Ah yes, literature. the random scraps of paper and mail that we so willingly give to people knowing, full well, that it will end up in the garbage can. Yes, the sad but true fact about campaign literature is that it will be thrown away at some point.

So why do we bother? Because, not only is literature necessary for day-to-day door knocking, it is the most effective way to reach a large number of people in a relatively cheep way. The difference between complete garbage and something that may get you a vote is quality: quality information, quality product, and quality readability. If you follow this formula, you have a shot at making people look at your literature on and before election day.  The key is to make a product that voters put on the counter and not in the garbage can. Keep in mind that your literature is the one physical thing average voters will have to remind them of your campaign.  For this reason you do not want to skimp on your lit budget. Have it professionally designed and printed – a word document from your home printer looks unprofessional and reflects poorly on you and your campaign.  The best ideas in the world will be ignored if people feel that you are not taking the campaign seriously.

Now, on to the basics. For many campaigns, lit is a multifaceted  tool. It is mailed, it is put out on tables, and it is distributed when knocking door to door.  For this reason, you will need to squeeze a lot of information into a relatively small space.  The size of your literature should be of a reasonable size for mailing – generally you will produce something that will be mailed as a first class letter.  For this reason your literature should be no more than 11 1/2 inches wide by 6 1/8 inches tall (for a complete breakdown of sizes, visit the U.S. Postal Service website). The return address, postage, and receiver’s address must be in specific locations on the literature – furthermore you must leave room for the post office to place a barcode on the piece (for specific locations of all of these items click here).  Two notes – you do not necessarily have to have a return address to mail lit, though it does act as a place to put your contact information, and it is worth your while to investigate if your state or local party has a bulk mailing rate so that you can place it and cut your costs.

Now that you know what sizes you are working with, it is time to move on to what needs to be on your lit. The front side, at a minimum, should include your logo and, preferably, a good headshot, slogan, and some statement regarding election day; if your logo does not include what race you are running for, include that as well. The back should contain room for the above listed items and provide voters with the information you want voters to know about you and your issues.  Personal information, such as a short bio, is always a good idea as it allows people to see you as a person, not just as someone who is running for office. Include  action photos of you and your family, and make sure it is colorful and aesthetically pleasing and easy to read. A lit piece is not the time to prove that you have a large vocabulary – remember that this piece will be going to collage grads and high school dropouts alike. Finally, never forget to have your contact information, including your website, on your literature – interested voters will take the time to do more research if they are so inclined.

The one thing that can not be stressed enough is the importance of avoiding information overload. A solid piece of literature should take no more than 30 seconds to read.   As short as that sounds, remember that your literature will be folded in with the junk mail, bills, and flyers people receive on a regular basis – people are not interested in receiving a novel on their doorstep.  Again,the goal of lit is to be placed on the counter and looked at regularly. And that is what it comes down to.  Also make sure that the piece is not visually straining – remember your color wheel and don’t make text and photos difficult to read or view.

Literature reminds people of you, your ideas, and of the upcoming election and should act as a device to encourage people to learn more about you. Don’t feel bad if you can only afford one literature piece, just make sure it looks good and gets your ideas across. Literature comes in all shapes and sizes, but one thing is for certain – you will be judged on your piece.

As a final piece of advice, have a friend or neighbor you trust give you an honest opinion of the literature.  Often they will tell you if something is difficult to read or if one of your points don’t make sense.  Remember, if a good friend notices something, the voting public will.

Tags: Constituant Interaction

This entry was posted by Curtis Haring on Thursday, June 11th, 2009 at 5:27 am and is filed under Messaging. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.