Communicate with other students to convey your campaign message.
Running for office at college takes careful planning and time. You need to be confident about your skills and sure of your campaign messages before you can persuade other students to give you their votes. Taking part in a student election gives you valuable experience in communication strategies, planning, public speaking and time management skills. You will learn the basics of political campaigning and involve yourself in all aspects of college life. Future employers will also be impressed with your ability to put together an effective campaign and your leadership capability.
Instructions
1. Write an action plan for your campaign. This should contain a section on your personal reasons for running, what you hope to achieve and what you will do if you win. Be specific about the changes you want, such as introducing new lighting to improve campus safety.
2. Create a persuasive message to convince students to vote for you. This could include a catchy slogan, but a slogan alone is not going to win over students. You need a solid argument for your campaign. For instance, if you are trying to push a safety message, you could get figures on how safe students feel walking around the campus at night.
3. Build a campaign team. Your team will inevitably be small at first and will probably include close friends. However, the more students you talk to and convince, the more will want to join your campaign team. Use the different skills of your team members, such as graphic design and public relations expertise, to create an effective campaign. Give the team stickers or T-shirts with your slogan to identify them and create a cohesive unit.
4. Get your message across by arranging debates and class presentations. Put up posters throughout the campus. Run your campaign on social media sites, such as Facebook.
5. Create even more attention by getting publicity in your college newsletter, website and other publications. Approach local radio stations for a slot to air your campaign messages. If your campaign is topical and newsworthy, the radio station is more likely to invite you on for an interview.
6. Hold a rally to build momentum. Make sure that all the students understand your campaign. End the rally with a rousing speech, including a call for students to vote.
7. Remind students that it is election day and specifically ask for their votes. Make sure you and your team are visible by walking around the campus and talking to students.
