DEVELOPING A CAMPAIGN PLAN
By Carol Hess
http://PoliticalResources.com
chess@politicalresources.com

The purpose of developing a Campaign Plan is to outline how you plan to get a 50% plus 1 majority on election day. Developing a campaign plan is crucial to your success. The plan is your roadmap to election day victory. It outlines each step in your campaign from the time you decide to run until the polls close on election day. Problems always arise and campaign plans can be altered. What is important is that you have a plan outlining what you will do to win, how and when you will implement your strategy, and finally how much it will cost to.

Before you begin writing your plan, you will already have thought about the following:
A.    Your Campaign theme.
B.    The several issues you will run on
C.    Events to highlight your issues
D.    Profiling your election districts and highlighting the people and areas likely to vote for you.

NEXT STEP -
How will you communicate your message to your people and get the 50% plus 1 majority.

You can communicate directly with voters by:
1.     going door to door
2.     writing to voters
3.     telephoning voters.

You can communicate indirectly with voters by;
1. yard signs & bumper stickers
2. radio messages
3. television/cable messages
4. internet (both indirect and direct)

In order to communicate your message, you need to raise money.

Your campaign plan should consist of outlining the various forms of communication and how much they will cost.

YOUR BASIC PLAN

In addition, there should be cost estimates for office space, computer and other office equipment and staff.

NEXT STEP - Once you have your written campaign plan, the next step is raise the funds to execute the plan.

HOW TO RAISE MONEY TO FUND THE CAMPAIGN
1.     Candidate
2.     Family/friends/associates
3.     Candidate solicitation in person and by phone
4.     Direct Mail
5.     Fundraising events
6.     Other sources: PACs, the Party.

In addition to guiding your campaign, a well thought out plan can help raise money. You will have a good sense of the costs involved in communicating your message. This is important when approaching your family, friends, associates or strangers. One of the first questions will certainly involve campaign costs. With an understanding of the campaign components, you can speak with greater authority and confidence.

This article is a very brief overview of the some the elements involved in writing a Campaign Plan. There are many books written on this subject and you might check out the Political Shop on the http://PoliticalResources.com home page. You should also consider hiring a professional to help you write your plan. Good luck with your campaign.

Carol Hess is President of Political Resources, Inc. She was a Campaign Manager and Consultant in the 1970's and early 1980's.