>> SLIDE 1 The National Council on Independent Living presents – Your Story, Your Campaign & Your Brand Online Atima Omara President & Chief Strategist, Omara Strategy Group, LLC Elevate Logo - Campaign Training for People with Disabilities. Graphic features Capitol Rotunda in NCIL blue (periwinkle). >> SLIDE 2 Thank you to our sponsors! Run for Something Action Fund logo www.RunForWhat.net ActBlue logo Sign up for ActBlue! https://secure.actblue.com/pending_entities/new >> SLIDE 3 Presenter: Atima Omara Atima Omara is a nationally recognized award-winning political strategist, leader, advocate, and speaker who has focused her almost 20 year career on engaging youth, women, and people of color at the intersection of politics and advocacy in the progressive movement. As President of Omara Strategy Group, LLC, Atima provides training, coaching, and strategic political services to political candidates and organizations that center women, people of color, and other underrepresented communities in issue advocacy and campaigns. Over a decade, she has worked as campaign manager, field director, and other roles on more than a dozen federal, state, & local political campaigns in many red and battleground states across the country. She has also successfully led organizing efforts for voter registration, ballot initiatives, and GOTV operations. In addition to serving as a trainer in 2019 for NCIL’s Elevate Campaign training, she has trained hundreds of candidates and campaign staff for a number of organizations including: Emerge America, Higher Heights for America, Vote Run Lead, New American Leaders, and Running Start. She has a BA from the University of Virginia and an MPA from George Mason University. Image: A headshot of Atima standing with her arms crossed. She wears a gray suit jacket with an orange shirt and a gold flower necklace. >> SLIDE 4 Today You Will Learn - The need to have an answer as to “why” you are running for office. - The importance of your personal story to launching a meaningful campaign that resonates with your community - How the foundation of your story shapes your campaign message - How to do digital media tools help you brand you and your campaign - The importance of having a digital presence as a candidate: Your website, Facebook, Twitter, etc. >> SLIDE 5 What Is Story of Self Who Are You? Why have you been called to what you have been called to? Everyone has a story that got him her involved in a given cause. And that given cause or others like it is why many run for office. - What’s your story? -- Growing up with a disability -- An immigrant or from an immigrant family -- Experience with racism/and or sexism -- Economic struggles >> SLIDE 6 What Office? When you know your story of self, you can answer the key questions: Why run for office? Which office? Which district? As a result of your story are you: Are you an advocate for education? Care about the quality of education in your district? Its funding priorities? Maybe even active in some school related committees—School Board Do you care about real estate development in your neighborhood? How safe streets are? Transportation?–City/County Office Are you worried about the environment? Health care? Worried about immigration reform?—State legislature or US House >> SLIDE 7 What District? Does Your Story Resonate With The District In Which You Live? Answering questions on your story, the office, and why you are running will help you define the candidate you will be It will be the foundation for: - Stump Speech - Platform - Press Releases & Campaign Messaging - Social media and website >> SLIDE 8 Good Examples of Narrative for Public Office “I believe in an America where the son of a mill worker could actually beat the son of a president for the White House. That's the America I will fight for”-- John Edwards, US Senator & 2004 Presidential VP nominee Bio: grew up in a working class rural North Carolina family and used that as his narrative as to why he worked as a trial lawyer fighting against companies who took advantage of the less fortunate and built on his campaign Image: Senator John Edwards, a white man with short brown hair wearing a suit and standing in front of an American flag. >> SLIDE 9 Good examples of Narrative continued “The people closest to the pain should be closest to the power” --Ayanna Pressley Bio: grew up in a working class family with a mother who worked multiple jobs as a single partner. Father, a teacher also suffered from drug addiction was incarcerated. Pressley is also a survivor sexual violence and recently came out in 2020 as a member if the disabled community with a diagnosis of alopecia, an autoimmune disorder. Image: Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, a Black woman with braids swept up into a style. She is wearing a pearl necklace and black dress, standing in front of an American flag. >> SLIDE 10 Good example: Tammy Duckworth for Senate https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9V-df3UHq4 Image: Screenshot of a campaign video showing a group of people watching someone. >> SLIDE 11 Good Example: Alex Gray for Boston City Council At Large https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdEtZSNMplg Image: Screenshot of a campaign video showing Alex Gray, a white man wearing a suit and holding a white cane, standing on a street in Boston. A caption at the bottom says "my name is Alex Gray." >> SLIDE 12 Bad Example: Ted Kennedy for President 1979 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDh2iKzBh4E Image: Screenshot of a video showing Ted Kennedy, a white man with graying hair, looking serious. >> SLIDE 13 Building Your Brand - Preparing a run for office means you will have to present yourself to the public on what you stand for through media and digital media -- Letters to the Editor -- Opinion editorials -- Blog Posts -- Radio/Podcasts/TV -- Website -- Facebook/Twitter/Instagram >> SLIDE 14 Traditional Media Use your expertise to get your name out there on issues important to your area - Write letters to the editor in response to articles in local papers on issues relevant in your community - Write and pitch an op-ed or two to your local paper on issues you care about and are important to the community - Write a blog post on issues you care about for blogs frequented by those in the community >> SLIDE 15 Digital Media - Facebook (Public Profile): Ideal for posting long-form posts on issues, FB livestream hosting Q&As; post when you attend community events, recognize important holidays, eventually campaign materials and events go up - Twitter: Recommended for posting: tweet about thoughts, ideas, news articles, eventually campaign press releases, endorsements, blog posts and event alerts are all good alert material - Campaign Website: MUST HAVE. Collection of everything that your campaign represents: policies, how to volunteer, attend events, where to donate, press statements >> SLIDE 16 Digital Media, Continued - YouTube: Campaign ads for TV and Facebook/Instagram can be shared here; educational videos: direct to cameras etc.; media interviews; recorded debates/forums etc. - Instagram: Great to share campaign images, graphics, crosspost screenshots of tweets, Facebook posts, YouTube videos etc. Host Livestream conversations, and polls and Q&As >> SLIDE 17 Campaign Website Example Image: A screenshot of Cori Bush's campaign website. A purple website with white text says "Cori Bush, US Congress MO-01. There is a navigation menu across the top and a form titled "join the movement" down the right side. The site features an image of Cori Bush, a smiling Black woman with braids holding a microphone and wearing a purple shirt. >> SLIDE 18 Website Example 2 Image: Screenshot of the website Elise for Congress. Across the top is a navigation menu. The site features a smiling white woman with shoulder length brown hair talking to people standing around her in a building. A caption says "New Ideas. New Leadership. Real Results." >> SLIDE 19 Final Tips: - Know your why for running for office - Your story and what you care about should direct for what office you run - Your story and eventual campaign message should resonate with a part of your community - Running for office next year or in two years? Start building your online brand now - Digital Must Haves: a website, Facebook, and Twitter account >> SLIDE 20 Guest Speaker: Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley Ayanna Pressley is an advocate, a policy-maker, an activist, and a survivor. On November 6, 2018, Ayanna was elected to represent Massachusetts’ 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, making her the first woman of color to be elected to Congress from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Ayanna believes that the people closest to the pain should be closest to the power, and that a diversity of voices in the political process is essential to crafting more effective public policy. Image: A Black woman with a bald head, wearing red lipstick and pearl earrings. She is wearing a black suit with a white blouse, and standing in front of a tan background. >> SLIDE 21 QUESTIONS?