Short campaign videos fail for the same reason most first dates do - one person talks about themselves and never thinks about it from the other person's perspective. To avoid this, think like a voter. If you scrolled a candidate's social media, what do you actually want to know? Most answers fall into three buckets: Who are you? Why are you running? What will you do? Another way to think about it: Look Back, Look Down, and Look Forward.

Video 1: Look Back - Who You Are (90 seconds)

• Don't make it a resume video ("married 17 years, three kids, went to state university...")
• Tell a story that opens the video and ties back at the end
• Add dialogue to make it come alive
• Example: Growing up in town, first job at Johnson's Diner, Ms. Carol's lesson about making it the best meal
• Connect that lesson to your current work and life
• Bonus: Use tip 2 from Winning Edge #79 - move while you talk and film in relevant locations

Video 2: Look Down - Why You're Running (90 seconds)

• Not your full stump speech - keep under two minutes
• Think about the moment you decided to run
• Start with a 30-second story about that decision
• Include one surprising statistic that lands with voters in your district
• Lean into emotion first, let the number confirm what people already feel
• Save your agenda for the next video
• See Winning Edge #31 and #42 for more insights

Video 3: Look Forward - What You Will Do (60 seconds)

• Show you have a plan and can explain it in plain English
• Not a policy wonk fest - keep it simple
• Premise: two bills you'll introduce when elected
• First bill: issue with broad appeal (with a short story)
• Second bill: issue you're passionate about (with story or statistic)
• Close: "Two bills. I'm not going to fix everything, but I'll tell you exactly where I'm going to start."

Bonus Tip:
If you struggle to remember what to say on camera, watch this video on using a simple teleprompter app while still looking natural and off-the-cuff.

Bottom Line:
When it comes to short social media videos, think about what a voter wants to know and make three videos to answer: Who You Are? Why Are You Running? What You Will Do?

For more tips on creating effective campaign videos, refer to the accompanying one-page PDF.

Winning Edge gives you the tools you need to lead and influence in the political and policy arenas. Every other week, Winning Edge releases short (approximately 5-minute) spots—or “snacks”—focused on one of four areas: fundraising, media, policy, or persuasion.

For more, visit our website: www.thecommonwealthpartners.com.