To run an efficient campaign a candidate needs

Whether running a first-time candidate or a former officeholder mounting a comeback, campaigns need to start formulating a marketing strategy right out of the gate.

For some candidates, that strategy might involve repositioning on certain policies or zeroing in on a part of their personal narrative worth highlighting. Others might need a complete makeover down to how they dress.


But once that heavy lifting is done, the candidate has to be marketed effectively to voters. Here are seven attention-grabbing tips.   

Brand the Candidate

By some estimates, you only have seven seconds to make a first impression. Your candidate and his or her graphical branding are the frontline introduction to the effort. The branding should convey trustworthiness and be easy to understand. Can someone know what your candidate stands for just from your branding? Do you have branding guidelines that determine colors, fonts, and uses of the logo and corresponding advertising? If not, it’s time to engage the services of a professional branding firm or designer with this experience. It’s money well spent.

Our company has a unique, somewhat quirky, name on purpose. Cygnal is pronounced “signal,” which is what breaks through in communication. Our name and logo is a story we can use to convey what we do.

The same thing applies to candidates and campaigns. The brand needs to mean something. That means the social media presence, physical presentation, and how the candidate comes across to supporters and prospective voters are all important.

Develop Materials That Tell a Story

It’s nearly impossible to pitch a candidate without some sort of literature to help educate voters. That could be a brochure, flyer, or push card. Whatever it is, these materials should do two things: match the candidate’s branding and tell a story. They should answer the five important questions: who, what, when, where, and why?  

What do I mean by tell a story? Walk the voter through the process in a way that doesn’t make him or her feel like you’re selling them. Moreover, make sure to avoid sales language. Voters don’t like to feel as if they’re being sold. They want to be convinced. Present problems in a way that makes a voter think: “I agree we have that problem.” Then sell how the candidate will make it better. For example, don’t just say you’re going to improve the economy. Instead, show the benefit of your policy proposal with a line like, “I’ll make sure our sons and daughters don’t have to leave home just to find a job by doing X policy.”

Have a Legitimate Website

There are dozens of free or simple do-it-yourself website services out there. Some of them make a good final product, but few are search engine optimized. People use the Internet for everything now, and most voters are using Google to research your candidate prior to making a decision. What will he or she find when conducting a search?

A professionally designed website that matches your candidate’s branding, provides pertinent information (but not too much), and is responsive (mobile-friendly) is a must. Will this cost you some money? Yes, but so long as it’s developed on an easy-to-use content management system (CMS) like WordPress or Drupal, it can be self-managed after development.

Invest in Content

There’s not much worse than a stale web presence. Without continually adding to your website, your traffic will flatline. Blog posts are an easy way to invest in content — all it takes is your time. We instituted a weekly blog post writing task for everyone at our firm. Since then, traffic to our website has increased 10 fold.

Consider that photos, infographics, sharable social media images, and video are also content. They have a cost to them, but the investment is worthwhile. By 2017, Cisco believes 70 percent of all Internet traffic will be video.

Get Involved on Social Media

I can hear it already: “Are you saying you want me to tweet and pin stuff and play on Facebook?” Yes and no. Too many campaigns think they have to be on every social media network. This is the wrong approach. Start with only one or two social media networks. Your target audience will weigh heavily on what social media network is best for you to start with. Regardless of what networks you choose, focus on learning your audience’s patterns, lingo, and habits. Take that understanding to inform your social media strategy.

Set Up Email Marketing

Outside of the few dollars you’ll pay to an email newsletter sending service, the cost of an email marketing campaign can be negligible. In fact, MailChimp (my favorite service) is free for lists under 2,000 subscribers. Provide a sign-up form on your website to capture emails and ask your known supporters to join also. Set a schedule to send out regular blasts to your list, but avoid being “spammy.” Email services will help you build a template that matches your candidate’s branding and renders well on desktop and mobile email applications.

Then you can take some of that content you invested in and distribute it through the email newsletter. I’d also highly recommend engaging a professional email marketing firm if your campaign is large enough.

Advertise Smartly, Starting Online

At some point, you must spend money to reach your audience. This starts with understanding who your audience is. Include what they look like demographically and pay attention to behavioral patterns. With this information at hand, figure out what advertising avenues help you reach those people for the lowest cost. We tend to drive our clients toward search engine marketing (SEM), digital display ads, and Facebook ads, because they’re highly targeted, cost-effective, and measurable. Our next favorite medium is direct mail for all the same reasons.

Lastly, realize that time may be a limiting factor for you, so keep in mind there are a lot of great firms out there that will help you create and execute a branding and advertising plan. Consider using one, because they can help you focus more on the candidate’s core job – raising money and meeting voters. At a minimum, write down your marketing plan and spend time executing it weekly.

This might seem like a lot to accomplish, but any further steps you take to expand the reach of your candidacy or campaign will be hampered if you don’t start by focusing on these seven basic areas.

Brent Buchanan is a managing partner at Cygnal, which provides polling, data management, targeting and integrated communications for candidates, groups and businesses.

The law limits the sources and amounts of funds used to finance federal elections. Contributions are subject to the limits listed in this chart.

