Flashing back to 2016, it was a monumental year. Not only did a nonpolitical candidate get elected president, but the campaigning strategy was historic. Each candidate, Hillary Clinton, and Donald Trump, reached their constituents electronically. The money spent on digital campaigns in 2016 was more significant than any previous presidential election. This phenomenon was revolutionary in the political arena, given the candidates were considered mature – well into their late sixties. Clinton and Trump understood that the internet was how they would reach their audience – and indeed, the much-needed younger voter.
Reaching Voters Effectively
We have noticed that political campaigning has been a dinosaur for years, but now political candidates see the benefit of digital marketing. And indeed, there is a benefit! They can reach voters where they spend much of their day; on their digital devices. We could bore you with the statistics of how long people look at their phone, tablet, TV, or desktop every day, but we think you already know. It adds up to many, many hours. People tend to their devices throughout the day to check business emails, social media, or texts. To be effective, a political candidate needs to have ads on all digital devices. And there are so many advantages to running campaigns on them – in front of all those eyes.
Digital marketing campaigns can do more than just getting in front of your audience. They can relay your message much quicker than a print or radio ad. If you are noticing that the political climate is focusing on a particular issue, you can shift your message in a matter of a day and push it out. In contrast, a printed ad may take days to update, and then you’ll have to wait for the day of publication. In digital, you can have us build a new ad for you and send it out to your intended audience within 24 hours.
Digital ads can reach thousands of targeted individuals with exact precision. This high accuracy means that you don’t have wasted ad spending, so it is highly economical. Each ad you pay for is reaching intended voters, unlike print or radio ads, which don’t allow you to know who is viewing or listening to your message. Frankly, you don’t know if the homeowner tossed your mailer piece in the trash or not. That’s not the case with digital marketing.
Political ads in a digital campaign are highly measurable. Again, unlike radio or print, you can see how many people viewed your ad, how long they viewed it, and whether they engaged (click on it or look at your website or landing page). As a political candidate, you will see your campaigning results rather immediately. And based on the performance results, you can shift your message or ad to increase engagement or reach. JAC Advertising Consultants provides weekly reports on your campaigns so you can follow their success.
We set up your political campaigns with many solutions—everything from social media to the internet. Your ads will reach many areas inside of the digital space, including millions of websites.
Sending Ads to Lists
Digital political campaigns can serve up ads to a list of constituents. Yes, we said, “list.” We can obtain a list from your area of potential voters. From there, we can send your political ads into the homes of your target audience – AKA your voters.
This type of campaigning is powerful since COVID has minimized the comfort level of going door-to-door to meet with homeowners. Sending a digital ad to your voters’ home with high frequency creates the connection you are missing during today’s pandemic. Additionally, we can retarget those that showed an interest in your ads.
Retargeting Capabilities
If targeted individuals engage with your ad by clicking on it to learn more, you will want to stay in front of them. You can set up a second ad that will follow your targeted audience as they surf the web.
Many know that frequency in a political campaign is essential. Sometimes a win can be traced back to name recognition only. Most voters don’t have the time to research all the political candidates before Election Day. In those situations, candidates have to rely on how many times a voter has seen their name and ads. When in the booth, a constituent votes for the most familiar name on the ballot. We will increase the probability of a person remembering your name exponentially.
Retargeting can ensure the targeted audience recognizes the candidates’ given name, political message, and face on digital devices. But today, even television is a device that politicians can use while campaigning.
Get Your Name on the TV Screen
The days of running your political ads on an expensive, primary cable channel or TV station are long gone. With the popularity of connected TV (CTV) and over the top (OTT), which is without the cable connection on a wireless device, we can purchase ad space at a minimal cost and serve up your message into the homes of your voters. It’s precise – highly targeted. And, it’s cost-effective.
Amazon Prime, Roku, and Hulu are kings of television currently. Since the pandemic, streaming is at an all-time high, and there’s no end in sight. Smart TVs and internet TV allow people to access any program at any time. This type of medium is where politicians need to be to get voters’ recognition. It enables a political candidate the ability to be in a space that was previously too expensive.
Network or cable channels (i.e., Comcast, Charter, Cox) require a candidate to buy into expensive TV advertising packages. The expense depends on the time slot – primetime ads being the most costly. The cost of entry is high. CTV and OTT have no minimums. In the end, you don’t have to spend as much to run a campaign, which should make it highly desirable to political candidates.
Social Media and Politics
Many politicians cringe when we suggest the power of social media. The worry is that someone may criticize them or ask them a question. We view this differently.
Social media creates a medium to show constituents how you differ from your opponent. Similarly, your audience can see the benefits of voting for you based on the reaction to questions and issues. Where a political candidate may see a detriment, we see opportunity. Again, we will use the benefits of frequency and the ability to change your messaging. Social media is a powerful tool that a politician cannot ignore.
Social media, the internet, and CTV will continue to be powerhouses on the marketing front. After all, digital advertising is inexpensive, targeted, and useful. The good news is that now political candidates can harness digital marketing’s power and launch themselves into winning. JAC can help you get your political message in front of voters of all ages with a high degree of success. Contact us today for a meeting to discuss you political campaign strategies.
