They say content is king. What they don’t often say is that it takes an army to produce it.
Keeping your audience engaged means keeping them informed, whether on your specific issues or the national conversation. It means posts on the blog, copy for the email program, tidbits for social media and, if you are truly modern, video content that can feed every channel you have. In an election year, the need will be even more critical and the pace more frantic.
The personnel to produce all that content in a timely way can be costly, but there are some ways you can increase efficiency and trim the toll on your staff. And they don’t take long.
White Label the Election
There are a number of ways that your organization can produce content more efficiently. Start by collecting the right tools. This year’s election will determine which party controls Congress and who fills the governor’s mansion in a great many states. Your audience will be watching with interest and will look to your organization for political intelligence. Do you have the staff to track 435 house races, a third of the Senate and all the state action? Probably not. Few organizations do.
Savvy advocacy professionals will look to purchase a white label product that does the work for you. What you want is high-quality analysis of the big picture, both in Washington and out in the states, in a package that can be branded by your organization and sent out as your own, giving your audience the information it needs for a credible source.
For example, VoteWatch 2018, a collaboration between 720 Strategies and The Cook Political Report, offers a high-impact, eight-part video series featuring well-known analysts like Charlie Cook, Jennifer Duffy, Amy Walter and David Wasserman. The series is made available throughout the year, allowing your organization to cover the election as it develops.
VoteWatch can be used right out of the box, with no further work needed; branded and customized with your logo; and sent to your audience, with little or no strain on your staff. It’s a simple and cost-effective way to look very smart.
Search Like a Pro
Collecting the right tools extends beyond election coverage. It applies to issues, too. Trolling through five national news outlets, a half dozen free email newsletters and another half dozen industry publications to cull the information your audience needs each day is extremely inefficient.
Instead, bite the bullet and purchase news sources that can be highly customized. These products can filter information and help deliver exactly the news that you need each day, right to your inbox. For example, if you follow Congress, CQ can give you alerts on the action as it happens. If you work in a specific industry like agriculture or energy, Politico Pro can track all the action in your corner of Washington. Together, these two products can form the backbone of a sophisticated information hub that will allow your staff to produce highly relevant content in much less time.
This is a big news year and your communications staff is going to feel the burn. Get ready now. Get smart about content. Get some new resources. And get your audience engaged.