How to Increase Your Chances of Winning an Election

Most Americans are familiar with the unfolding 2020 presidential election that has pitted Donald Trump against Joe Biden and split the country along increasingly turbulent political fault lines.

However, the presidential election at the national level is just one of the thousands of smaller elections at the state and local levels that voters will have the opportunity to weigh in on at the ballot box in November.

While professional politicians with the funding needed to carry out polished campaigns have all the resources they need to hire the right advisers and invest in winning strategies, local politicians' success (especially for ones with little or no experience in electioneering) largely depends on their ability to learn quickly and adapt their strategies appropriately to maximize their chances of winning come election day.

Throw Out the Old Playbook

If the election of 2016 taught one central lesson, it is that the old manual for how to put together a winning political campaign is no longer applicable in the modern era.

Hillary Clinton, with all the institutional backing of the press and power establishment behind her, ran a wholly orthodox campaign full of flowery rhetoric and predictable campaign speeches.

Donald Trump, on the other hand, made waves for his bombastic statements, extensive social media usage, and unorthodox speaking style.

The results speak for themselves: one candidate won and the other lost. It's time to reimagine what winning an election takes at every level.

Get Involved in Local Politics

Especially at the local level, getting plugged into the network of local power-brokers, political activists, and constituent special interest groups is a must. People are more likely to vote for someone they know and someone who seems committed to doing what it takes to win.

Construct Your Own Support Network

A similar but distinct strategy to getting to know the local players in the political scene should be constructing your own support group. This will mainly be volunteers (especially for local elections) but may involve some paid staff. This network can be used to help build and maintain your campaign, but they may also help you connect with members of the community and local leaders, as well.

Choose Your Battles Carefully

Some elections are more winnable than others. As a candidate, you should assess each possible match-up before committing to a run to determine your chances of coming away with a victory.

These are just a handful of the many strategies that successful politicians employ to successfully campaign for elected office.

How to Get Elected

Regardless of the level of government, getting elected is no simple task. If you want to give yourself the highest chance of getting elected, it is important that you take the right steps to prepare for your campaign and ensure that you make a substantial effort to build and abide by your platform as you aim for election.

Understand the Requirements to Run

Depending on the elected position you want to achieve, there are different requirements in place that can determine your eligibility. Most often, these requirements mandate how old candidates must be, where they live in relation to the position in question, and how long they have been citizens of the United States. Before deciding to run, prospective candidates must verify that they are eligible or risk losing the election by default and losing respect.

Know What It Takes

Beyond the requirements necessary, there are many other things prospective candidates must learn. Doing your research on demographics, voter participation, and hot topics will be pivotal as you build your campaign strategies. If you are aiming for a city or state position, connecting with members of the community, networking with former and current politicians, and learning about the issues people are facing can help you understand what matters to the public and give you ideas for how you can present solutions. Be sure to run the numbers, as well. Knowing how many votes you will need to secure victory can help you campaign effectively. Similarly, raising enough money to maintain your campaign for the duration of the election is often a challenge, but politicians commonly acknowledge fundraising initiatives to be imperative. Reaching out to friends, family, and community members for fundraising efforts, especially through social media platforms, tends to be beneficial.

Building and Sticking To Your Platform

When running for an elected position, it is important to do so with your core values and passions in mind. These things should help you shape your platform and identify areas you most want to improve in your local or national community. For many politicians, passion is a driving factor that guides them toward success. Passion alone, however, is insufficient. If you want to be elected, it is important that you hold fast to your passion but also present concrete, tangible plans to help realize your visions. 

Evergreen Advice for Running a Political Campaign

When it comes to politics, candidates must strive to convey their messages clearly and concisely in order to connect with their audiences. Running a campaign is a complicated matter and requires a substantial amount of research and preparation. Regardless of the position, party, and scale of your campaign, there are a few common strategies to ensure your campaign strategy is polished and effective.

Know Your Chances

Before deciding to run for a political position, it is important that you thoroughly assess your chances of winning. This task requires you to establish a professional public persona, build out credentials and connections, identify why you want to run in the first place, and calculate exactly how many votes you will need to win. On the latter point, you will need to establish a vote goal early on in order to create a concrete measurement of success.

Ask Questions

As you learn more about the position you want to hold and work to develop your campaign, it is essential that you consult with others. From individuals who previously held the position to the leaders of relevant businesses and organizations, you should strive to make connections, ask about the duties of the position, determine what the community wants to achieve, and generally absorb as much information as possible to better influence your campaign strategy as well as your plans for the future.

