaign for the first time can be tough. Sure, there are some great resources online (such as the TCW blog!) that can provide insight. There are also tons of great trainings that can teach you the basic dos and don’ts and if you’re interested in learning how to run a political campaign, we strongly encourage you to attend one.