In any free democratic society, candidates, political parties, and referendum campaigners have the right to market themselves to potential voters. Whether you are a first-time candidate, a former office-holder plotting a comeback, or an office-holder seeking re-election, you need an effective marketing strategy to increase your chances of winning an election. In this article, we’ll outline effective ways to promote your political campaign.
1. SMS marketing
In 2018, 274.1 million mobile phones were in use in the U.S. This number is expected to increase to 294.15 million by 2025. This is why election campaign text messages are one of the best ways for campaigners and political parties to reach more potential voters.
According to Get Out the Vote (GOTV) texting report 2018, registered voters aged 18 to 50 years who were texted were more likely to turn out to vote than their peers who were not texted. Targeting the younger voters using SMS marketing strategy in a tightly contested race can make a huge difference.
What makes a good marketing SMS?
- It should be concise enough for your prospects to read within a few seconds and take action
- Humanize your message to enable your supporters to have a personal connection feeling with the candidate
- Convey urgency to compel your target to take action
- Include a clear call-to-action
- Incorporate MMS messaging where necessary
2. Social media
The power of social media to break real-time news cannot be overlooked, which is why political campaigners should engage their supporters and pass messages using these platforms. Top politicians and political parties have the most followed social media accounts, making it possible for them to directly reach more supporters within a short period of time.
According to reports, more Americans are now getting their news from social media, and leveraging on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter increases your chances of winning a political contest..
What to do for your social media political campaign to succeed?
- Create a brand for your campaign
- Have a team in place to help you create content, respond to comments, manage your social media accounts, and grow your following
- Create a political strategy that includes a social media calendar, potential partners and influencers, any paid ad plans, and engagement goals
- Have your social media accounts verified
- Find out where your target audience hangs out, their needs, and behavior to help you tailor your marketing content in a way that would captivate and convince them
- Have a PR strategy in place in case things go out of hand during the campaigns
- Get social media tracking tools to help you keep up with the progress of your campaign
- Once you create your social media marketing posts:
- Don’t focus on one platform
- Avoid posting the same content on all your marketing platforms
- Use captivating visuals to grab the attention of your target audience
- Any feedback that you get, positive or negative, helps know what your supporters need, and you should act on it
3. Direct marketing
Direct marketing is where political campaigners contact their supporters through email, fax, automated phone calls, and phone calls. It requires a lot of research and effort to make it successful.
Endnote
Political marketing is just like business marketing. You have to plan, brand, and execute your strategies to excel. These tips will help you succeed in your political campaigns.
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