Political consultants work hard to ensure the candidates they represent are the ones who win elections. Nathan Sproul provides an overview of the industry and profession.

1. HOW THE
POLITICAL
CONSULTING
INDUSTRY WORKS
Lincoln Strategy Group
byNathanSproul

2. THE BUSINESS OF
POLITICS
Industry rumor mills will have you believe that
political consulting is, for lack of a better word, a
shady profession to get into. But don't believe the
hype. The work is on the up and up, not to mention
incredibly rewarding and overwhelmingly positive.
Simply put, "consultants want their clients to win"—to
borrow a line from December opinion pages of The
New York Times.

3. WHAT IS A POLITICAL
CONSULTANT’S JOB?
Generally speaking, consultants are responsible for
taking all the money raised through a political
campaign and deciding how it gets spent to get the
good word out for a candidate.
For most candidates, a majority of that money gets
spent on television advertisements, but it can also be
spent on direct mail strategies, voter polling and
research on the opposition.

4. HOW IS SOCIAL MEDIA
CHANGING THE INDUSTRY?
Manyyoungpeoplearegettinginvolvedinthe
politicalprocess. Mostoftheseyoungpeopleare
activeonsocialmedia, soitisbecomingincreasingly
importantforcandidatestohaveastrongpresence
onsocialmediainadditiontotelevisionadsand
directmail. Consultantswhounderstandthiswill
likelyhavegreatersuccessgoingforward.

5. THE CONSULTING
ADVANTAGE
While certain organizations will critique the political
consulting field, it is a necessary industry that allows
candidates to get their messages to the general
public. Some campaigns see an overwhelming boost
in their reach and consulting firm they hire. In the
upcoming election and every election coming
forward, the need for these professionals is only
going to increase.

6. HOW THE POLITICAL
CONSULTING INDUSTRY
WORKS
apresentationbyNathanSproul