1. Have a clear and defined message! Know what you want to talk about before you start running. Decide what is important to your platform, and what areas you will perform strongly on. Beware! Your message may have to change. In 2008, John McCain was ready and fully expecting to run on National Security, but the economy took a turn for the worse and he wasn’t prepared to adapt like Barack Obama did. Know your message, be able to recite your platform and positions in your sleep, and make sure you clearly articulate them.
2. Be cautious – very cautious – of what you do and say!
One remark or one political stunt can kill a campaign in less time than it took to begin the campaign. A series of stupid political stunts and gaffes killed Michael Dukakis’ presidential aspirations. Remember “the fundamentals of the economy are still strong”? Well those eight words killed John McCain’s hopes of the presidency. Don’t give uninformed decisions and don’t EVER drive a tank.
3. Call, Call, and Call more!
You can’t run a campaign without money. You can hold a fundraiser everyday; so, the candidate needs to make fundraising calls to everyone and anyone who could potentially make a generous donation to the campaign. However, leave the asking for small donations to the volunteers.
4. Money is King
Make a Budget. Know how much you plan on raise and know what you plan to spend it on. Account for every possible expense you can think of – even if its six months down the road. Budgeting is not easy. I created a budget for a small campaign (under 10k) that I spent at least 20 hours tweaking. It’s important to know what you can spend your money on so you’re not left with an empty war chest the week before the election.
5. Recruit Volunteers and Keep them happy!
Volunteers are a vital part of your campaign. They can make calls, knock on doors, stuff envelopes and spread the word about events and elections. Never underestimate the power of a group of charged up volunteers. However, you absolutely have to keep them happy. Tell them how important they are! Don’t be afraid to let them know that you really can’t do it without them! Free Food always helps.
6. Canvassing wins elections!
Canvassing is always overlooked. A candidate for State House knocked on my door. We had planned on supporting him, but because he knocked on our door we put up a lawn sign and spread the word in the neighborhood. The best thing is for the candidate to do knock; however, sometimes this is out of the question because the district is too large. Send out a group of volunteers as much as you; they will win the election for you.
7. Advertising
Advertising on TV, Radio and the Paper is over rated. However, there is no question that it does have a big impact, but don’t be discouraged if you can’t afford to advertise as much as your opponent. A campaign of canvassing will beat an ad campaign any day, so don’t feel like you need to spend your entire war chest on advertising. If you do have the funds to put ads on the air waves then stay positive for as long as you can. People care more about what you can do for them and what you bring to the table more than how terrible the other guy is.
8. Hire a Good Staff; and pay them well.
You can’t run your own campaign; and you can’t have a family member run you’re your campaign. Staff can win or lose campaign. They can help build momentum and move things along in a campaign. I’ve worked on numerous campaigns where things didn’t start moving until a full time staffer was brought on board. Pay your staff well – this will vary by campaign and budgets. Obviously a campaign with a $10,000 budget is not going to pay a staffer $4,000 dollars, but $1,500 is acceptable. They will know how much money your campaign is, and they will know when you’re screwing them over.
9. Build Name Recognition!
No one is ever going to vote for you if they don’t know who you are. Make sure everyone knows who you are; so when you knock on their door they know just who you are – hopefully a good thing. Remember, only you define yourself, and only you can define your message.
10. Don’t Burn Your Bridges!
Who knows if you’ll ever run again?
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