I'm reminded of the days I managed grassroots campaigns for corporate 500 companies and national trade associations across the country and we followed some pretty simple but effective rules.
First
and foremost, the legislator's name and how you want the legislator to vote on
the specific issue you're addressing must be in the first paragraph without
fail.
That’s
key!
Those
two things in the first paragraph will get the attention of their staff and in
turn it will end up on his/her desk to read, if your letter is published.
Second
paragraph should talk about the issue in detail. This is a great time to
state the facts and any other information you want out in the public domain.
Close with the action item - vote for or against a piece of legislation. Again, this is key!
It's
also important to put your full name and full contact information on this
communication. That's what makes it legit and hopefully published from
the papers point of view! And don't be surprised if you receive a phone
call from the paper before they publish your letter-to-the-editor.
Your goal is to get your legislator to support your position. Don't let them off the hook and with the typical "I'll keep your views in mind" should this legislation come up for a vote response, if and when they reach out to you in response to your letter.
Remember, in the grassroots business, you're in the business of influencing a legislator to vote a certain way. Once you've secured that vote, you move on to the next legislator (most campaigns are targeting multiple legislators at the same time). That's how the successful grassroots campaigns are run.
While
these are basic suggestions, it will give you a better chance of getting that
letter-to-the-editor published.
And
isn't that your ultimate goal?
Good
luck!
