empowering your activists to campaign for you
The first part of the campaign toolkit to get (s)elected is how to empower your activists to campaign for you. Move it, shake it, name and frame it. Read on!Move and shake it like they’ve never seen before
Get on board the people you know who can mobilise others who want to help you win - “your movers and shakers”. They’ve organised for progressive candidates in similar elections or been involved in organisations or movements who are very good at building broad based support.
What they share in common is their passion for the politics you stand for and their understanding of building support from the bottom up. They will also be able to get you public support from people who others can identify with very easily as sharing your values – whether that’s young leaders or ministers.
Engage with closely those people who may be “non aligned” but are symbolically very important, because of the leadership they demonstrate. Think about what value supporting you will offer them and then work out how you can describe those benefits.
Don’t think for one minute that just because they haven’t publicly come out in favour of any candidate, that they will support whoever’s the highest bidder for their vote. Listen to them to understand why – it could be they can’t decide between the candidates, because everyone strikes a chord, or worse because none of you are listening to their concerns and hopes.
Name and frame the game
See how other candidates are campaigning but never try and systematically react to their issues as quickly as possible. Obviously when you stand for anything, you do need to explain what you stand against and why, but never “name” people who you feel represent the latter. Focus on framing the issues you stand for.
If other candidates or their supporters do attack your campaign – whether on what you stand for, or your lack of experience – make those attacks feel personal to you and to members and reframe them back to « they want to make it about me, I want to make it about you » (you may have heard that nugget before…) to the people you want to vote for you. If you are trying to convince them, they are unlikely to vote for you if you or any of your supporters “slander” people (even if other candidates provoke you into doing so).
Release the pressure
Listen to your supporters who don’t feel comfortable trying to mobilise other people. Be especially honest with people who volunteer but feel pressured to do so because they want to help you out, but don’t feel confident, ready or likely to lead from the front. This is a big responsibility you're putting on their shoulders so go through this with them so that you know early on whether they will “run for the hills” at the last moment. If they are supportive, they will be keen to help you out in other ways and this is much better for both of you than pressurising them and then finding out you have lost a supporter at the last minute.
See how other people who are neither supportive nor challenging you evolve throughout your campaign as they can become convinced by one candidate or the other, or “flip flop” based on their performances. If they are people you don't know and do become supportive and are keen to help you out, trust your instincts as to whether they want to genuinely help you out or want to sabotage your campaign.
Join up the dots before you jump in
Find out who is active. Find out if you have a mutual friend and ask them to recommend the campaigning you've done in the local area you’re standing in or on the issue you’re standing for. If you don't have that connection, engage with them at local meetings and campaigning sessions. Don't explicitly ask them for your support if you don't know them, but start touching on topics which can bring you onto talking about what you'd like to do to if elected.
Next stop, encouraging people to support you, developing your message, and coping with your campaign.
Hope you enjoy reading and who knows, you may find the articles useful or even interesting! Please feel free to comment - I welcome criticism as much as compliments.
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