Over 600 bills were introduced in the 2026 Colorado state legislative session. That’s hundreds of debates, committee hearings and opportunities to shape the policies that affect your organization and the communities you serve.

If your organization had a stake in any of those bills, you likely have someone working inside the Capitol — whether that’s a contracted lobbyist, internal government affairs staff or, for smaller organizations, your executive director wearing yet another hat. Whoever is leading those efforts, the work is essential: Building relationships, navigating political dynamics and securing votes. And no communications strategy can replace it.

But lawmakers don’t make decisions in a vacuum. They read the news. They hear from constituents. They notice when an issue is gaining (or losing) traction in the court of public opinion. Strategic communications can amplify what’s happening inside the Capitol by building visibility and momentum outside of it.

And lawmakers aren’t your only audience. Your members/customers, the communities you serve, key stakeholders and partners — they all have a stake in your advocacy work. Strategic communications ensures they know what you’re fighting for, why it matters and how they can get involved. Keeping these audiences informed and engaged not only builds trust and demonstrates value, it also creates a network of advocates ready to mobilize when you need them most.

When your lobby team and communications team work together, the result is a synchronized strategy that’s far more powerful than either approach alone.

Whether you’re reflecting on the 2026 session, planning for 2027 or thinking about how to strengthen your approach in years ahead, here are six steps to build an effective advocacy communications strategy.

1. Start Earlier Than You Think You Need To

The best time to think about advocacy communications? Summer through Fall before a new legislative session begins.

Developing strong messaging takes time. So does identifying spokespeople, building coalitions, creating materials and aligning with your lobby team. Starting as early as possible allows you to do the foundational work that makes activation during session more effective and helps you avoid scrambling when things heat up.

2. Align with Your Lobby Team Early and Often

Your lobby team has insight you don’t: stakeholder dynamics, lawmaker targets, what’s shifting behind the scenes. Your communications team brings a different lens: media landscape, digital trends, what’s resonating with the public.

When these teams share information and coordinate tactics, the impact multiplies. Your lobby team might identify that a handful of committee members in specific districts are the key swing votes; communications can then focus on hyperlocal media outreach, targeted digital ads or constituent voices from those regions to support the effort.

Build regular check-ins throughout session to stay aligned as political dynamics evolve.

3. Get Clear on Your Role and Your Targets

Are you leading a bill or supporting a broader coalition? This shapes your communications approach. If you’re the lead, you may need to develop messaging and toolkits that partners can plug into. If you’re supporting, your job is to follow the coalition’s lead and fill gaps, perhaps by providing a spokesperson from a specific region or amplifying messages through your networks.

Equally important: Who are you trying to reach? All legislators? A specific committee? Constituents in key districts? Your members or key stakeholders? Understanding your audience—informed by your lobby team’s political intelligence—shapes everything from media strategy to ad placement.

4. Invest in Messaging

This step often gets rushed, but it’s foundational. Effective advocacy messaging requires research, audience understanding and careful crafting.

What arguments will move your targets? What language resonates with constituents in different regions? How do you counter opposition talking points? Taking time to get messaging right on the front end makes every tactic that follows more effective—and ensures everyone on your team, from your lobby team to coalition partners, is speaking with one voice.

5. Think Beyond Earned Media

When organizations think “advocacy communications,” they often think “media coverage.” And earned media is valuable: A well-placed story or op-ed can shape public perception and create pressure.

But the reality is earned media is harder than ever. Newsrooms are shrinking, and with 600+ bills competing for attention, it’s a crowded field.

The good news? There’s a full toolkit of tactics that can complement or even substitute for traditional media:

• Paid media: Digital ads can reach specific audiences—geofencing the Capitol to reach lawmakers, targeting constituents in key districts to drive calls to legislators or running ads in publications lawmakers read.
• Search strategy: Whether it’s a traditional search optimization strategy or includes AI-focused GEO results, often a stakeholder or constituent’s first inquiry about proposed legislation will be an online search for more information. Ranking as high as possible for relevant searches will pay dividends.
• Toolkits: Empower your coalition or key partners with sample social posts, graphics and key messages they can share on their own channels.
• Owned content: Your website, email list and social channels are powerful platforms for storytelling and calls to action.
• Grassroots mobilization: Petitions, letter-writing campaigns and action alerts generate volume and show lawmakers that constituents care.

The most effective campaigns strategically layer these tactics together. And when you do land earned media? Amplify it! Share across your channels, push through coalition networks and arm your lobby team with the clip to share directly with lawmakers.

6. Plan to Adapt

Legislative dynamics shift quickly. A bill that seemed like a sure thing can stall; unexpected opposition can emerge; a committee hearing gets moved up.

Build flexibility into your communications plan. Set regular check-ins with your internal team, lobby team and any partners to assess what’s working and pivot as needed. The best advocacy campaigns are responsive, not rigid.