Contribution limits for 2021-2022

Recipient
Candidate committee PAC† (SSF and nonconnected) Party committee: state/district/local Party committee: national Additional national party committee accounts‡
Donor Individual $2,900* per election $5,000 per year $10,000 per year (combined) $36,500* per year $109,500* per account, per year
Candidate committee $2,000 per election $5,000 per year Unlimited transfers Unlimited transfers
PAC: multicandidate $5,000 per election $5,000 per year $5,000 per year (combined) $15,000 per year $45,000 per account, per year
PAC: nonmulticandidate $2,900* per election $5,000 per year $10,000 per year (combined) $36,500* per year $109,500* per account, per year
Party committee: state/district/local $5,000 per election (combined) $5,000 per year (combined) Unlimited transfers Unlimited transfers
Party committee: national $5,000 per election** $5,000 per year Unlimited transfers Unlimited transfers

*Indexed for inflation in odd-numbered years.

†“PAC” here refers to a committee that makes contributions to other federal political committees. Independent-expenditure-only political committees (sometimes called “Super PACs”) may accept unlimited contributions, including from corporations and labor organizations.

‡The limits in this column apply to a national party committee’s accounts for: (i) the presidential nominating convention; (ii) election recounts and contests and other legal proceedings; and (iii) national party headquarters buildings. A party’s national committee, Senate campaign committee and House campaign committee are each considered separate national party committees with separate limits. Only a national party committee, not the parties’ national congressional campaign committees, may have an account for the presidential nominating convention.

**Additionally, a national party committee and its Senatorial campaign committee may contribute up to $51,200 combined per campaign to each Senate candidate.

Print the 2021-2022 contribution limits chart

Individuals and groups may support or oppose a candidate by paying for public communications (communications by means of any broadcast, cable or satellite communication, newspaper, magazine, outdoor advertising facility, mass mailing or telephone bank to the general public, or any other form of general public political advertising). Communications over the internet are not considered "public communications," except for communications placed for a fee on another person’s website. Communications over the internet are discussed in the section "Using a computer for political activity."

When an individual or group pays for a communication that is coordinated with a campaign, a candidate, a political party committee, or with an agent of a campaign, candidate, or political party committee, the communication results in an in-kind contribution subject to limitations and prohibitions, and must display a disclaimer notice.

Learn more about coordinated communications

Individuals and groups may support or oppose candidates by making independent expenditures. An independent expenditure is an expenditure for a communication that expressly advocates the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate and which is not made in coordination with any campaign, candidate, political party committee, or with an agent of any campaign, candidate, or political party committee.

Independent expenditures are not subject to any contribution limits, but may be subject to reporting requirements. (The campaign of a candidate benefiting from an independent expenditure has no reporting obligation.) An independent expenditure must display a disclaimer notice.

Learn more about making and reporting independent expenditures

A group of persons must register as a political committee within 10 days of raising or spending more than $1,000 in contributions or expenditures during a calendar year if the group’s major purpose is federal campaign activity (that is, the nomination or election of federal candidates). Groups that wish to avoid registration and disclosure should make certain that their activities do not exceed this registration threshold.

Learn more about the requirements for political committees

An individual may help candidates and committees by volunteering personal services. For example, a volunteer may want to take part in a voter drive or offer skills to a political committee. Volunteer services are not considered contributions as long as the volunteer is not paid by anyone. (If services are compensated by someone other than the committee itself, the payment is considered a contribution by that person to the committee.)

A volunteer may spend unlimited money for normal living expenses.

Home events

Individuals may use their homes and personal property for activities benefiting a candidate or political party without making a contribution. For instance, an individual might want to hold a fundraising party or reception in his or her home. Costs for invitations and for food and beverages served at the event are not considered contributions if they remain under certain limits. These expenses on behalf of a candidate are limited to $1,000 per election; expenses on behalf of a political party are limited to $2,000 per year. Any amount spent in excess of the limits is a contribution to the candidate or party committee.

Corporate or union facilities

Individuals who are employees, stockholders or members of a corporation or labor union may use the organization's facilities — for example, the phone — in connection with personal volunteer activities, subject to the rules and practices of the organization. The activity, however, cannot prevent an employee from completing normal work, nor can it interfere with the organization's normal activity.

If volunteer activity exceeds "incidental use" of the facilities — one hour a week or four hours a month — a volunteer must reimburse the corporation or union the normal rental charge within a commercially reasonable time. If a volunteer uses the organization's equipment to produce campaign materials, reimbursement is required regardless of how much time is spent. Any reimbursement for use of facilities is considered a contribution from the individual to the political committee that benefits.

An uncompensated individual or group of individuals may engage in internet activities for the purpose of influencing a federal election without restriction.

This exemption applies to individuals acting with or without the knowledge or consent of a campaign or a political party committee. Possible internet activities include, but are not limited to:

  • Sending or forwarding email
  • Providing a hyperlink to a website
  • Creating, maintaining or hosting a website and paying a nominal fee for the use of a website.

Please note that these exemptions apply regardless of whether the individual owns the computer he or she is using.

Using a work computer for online political activity

Personal use of computers and internet access is allowed, subject to the employer’s rules and so long as the individual is not compensated for the activity.

Sending personal emails regarding political topics or federal elections

Individuals may send unlimited emails on any political topic without identifying who they are or whether their messages have been authorized by any party or campaign committee.

Posting comments to a blog in connection with a federal election

Uncompensated blogging, whether done by individuals or a group of individuals, incorporated or unincorporated, is exempt from regulation, even in those cases where a nominal fee is paid.

Paying to place an ad on someone else’s website

Internet communications placed on another person’s website for a fee are considered "general public political advertising," and are thus "public communications" under the law. As such,these payments may result in contributions or expenditures. Other regulations regarding coordinated communications and disclaimer requirements would also apply.

Anyone can submit a complaint if he or she believes a violation of the law has occurred or is about to occur. The requirements for submitting a complaint are set by law.