So What Makes a Campaign Event Successful?

The ability to gain that competitive advantage over your opponent is present on the campaign trail every day.  One of these opportunities, that surprising goes unnoticed more frequently than it should, revolves around campaign events.  Folks come to these events to gain more information about the candidate, yet campaigns often fail to realize that this is also provides an equally important opportunity to learn more about the individuals present in the room.

So what are you doing about this?  Below are some quick pointers to make certain that you take full advantage of these events.

For example, have you sent out a “call to action” email to your current volunteers before an upcoming event listing activities available for them to engage potential supporters?  What are those specific activities?

Well, for one, you will need volunteers to man a table at the entrance of the event for everyone to sign in at.  Make certain that you emphasize the need to collect as many cell phone numbers and email addresses as possible.  You want to follow-up with these potential volunteers or contributors within the next 48 hours of an event.

Better yet, make a request for a few of your supporters to bring their laptop to the event and enter the information collected into an excel spreadsheet.  That way it can be downloaded into a flash drive and given to the campaign manager as they leave.

Secondly, how about a bumper-sticker team?  Make a request for volunteers to team up in groups of two or three in the parking lot as the event is ending with stickers some paper towels and glass cleaner.  These teams will then slap stickers onto supporter’s cars as they leave.   Just think, if you only have a stack of stickers on the table at the event, who knows if they will ever make it on a vehicle?

Finally, do you have any current supporters willing to take a few photographs of those in attendance with the candidate?  Getting folks to bring their camera and take a few pictures while collecting email addresses to send the photos to will certainly go a long ways toward engaging potential volunteers.

All in all, I’m hopeful that you will consider implementing a few of these ideas at your next event.  Yeah, it’s nice to have a large group show up at an event but if you aren’t doing anything besides counting heads, it should be viewed as a lost opportunity.