There are two things I tell candidates they need to start doing once they decide to run for office: raise money and collect endorsements.
Fundraising is the more important of these first two tasks. But many candidates spend way more time chasing endorsements than they do dialing for dollars.
I get it. Asking a person for their public endorsement is easier than asking a person for a political campaign contribution.
Before I get to the right way of using endorsements in a political campaign, I need to give you a big warning.
Endorsements Are Not a Political Campaign Message!
Candidates will assume that an endorsement will get them a vote.
Wrong. Endorsements do not equal votes.
While an endorsement may help a voter decide between two candidates they like, the voter needs to like you and what you stand for first.
If they don’t agree with your priorities or have an issue with you, touting your endorsements isn’t going win them over.
Simultaneously, if you have an endorsement from someone that a voter strongly dislikes or disagrees with, it could cost you their vote.
This being the case, why should you go after endorsement at all?
Because endorsements do have value and they do three important things for a political campaign.
Endorsements Convey Credibility
The majority of candidates for elected office, especially first time candidates, are unknowns to both political insiders and the voters at large.
Having some endorsements from elected officials, community leaders, and respected organizations will lend credibility to your candidacy.
Again, these endorsements do not translate into votes, but they show that community leaders and organizations find you competent to handle the office you are seeking.
In some instances, if a voter is having a hard time choosing between two candidates they like they might look to see who is endorsing each before making a decision.
That isn’t necessarily an endorsement getting you a vote, but of the endorsement giving providing credibility and validating a voters decision to mark their ballot for you.
Endorsements Help Raise Money
Part of endorsements giving your candidacy credibility is that they can brings access to donors.
Political campaign donors like to contribute their money to winners.
When someone they’ve financially back and has won an election in the past vouches for you, it gives donors a sense of comfort in giving to your campaign as well.
Some endorsements will also give you money as well as connect you with other individuals, businesses, and organizations that can give you money as well.
Endorsers can host fundraising events and meet and greets for you that help you raise money for your campaign or get to know voters, donors, and other potential endorsers.
Endorsements Are Messengers
While an endorsement is never a campaign’s message, an endorser can be used as a messenger for your campaign.
But don’t mistake your endorser as your campaigns message. The messenger and your message are two different things.
Your campaign’s message is why you are running for office and what you plan to do if elected.
A campaign messenger is a person or organization of reputational stature telling the voters why you are running for office and what you plan to do is elected.
This gives you and your campaign third party credibility.
The voters could easily be turned off by you saying you’re great and what you will accomplish (hence why Donald Trump always is under 50% support in the polls).
However, if a person or entity tells the voters you’re great and that you want to accomplish certain things, it will be received much better.
Candidate Take-Aways
When you launch your campaign, go out and get endorsements.
Endorsements can help give you credibility with community leaders and voters.
Endorsements can assist you with raising money for your campaign, and help get more endorsements that can then assist in even more fundraising.
Endorsements can be messengers for your campaign, but they are never your campaign’s message.
So use pursue and use your endorsements properly and never make the mistake as many candidates do of believing the falsehood the an endorsement equals a vote.