Clinton aides put on alert for 2016 announcement, likely in 2 weeks

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Countdown begins to Clinton 2016 announcement

Ellen Ratner and Liz Peek on whether Clinton has learned lessons from 2008

Hillary Clinton’s political team -- from senior advisers to state operatives -- has been put on alert for a 2016 presidential candidate announcement, Fox News has learned, and senior Democratic officials familiar with her rollout plans say she will announce in the next two weeks.

After what aides expect to be an initial announcement on social media, Clinton reportedly will do some relatively small campaign events in key early states like Iowa and New Hampshire.

Clinton’s approach in 2016 will illustrate that as a presidential candidate "she fights for every vote and takes nothing for granted,” a Democratic official said. This would be in sharp contrast to her failed attempt in 2008, when she was considered the inevitable Democratic presidential nominee but failed to see the burgeoning rival campaign of now President Barack Obama.

Obama, of course, rose from his underdog status to momentous victor, following a surprising win in Iowa and an even more surprising third place finish for Clinton.

The 2016 plan is to have Clinton try to “connect with real people” better than she did eight years ago, according to a Democratic official with knowledge of the announcement plans and strategy.

Clinton started the campaign clock ticking last week when her team signed a lease in Brooklyn, New York for a massive new campaign headquarters at Pierrepont Plaza that occupies at least two floors. There at least 35 staffers in New York City alone.

That action by Team Clinton means that by FEC rules, she has 15 days since the signing of the lease to file the paperwork officially for a 2016  presidential run because her expenditure on the lease was purportedly over the $5,000 marker.

Clinton is continuing to scoop up key campaign operatives, with both Karen Finney and Oren Shur recently joining her VIP team . Finney will work as strategic communications adviser,and Shur as director of paid media, according to a Clinton spokesperson.

Fox News’ Ed Henry and Serafin Gomez contributed to this report