Keys to Effective Grassroots Campaigns

Whether you are building one for public office, running a political party organization or involved in issue advocacy, it’s vital in today’s constantly fluctuating political landscape to set up effective grassroots organizations to advocate for your cause.

In fact, it seems almost everyone involved in politics today is developing some sort of grassroots campaign or effort. No matter how large or small the campaign, working the grassroots is and should be a critical component.

Why is this the case? One example can be seen in local campaigns where grassroots politics can take on added significance as a main way to communicate with voters. However, regardless of what office you are running for what size budget you have) or what cause you are working to promote, it’s important to follow these steps to ensure your grassroots campaign kicks off in the right direction:

• Build your brand. Most successful grassroots organizations are recognizable by their brand – for example, their logo, their message and their spokespeople. This is true for political campaign-run grassroots operations. In order to succeed, a grassroots effort must have a consistent look and feel for all marketing materials, at least one to two spokespeople, a familiar logo and a consistent, well-defined mission and message.

• Plan to be successful. Thriving grassroots organizations always have a well thought out and well-written strategic plan. A grassroots political campaign should be no exception. Keep in mind that strategy and messaging can vary tremendously between campaigns. And unlike other areas of the campaign, these often tie directly into the candidate’s personal beliefs. In some cases, candidates will seek office due to passionate feelings on a single issue. However, if the voters don’t share the candidate’s strong feelings, the candidate should decide if he or she is comfortable focusing on other issues. It’s only after this aspect is ironed out that a campaign team can develop a solid strategy.

• Leverage all possible tools. Most well-run grassroots organizations use every tool at their disposal to get their message out. These tools include everything from press releases, press conferences and volunteer events and activities to social media, websites, direct mailings, door-to-door canvassing and rallies. The key is to devise a plan that utilizes a variety of these grassroots techniques to increasingly make your campaign’s “voice” heard.

In recent years, grassroots campaign efforts have become more popular and extremely effective. They are truly one of the best ways to connect with voters in a large group, especially because grassroots campaigns don’t typically require large segments of a campaign’s budget. They also can easily draw crowds into the thousands for events. Finally, grassroots campaigns allow for creativity and innovation on the campaign trail, helping a candidate stand out from the crowd.

Lincoln Strategy Group’s understands the importance of having a solid, well-defined grassroots lobbying strategy in place that works for your campaign. Contact us today to set up a consultation for your organization.