Campaign Intelligence

Digital advertising insights for local political campaigns.

Mid-Year Check: What's Changed in Political Advertising (2026 Update)

Platform policies, verification requirements, AI content rules, and ad costs are shifting fast. Here's what changed and why it matters for your campaign.

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Retargeting for Campaigns: Show Ads Only to People Who Already Know You

The most efficient ad spend in politics targets voters who already visited your website. Most local candidates don't even know it exists.

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State Rep Campaign Playbook: Scaling Digital for a Larger District

Bigger district, bigger budget, more voter segments. Why the playbook that won your local race doesn't scale without adjustments.

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How to Respond to an Opponent's Attack Ad (Without Making It Worse)

Getting hit with a negative ad feels personal. Most candidates react emotionally — which is exactly the wrong move.

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Primary vs. General: How to Adjust Your Digital Strategy for Each

Primaries and generals are completely different animals. The campaign that doesn't adjust its digital strategy between them loses.

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The Candidate Who Spent $0 on Digital — A Cautionary Tale

He knocked every door, planted every yard sign, and attended every fish fry. He still lost to an opponent who spent $800 on ads.

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3 Campaign Dashboards That Tell You If You're Winning (Before Election Day)

Most candidates have no idea if they're winning until the votes are counted. Data-driven campaigns know weeks in advance.

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City Council Campaign Playbook: Win Your Ward with $2,000

City council races are the sweet spot for digital — large enough to matter, small enough to dominate affordably.

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What Voters Actually Search For (It's Not What You Think)

Candidates assume voters search for their name. In reality, they search for the office, the issues, and your opponent.

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Google's Political Ad Verification: What It Is and How to Get Approved

This process catches every first-time candidate off guard. Start late and you lose a week of your campaign to paperwork.

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Your First $500: How to Get More Reach Than a Mailer for Less

A single mailer costs thousands. $500 in digital reaches the same voters multiple times across multiple platforms.

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GOTV Ads That Actually Work: Timing, Targeting, and the Final 72 Hours

The final 72 hours of a campaign are a completely different game. Most candidates waste their closing budget running the same ads they started with.

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How to Run for Township Trustee: A Digital-First Campaign Guide

Township races are the smallest, cheapest, and most winnable — and the most ignored digitally. That's your advantage.

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Why Your Opponent's Yard Signs Don't Matter (And What Does)

Yard signs are the security blanket of local politics. Candidates count them obsessively, but they don't move votes.

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Instagram for Candidates: What Works, What Doesn't, What's Banned

Instagram is great for humanizing a candidate and terrible for direct persuasion. Here's what that means for your campaign.

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The 21-Day Campaign Sprint: Maximum Impact on a Minimal Timeline

Three weeks before Election Day with no digital presence? Compressed timelines require more expertise, not less.

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Facebook vs. Google Ads: Where Should Your Campaign Dollar Go?

Interruption vs. intent. Two fundamentally different approaches to reaching voters — and the answer is "it depends on your race."

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What "Paid for By" Actually Means: Ad Disclaimers Explained

Federal law, state law, and platform policy — three layers of compliance rules that most candidates don't know about until it's too late.

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Running for School Board? Here's Your Complete Digital Playbook

School board races are uniquely emotional. Low turnout, passionate parents, and zero digital competition — if you know how to exploit it.

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"I Don't Need a Digital Strategy" — And Other Things Losing Candidates Say

"My district is too small for ads." "I'll just knock doors." "Facebook is free." Sound familiar? Here's why these beliefs cost elections.

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The 5 Voters You Need to Reach (And the 500 You're Wasting Money On)

Most candidates blast ads to everyone. Smart campaigns know that targeting precision beats raw budget every time.

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YouTube Ads for $5/Day: Why Video Is the Best Deal in Local Politics

Voters see your face, hear your voice, and connect your name to your message — all for pennies per view. Most candidates overlook it entirely.

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Your Campaign Website Is Losing Votes. Here's the 30-Minute Fix.

Every ad you run points to your website. If it's slow, ugly, or confusing, you're paying to send voters to a dead end.

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How Much Should a Local Campaign Spend on Digital Ads?

The #1 question every candidate asks. The answer depends on variables most campaigns don't even consider.

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Illinois Republicans Aren't Disappearing. They're Invisible Online.

The Chicago Tribune says the Illinois GOP is vanishing. The real problem isn't candidates or money — it's that Republican campaigns don't exist online. We proved it can be fixed for $1,119.

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Google Ads for Local Candidates: The Most Underused Weapon in Local Politics

Google lets you reach voters at the exact moment they're searching for your race. Here's why local candidates who ignore it are leaving votes on the table.

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3 Things Every Local Candidate Gets Wrong About Facebook Ads

Boosting posts, targeting the whole state, and forgetting compliance. Here's what actually works for hyperlocal races.

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$1,119 and a Landslide: How Digital Ads Won a Local Election by 41 Points

Real results: $1,119 in ad spend, 20 days, 7 platforms, 70% of the vote. How a disciplined digital strategy delivered a 41-point win in a hyperlocal township race.

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Most Local Candidates Have Zero Digital Presence. Here's What That Costs Them.

When voters Google your name and find nothing, your opponent wins by default. The numbers behind digital invisibility.

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