School Board Campaigns at Any Budget

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Digital media and direct mail are crucial components of campaigns of all sizes. We know School Board candidates work hard to fundraise and build their campaign budget, so it’s critical to effectively use every dollar, and thoughtfully consider when and how to make those expenditures.

With so much at stake at the polls this fall, our campaign professionals have built a series of sample media plans for your School Board race at a variety of budgets. We know how to stretch every dollar to its maximum potential, so if you’re looking to learn more about media budgeting, keep reading!

BUDGET 1: $3,000

This plan is a great option for a smaller budget campaign, a late fundraising campaign, or a campaign with strong grassroots support that simply wants to supplement their ground game with a boosted presence online. This static banner program puts an emphasis on reaching voters on news, entertainment, and other campaign-safe sites.

A program like this could strategically use a call-to-action (CTA), like a “Learn More”, “Join Us”, or “Vote Now” button embedded in the ad to drive traffic to a campaign website or Facebook page. Changing your CTA to encourage specific action is a simple way to lead voters to your candidate’s bio and message and drive your constituents to the polls.

BUDGET 2: $10,000

This budget deploys both static and video ads to reach voters across streaming devices, local news websites, and other brand-safe sites. It’s ideal for a campaign that believes their voters are more reachable online and wants to use video – always a potent medium – to tell their story. This program is also a good option for campaigns that fundraise closer to the election and want to make sure they get their message across in the final weeks before voters head to the polls. 

BUDGET 3: $30,000

This budget is a strong option for a School Board candidate running in 2022 that has been able to successfully fundraise and can afford to run an advertising program using both digital ads and direct mail. 

The mail program below uses a three piece strategy on a timeline pitched towards November’s general election:

  1. Bio: Introducing the candidate to the community,
  2. Issues/Policy: Identifying the core issues the campaign seeks to address, and
  3. GOTV: A closing argument to get voters to the polls.

MAIL: $24,000

DIGITAL: $6,000

To support the strong direct mail push of this program, adding a digital banner element will ensure that your campaign’s message reaches voters wherever they are, doubling down on voter activation, especially in the final weeks of the race.

We hope these sample budgets provide a good jumping off point when considering how to maximize your School Board campaign’s budget. You can also check out SpeakEasy’s extensive catalog of customizable logos, digital ads, and direct mail templates to kick off your School Board campaign today. If you have any questions or would like help building a media plan, check out our Mail and Digital Ad Planner and don’t hesitate to make an appointment for a free 15 minute consultation with one of our campaign professionals through the form below!

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