'%3E%3Cg id='mobile_login_icon' data-name='mobile login icon' transform='translate(0 0)' clip-path='url(%23clip-path)'%3E%3Cpath id='Path_607' data-name='Path 607' d='M22.775,22.09a1.99,1.99,0,1,1-1.99-1.99A1.99,1.99,0,0,1,22.775,22.09Z' transform='translate(-12.654 -13.533)' fill='none' stroke='%23000' stroke-miterlimit='10' stroke-width='1.5'/%3E%3Cpath id='Path_608' data-name='Path 608' d='M20.685,41.322v-1.8a1.567,1.567,0,0,0-1.564-1.561h-4.8a1.571,1.571,0,0,0-1.561,1.568v1.8' transform='translate(-8.593 -25.558)' fill='none' stroke='%23000' stroke-miterlimit='10' stroke-width='1.5'/%3E%3Cpath id='Path_609' data-name='Path 609' d='M15.062,4.247H12.643l-3.2-2.809a.68.68,0,0,0-.938,0L5.3,4.247H2.884A1.639,1.639,0,0,0,1.25,5.881V18.058a1.639,1.639,0,0,0,1.634,1.634H15.062A1.639,1.639,0,0,0,16.7,18.058V5.881A1.639,1.639,0,0,0,15.062,4.247Z' transform='translate(-0.842 -0.842)' fill='none' stroke='%23000' stroke-linecap='round' stroke-linejoin='round' stroke-width='1.5'/%3E%3C/g%3E%3C/g%3E%3C/svg%3E%0A)
In the complex and dynamic arena of public policy, driving meaningful change requires a mix of strategic planning and the right advocacy tools. Not only must today’s lobbyists and political consultants stay up to date on the latest news and reporting across legislative developments, but they also need to manage a diverse array of stakeholders as they build relationships and fine-tune their engagement efforts.
Without a reliable source of empowering tools and non-partisan news to help them understand, track, and craft a winning strategy, government relations professionals face countless difficulties in their advocacy efforts. So, what’s the solution?
POLITICO Pro delivers everything you need to influence public policy and build and maintain a strong relationship with stakeholders — from comprehensive, non-partisan coverage across 22 major policy areas, to bill tracking and stakeholder management features that help you leverage deep insight and connections to support your cause. Combined with a strategic approach to advocate for campaigns, Pro can help propel public affairs efforts, providing you with the inside scoop as it unfolds.
To help you make the most of our Pro platform, let’s look at what it takes to develop a successful advocacy strategy.
Crucial Elements of a Successful Advocacy Plan
No matter what your policy goal is, it’s easy to lose sight of the objective without a clear plan in place. But what exactly does an advocacy plan entail?
Here are six tactics to help you tackle your advocacy efforts:
1. Establish a Clear Objective
Advocacy work can often be like a loose thread — the more you pull, the more the initial problem unravels into other issues. That’s why it’s essential to start with a clear policy objective from the get-go. Whether you plan to forge a stronger relationship with legislators or advise clients on how to shape messaging on key issues, the end goal must be clear and concise.
POLITICO Pro enables government affairs professionals and political consultants to develop these goals by providing them with in-depth policy analysis on the key issues relevant to them. Leveraging our platform, they can anticipate legislative and regulatory changes and advocate for policy changes to help their organizations operate more successfully.
2. Identify, Track and Engage with Stakeholders
The next step in advocacy planning is to determine the key stakeholders, from legislators and other elected officials to regulators and staff members. Understanding this narrow audience selection and what drives them will be vital in developing a strong base of allies who can help effect change.
With tools like our Directories and Stakeholder Analysis, the Pro platform provides a comprehensive understanding of political affiliations, legislative priorities, analysis, and more, enabling lobbyists and political consultants to map out and pinpoint the most receptive audience for their advocacy campaigns.
3. Research and Gather Data
In addition to researching your target audience, developing an advocacy campaign will require comprehensive insight into relevant legislative changes. Government relations professionals will need a thorough understanding of the topic from all perspectives, including historical context, remarks from members of Congress, and real-time analysis.
POLITICO Pro empowers lobbyists, consultants and other professionals to dive deep into the legislative landscape through various tools — from Legislative Compass and Dialogue Tracking to premium features like DataPoint and Pro Bill Analysis. Track policy trends as they emerge with comprehensive data from a single platform, so you can anticipate and act upon changes that will impact your policy goals.
4. Network and Build Support
All the research and information in the world won’t enact change in and of itself. Instead, those in government relations must emphasize the relations part of the job. Finding common ground with policy influencers has the power to truly advance your advocacy work, and Pro is here to help.
The Stakeholder Management and Analysis features provide a comprehensive suite of tools to help you connect with policymakers, track outreach and engagement, and strategically expand your network. At the same time, collaboration tools allow you to work in tandem with your team to achieve your policy goals.
5. Measure Engagement and Adjust Your Approach
As your advocacy campaign progresses, it will be critical to track engagement to refine your advocacy strategy. POLITICO Pro’s Stakeholder Management tool offers detailed reporting on interactions with policymakers and offices, including email metrics for all communications sent through the platform. This allows for a clear understanding of your impact and engagement levels to help you adjust your approach based on concrete data.
At the same time, Pro’s Stakeholder Analysis feature provides an easy and convenient way to map out the most relevant congressional stakeholders for your advocacy efforts, ensuring your campaign is targeted and strategic.
6. Stay Organized and Up-to-Date on Policy Changes
So much can happen throughout an advocacy campaign that it can be hard to keep up with what’s important. Staying informed on the latest policy shifts is essential, and Pro is your ultimate ally.
Not only does Pro deliver real-time, comprehensive, non-partisan coverage of the latest policy insights and analyses, but you also get tailored alerts to monitor only what’s relevant. With a user-friendly interface, Pro enables easy access to pertinent news and information, empowering you to stay organized and on top of emerging stories as you adapt your strategy.
Additionally, Pro’s Projects feature helps your team stay organized and work efficiently together, allowing you to access all your content in one place to keep your team aligned as you work toward your policy goals.
Power Your Advocacy Strategies With POLITICO Pro
POLITICO Pro delivers a competitive advantage for government relations professionals seeking to drive impactful policy changes. From real-time analysis and insights across 22 policy areas to powerful tools for stakeholder management, collaboration, bill tracking, and more, Pro has everything you need to shape the future you’d like to see.
Request a demo today.