Establish Contrast

A primary feature of nearly every political campaign is contrast. Most campaigns are built on stark contrasts; by comparing one politician’s practices and policies to another, the audience should be able to clearly identify the differences. When it comes to running your own political campaign, it is as important for you to understand the nuances of your own platform as it is for you to understand that of your opponent. By prioritizing this, you can more effectively combat their ideas while promoting your own by highlighting what sets you apart from anyone else.

Create a Budget

Running a campaign is not cheap, but you do not have to be considerably wealthy in order to run for a position. Naturally, it helps if you take time to prepare for your campaign by saving, investing, and fundraising. Be sure to dedicate time to researching just how much things cost; many fledgling politicians are shocked by how many expenses are associated with campaigns, and this causes plenty of talented, knowledgeable individuals to drop out simply because they cannot afford to continue.

Tips for Fundraising for a Political Campaign

Running for office is expensive. Both local and general elections demand more than charisma. Aspiring candidates have to implement winning strategies to fund their campaign operations. Fundraising is about providing for expenses, including hiring campaign managers. The prospect of fundraising comes in handy to help candidates to raise enough money within the shortest possible time. Fundraising will be enjoyable or overwhelming, depending on whether or not individuals consider specific factors.

Have a Finance Plan Strategy

One of the most significant secrets of political campaign fundraising is having a financial plan. Candidates should consider making it the first item on the day's agenda. The finance plan should include identifying the campaign's primary goals. Doing so will help streamline the entire process. Subsequently, it will also save candidates from oversights and mistakes that could cost them dearly.

Set a Realistic Goal

Candidates running for office should determine their budget and their flexibility. Remember, election costs continue to increase each year. Any individual pursuing a tight race needs to be especially careful. They should look at what other politicians did in the past to improve their odds. They can also check the FEC filings records to gain more insight into what the previous winning candidates spent.

Develop a Winning Strategy

Once a candidate has established a stable budget, they need to determine the best fundraising approaches. Such tactics are necessary for generating income and setting expectations. Candidates can use online platforms to raise money, hold events, form finance committees, or get in touch with fundraising networks.

Create a Calendar

Concrete goals demand concrete deadlines. As part of the fundraising plan, the finance team should come up with a calendar that entails all the campaigning activities, events, and the timelines of implementing each of the tactics mentioned above. For instance, they can allocate one month to say, two fundraising events, sending emails, and responding to calls. Tracking everything on a month to month basis will enable the finance team to track the progress of the campaign at large.

Running for political races requires candidates to be ready to bring constituents and community members on board. Asking for money doesn't have to be difficult. Our current culture appreciates people who stand for something, run for office, and are confident asking for financial support when the need arises.

When to Consider Contacting a Consultant

When operating a business, there often comes times when an outsider’s opinion is necessary. It is important for individuals managing such a business to recognize the signs that a consultant’s insight and guidance may be needed. In any case, a seasoned consultant can provide expertise that helps guide a business toward greater success, and for business owners or independent actors who have never sought the assistance of a consultant, there are a few indicators that can suggest this course of action would be beneficial.

Obstacles and Challenges

Whether this is your first business or you have been in the game for some time, you will likely encounter unusual or unique challenges along your path to success. In cases such as these, a consultant can prove to be a vital resource. Whether they are offering you a fresh pair of eyes to assess the situation or are providing their presence as a means of tackling issues that would otherwise distract existing employees from their duties. When it comes to offering insight, consultants have an extensive repertoire of experience and connections to color their perspective, granting you and your business a multi-faceted look at the problem, the potential solutions, and the long-term outcome of your approach.

If you encounter an unfamiliar or exceptionally difficult obstacle with your business, you may be compelled to embrace it on your own. However, it is important to take a step back and determine if you have the necessary skill set to do so. If not, a consultant will prove to be invaluable.

Business Changes

Similarly, if your business is preparing to make big changes in any area, hiring a consultant may be beneficial. Consultants are specialists with a broad range of skills and an extensive network that provides them with the ability to view businesses in a unique way. Before making a decision that would change the identity, mission, function, or composition of your company, a consultant can help advise you on whether that is a good move and if there are other, more suitable or more profitable options.

Specific Needs

Generally, consultants can help business owners make strong, informed decisions toward achieving greater success. However, some business owners may find that they have specific needs to address and maybe uncertain about whether a consultant can help. The good news is that, in most cases, they can. From information technology (IT) inquiries to staffing and strategy obstacles, consultants can provide a range of services. When working with a consultant, you should feel that they are willing and able to not only address your questions but also aid you in specific areas in need of development.

Some consultants embrace such specifications, but even those who don’t will be able to share their experiences and shed light on challenges a business faces in order to satisfy the needs of their clients and guide their businesses toward success.