The Personal Touch: Effective Methods Of Expanding Your Political Support
If you're starting your political campaign in your town, city, state, or even nation, the first step is getting your name and your platform out there so people know who you are and what your plans are for improving the community you plan to serve. Any person can run for office, and getting enough traction on the ground is the way to be the most memorable to voters.
So how can you personally reach the people you need for political support? It's best to be as approachable and personal as possible, and these are a few strategies you can use in your campaign.
1. Appearances at community events.
Be sure you're active in your community. If your running in your town, you should be at parades and charity fundraisers and at appreciation days for teachers, law enforcement, of fire department personnel. If you have the opportunity, speak with as many people as possible at these events, including "regular Joes" who don't have any influence. It's a mistake to simply hang out with those who are most important. The regular citizens are your voters, and they will be more loyal to someone they had the chance to speak with face to face. Show your support for events that define a community. For example, in Iowa, there's a yearly cross-state road race that is beloved and famous in the state. Showing your support for small towns as the race goes through is a great way to to reach many people.
2. Political phone banking.
Sometimes, your voter base is not confined to one town or even one city. People are running for state offices or country offices need a way of connecting with people, but going to every event is simply impossible. You need way to let your voice be heard. You can try sending letters, but political mail may hit the trash bin before it is even opened.
You can try setting up your campaign with a political phone banking company that provides your campaigners with the numbers to call people and speak with them about your campaign. This might be the only time someone gets to speak with a representative of the campaign about local issues and campaign progress.
Remember not to use calling for just polls and donations. These calls can be the way to add the personal touch when you're not physically able to appear. You can also ask survey questions to get more in touch with the issues that affect the people you want to represent, helping you to better tailor your campaign down the road. Speak with a representative at companies like Political Robo Calling to learn more.
3. Door-to-door campaigning.
Your phone banking campaign should not rule out the old-fashioned door to door routine. Volunteers for your campaign should still hit the street with literature and surveys to speak with people in their homes. This is especially effective in smaller towns that have higher safety ratings -- your volunteers won't need to worry about knocking in rough areas. To help reach areas where safety might be a concern, hold campaign events with refreshments in local community centers where people can come. Advertise with door to door flyers instead of door to door volunteers knocking.
4. Social media.
Social media is where a lot of people get their news. Reach out to local news stations to do a story about you and share it online. You should have a Facebook presence and a Twitter account that allows you to share your thoughts about local issues. You can use Facebook to take polls and get comments from people about what their concerns are. Generally, it's wise to hire a specialist to manage your online media accounts.