Form a Communications Strategy.
It is crucial to develop a communication plan that articulates your message clearly, consistently, and creatively. What should you take into consideration? Who you are talking to, why you are talking to them, how and when you will talk to them, what form of communication the content should take and what channels you should use to share it. You must have the ability to successfully convey a message through good writing, powerful verbal delivery all while engaging with a wide variety of audiences to spread your message. When designing your campaign, you’ll want to take into consideration brand consistency, campaign slogans, sharing your stance on the issues, social media presence, media coverage, letters to the editor/op-eds, speeches, yard signs and so much more. Link here for specific details on these topics.
Brand Consistency.
Create a brand and keep it simple and consistent. Decide on colors, fonts, and maybe a logo. Maintain those elements in all of your signage as well as stickers, t-shirts and other campaign swag. Get a current, professional headshot done. Avoid using a selfie or an older photo.
Craft a short and sweet campaign slogan.
Use a slogan that embodies your reason for running for the library board. Organize your entire campaign around this slogan. All your speeches, your answers in interviews and your campaign materials should center around this slogan. Consistent, simple and direct messaging makes it easier for voters to remember you and helps pave your path to victory.
Emphasize your stance on issues people care about.
Use every opportunity to reinforce what you'll do for the library. Build on your slogan to write campaign speeches that tells voters about the issues you've identified and how you plan to solve them. Know what issues are affecting the library and then create your main talking points (no more than three) around authentic expression of your passion and values. Make it clear that you're the right person to take on the challenges you’ve identified and that your solutions will address the issues.
Build a robust social media presence.
Make your personal social media accounts private and set up new, verified accounts for the campaign. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are the big three where you'll potentially have access to the most voters. In addition to social media, you might also consider creating a basic website that will serve as your online base of operations. Aim to post once a day on all platforms and ramp it up as election day approaches.
Earn media coverage with newsworthy events.
News coverage of your campaign is always better than advertising, but don’t expect reporters and journalists to cover your campaign unprompted. Local news channels (TV, radio, blogs, newspapers, journals, online news) have a primary goal reporting news that matters to the community. Use their priorities to your advantage. Local voters will see that you're taking action to fight for local issues and be more inclined to vote for you.
Write a letter to the editor or an opinion piece (op-ed) to share with local media.
Want to get noticed and make sure that your words are your own? We can’t stress the importance of writing a letter to the editor to let them know how much you value your library. We recommend keeping your letter short, personal, positive and proactive and take a firm stance on where you stand. Editors want to know that you have a vested interest in your community. Check with the publication to ensure your letter meets their guidelines for length and formatting.
When giving a speech - talk like a real human.
Don’t slip into bland, jargony language. Talk in real, personal terms about how issues actually affect people’s lives. Make sure your speeches are well rehearsed and spoken from the heart. Speak the truth. When you’re candid, people tend to trust you and listen to what you have to say. Share personal anecdotes. Why are you in this race? How does your story relate to the stories of the people you want to serve and your plans to help them? People aren’t just voting for a set of campaign promises—they’re voting for a person with a set of life experiences.
Put yard signs in high-traffic areas.
Use yard signs to increase your name recognition. Check local regulations, then put your signs out as early as possible and put them in prominent locations. Your signs are more likely to get noticed if they're the first signs out there. Be sure to follow election laws and provide a “Paid for by…” disclaimer on all printed materials.