By Maverick Steffen | Daily Marketing Advice

I've consulted several new politicians all over the country, and their 2 biggest problems are:

1. They don't have adequate funding
2. They don't have adequate support

Funding is of course used to increase support, and support eventually becomes votes, which is the entire point of your campaign. Today I'm going to teach you how to adequately gain quick support from your constituency in 4 easy steps.

The bottom line is you need to quickly find supporters of an issue you agree with, and convert them to your campaign as you become the outspoken advocate of this issue.

Step 1: Identify Key Issues

Now, key issues differ from region to region, ethnicity to ethnicity, and so-on and so-forth. Your goal is to isolate the most critical issue, of the many in your area, which the highest density of pre-exiting support.

For example, Hillary Clinton's team found that one of the most important issues of her constituency. was preventing Donald Trump from winning the 2016 general election. As a result, a lot of her team's efforts have been dedicated to finding these people, and getting them to support Hillary.

Again, you want to ensure you select the biggest possible issue affecting people, and ensure you are already on the side of the greatest amount of these people. In the 90s, pro-choice became a hot issue, and today, jobs are an even bigger issue for many people. In your area, it may be safety, or lack of playgrounds, or unemployment. Your first step is to find that major issue.

This takes us to step 2...

Step 2: Make this Issue Part of Your Platform

This seems like common sense, but all too often politicians neglect getting out press releases reflecting their platform on this issue. Many times possible supporters won't even find this issue listed on a politician's website.

Ensure you promote your stance on this issue in every logical place within your campaign, such as flyers, website, billboards, direct mailers, etc.

Step 3: Build a Landing Page

A landing page is a webpage that is built to drive the visitor to do something, or leave. That means there is nowhere for the visitor to click, other than off of the page, and therefore the site.

This has been a very powerful internet sales technique since the late 90s, and is still very powerful today. Landing pages can drive many benefits to an organization such as fundraising, email subscribers, sales, etc.

You want email subscribers.

The best way to manage your supporters is through email by using an email marketing program such as NationBuilder or MailChimp (I have no referral relationship with either of these companies). I have personally used both, and I'd recommend NationBuilder if you have a large budget, and MailChimp of you're operating on a shoe string.

Now, your landing page can be built using a program such as Leadpages.com, or you can have a landing page built on your website. Just don't forget that it cannot have a navigational menu, footer or any other area that gives the web visitor options beside sign up for this list, or leave the site.

The landing page should make it clear that supporting you is the most clear path for solving with the issue at hand. For example, "A vote for John Jacob is a vote for Safety in East Falls."

Your entire landing page needs to be built around this idea. The best way to do this is by following this basic format:

Top of the page:

• Use a large headline that identifies you as the person who can fix the issue in question
• Use a large image or video that demonstrates the issue at hand
• Use a call-to-action such as "Sign up to help me fix this issue once and for all!"
• Below the call to action you will be adding a form for your mailing list that you developed using the resources I recommended above

Middle of Page

• Use the top area of the middle of the page to cite facts, such as why this issue is so important. For example "4% of Camden New Jersey's residents will be killed by violence this year alone..." Use all of the statistical information you can find to strengthen your argument. After all, adamant supporters will be visiting this page, but people who may be affected by this issue who may be on the fence will be visiting this page too. So, they will require more information. Give it to them
• Below this area, you should show how you will solve this issue. Ensure you have a clear cut plan that starts from beginning to end. Keep it as simple as possible, and avoid using jargon.
• In the next section I like add video of people talking about how you will fix this issue. Think of it as testimonials to your character, stance and perseverance regarding this issue. But, it MUST be about this you fixing this specific issue, and not just you, or else the message is irrelevant, and people will be turned off.
• Also, don't forget to use strategic imagery to show how important this issue is to solve.

Bottom of the Page

• This is where you want to invite people to join your mailing list one more time. You can use an additional call-to-action, but keep it simple.

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What you must understand is there are two types of readers:

1. Synthetical: People that will skim your email just to get a good sense of what you're offering.
2. Analytical: People that will read... every..... damn..... word..... you write.

Both of these people's needs must be addressed, so ensure you're adding all of the detailed information necessary for the analytical person, while using strategic images, phrases, colors, symbols and word formatting to quickly convey your entire message to the synthetical reader.

Before you get started though, I would highly recommend building 2 versions of your landing page, with slightly different copy and images. Now you can test which page is the most effective for increasing supporters.

Step 4: Promote Your Page

Now that you have your page all set-up to drive new supporters that are aligned with your platform, you can now begin advertising your landing page to them.

I HIGHLY recommend using Facebook to accomplish this.

Facebook advertising will directly put you in front of thousands to possibly millions of people who are aligned with your stance on this issue.

For example, if the issue is local poverty in Camden, NJ, you'll want to target people who have "liked" Facebook pages about nonprofits and special support groups regarding Camden. It's that simple!

Ensure your ad has an appealing headline that gives a direct benefit to clicking the Facebook ad. For example: "Click here NOW and end Camden's poverty FOREVER." You want a very strong message that will get people to act now, not later.

The bottom line is the only thing you may have going for you right now is an agenda to fix certain issues that affect people. Ensure people know you're the one that's going to fix that problem, and you can easily build a large list of potential donations, volunteers and VOTES.