Your advocacy campaign hit a lull. Now what?

A menu of ideas to keep your campaign alive and thriving

Every advocacy campaign has a lull. The legislature might not be in session so you can’t push any bills forward. An agency might be taking its time putting out the next rulemaking on our issue. A big report on your issue is delayed.

Your campaign feels like it’s in limbo.

So how do you keep momentum going when there's no immediate action for people to take?

A lull is actually a golden opportunity. You can shore up the foundational components of your campaign so your community is unstoppable when it’s time to take action.

Instead of thinking of a lull as dead time, think of it as a relationship-building season. Here are a few ideas to keep your campaign alive and thriving.

You don't need to do each thing on this list. Even one of these will keep your supporters and decision-makers connected so they’re ready to go when your campaign ramps up again. And you probably have most of this content created already, just in a slightly different format. Repurpose what you have!

Say Thank You & Celebrate Wins

Start by giving your supporters some love. Send a campaign update email that celebrates what you've accomplished so far. Even if you didn't get your big policy win, you had successes worth celebrating. A few ideas of things to celebrate:

• Thanks to your advocacy, we sent [insert number] letters to legislators this spring.

• Your support helped us secure meetings with [insert number] key decision-makers

• Because you showed up, a front-page article in The Daily Planet reached [insert number] readers.

Follow each of these with an anecdote or photos. A testimonial from a lawmaker about your issue. Personal quotes from letters sent by your supporters to a decision-maker. A photo of your team in action, meeting with a lawmaker. A screenshot of a front page article.

People need to feel like their efforts made a difference. Recognition keeps them engaged and ready to act when you need them again.

Create an Update Series

Launch a summer email or social media series that keeps your issue visible. You could do a:

• “Summer Spotlight” featuring different aspects of your issue each week

• “Meet the Team” profiles of coalition partners, community members, or volunteers

• “Policy 101” educational content that builds understanding of your issue

The key is consistency. A short update every week is better than one super long email per month. And, you probably already have this content created! Repurpose what you have to make this even easier.

Host a Community Connection Event

Summer is perfect for less formal gatherings. Consider:

• A casual “campaign update and Q&A” happy hour or coffee meetup

• A volunteer appreciation picnic, where you brief them on fall plans

• A “lunch and learn” session for new supporters

These events serve double duty: they keep current supporters engaged while giving you a chance to recruit new people before your next busy season.

Keep Decision-Makers on Your Radar

Just because the legislature isn't in session doesn't mean elected officials disappear. Summer is actually a great time to:

• Send brief, friendly updates to key legislators' staff with an ask to brief them on the latest issue updates

• Invite decision-makers to community events

• Submit letters to the editor in their local papers while news is slower

The goal isn't to lobby them hard, but to stay visible and maintain relationships.

Use your next campaign lull to strengthen your foundations, and you'll be amazed at how much stronger your campaign becomes.

If reading this made you think "we need to do this but I have no idea who's going to do it"... that's where I come in. Find time on my calendar to schedule a free discovery call.