By
Veronica Carbonell
Serving on a school board is one of the most powerful ways to make a real and positive impact in your community. If you’re currently campaigning or considering a run, there are some important tips and tricks to planning a successful campaign. We regularly speak to school board candidates across the country who have similar questions about the best practices for planning, launching, and winning their campaigns. Here are some best practices for a successful run:
1. Make sure your logo speaks to your voters.
A strong logo and campaign brand is a powerful tool for any school board campaign. Logos can improve a candidate’s name recognition and allow them to be more memorable at the ballot-box. When designed and used wisely, logos reinforce your campaign’s identity and allow you to stand out from your opponents.
When designing a logo, it is important to keep it simple. Remember that the most powerful and memorable campaign logos are not excessive in colors and fonts, but rather aim to show voters exactly who the candidate is and what they hope to accomplish as a school board member. In the spirit of keeping your logo simple, choosing your fonts and colors wisely is also extremely important when it comes to evoking your campaign’s values. Check out this article to read more about the specific emotions you can evoke with varying colors and fonts.
Lastly, it is not only important for your logo to represent what your campaign hopes to accomplish, but also where you come from and a sense of pride in your community. Bringing your background and community into your campaign logo can be a meaningful way to connect with voters and share more about who you are and why you should represent them on your local school board.
2. Set up your social media accounts and content calendar.
In the digital world we live in, a strong social media presence is critical to connecting with voters. If you’re looking for help setting up your social accounts, check out this blog post.
Once your accounts have been created, we also recommend building a content calendar. Content calendars organize social media posts across platforms and channels, establishing a strategy for communicating your campaign’s message. With so many important issues and policies discussed throughout the entirety of a school board campaign, a content calendar is a great way to ensure consistency in your messaging. Click here to download your free content calendar now and get your posts up and running ASAP.
3. Align your Mail and Digital Programs.
When it comes to successful school board campaigns, consistent messaging throughout all of your media channels is essential.
Consistent, multi-channel messaging allows voters to hear your message in different places at the same time, making your message more memorable. Additionally, not all voters are reachable through all channels; some voters may not spend time online and others may spend hours on their phones. Ensuring your messaging is aligned throughout the campaign will ensure that all voters receive the same, cohesive message that they will remember when it’s time to vote.
Also, regardless of the size or budget of your campaign, consider the total cost of print and digital media when fundraising and building a campaign budget. Our free Mail and Digital Ad Planner is always here to help you plan wisely and maximize your campaign budget, no matter its size and scope. For more on aligning your mail and digital programs, check out our blog on how to execute a strong media mix for your campaign.
4. Take some great campaign photos.
Whether you are creating your Facebook page, designing your walk card, or launching a digital ad program, a set of great campaign photos will make it infinitely easier to craft eye-catching, professional-quality visuals to support your school board campaign. And remember, a photoshoot doesn’t have to be expensive or stressful.
Hiring a professional photographer can be a great way to secure beautiful and high-quality photos for your campaign, but with phones that have the capabilities to take high resolution photos, taking your own campaign photos has never been easier.
It is best to plan your outfit ahead of time, and pick something that is not only comfortable and looks good on camera, but also represents you and what you bring to the table as a school board candidate. You should also take the time to get some action shots. For example, you can snag photos of yourself with voters or community leaders, or even at local schools. Always be sure to get permission from anyone that appears in these photos and let them know where your photos could be featured. You can read here for more tips on how to take the best and most high resolution photos on your smartphone today!
5. Build a cohesive field program.
Even in this digital age, the importance of crafting a solid field program cannot be overstated.
As you plan ways to reach your voters, whether at their doors, on the phone, or at a canvassing day in the park, it is important to make sure your messaging aligns with the rest of your campaign – bringing it back to our tip #3. If you are sending out a direct mail piece about a new education policy you are promoting, be sure to update your door knocking scripts, so you can talk to your voters about the policy outlined on your mailer. Building a cohesive communications program will help your voters follow along with your campaign and will help your campaign stay on message
Ready to kickstart your school board campaign? SpeakEasy is here to help you connect with and energize your voters. Check out our school board templates for both mail and digital! If you have questions about running for school board and how to get started, shoot us a note at [email protected]. We would love to help power your race. Happy campaigning!
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