Political SMS Marketing

5 Reasons Political Campaigns Should Use SMS Marketing

5 Reasons Political Campaigns Should Use SMS Marketing
The 2020 presidential election has been unlike any other, as more Americans cast their ballots before Election Day this year than in previous elections. With election results, recounts, and runoffs (along with the COVID-19 pandemic) dominating the headlines, we at Tatango want to share five reasons why political campaigns should consider using SMS marketing as a communication and marketing tool.

 

1. Raise Funds for a Campaign

Since 2012, when the Federal Election Commission (FEC) stated that political party campaigns could use text message marketing to make contributions in connection with federal elections, fundraising for political campaigns has changed dramatically. In recent years, both Democratic and Republican campaigns have increasingly used SMS marketing for fundraising.

There is so much competition in political campaigns that it’s critical to use the most effective and efficient tools available. Compared to more traditional marketing efforts such as sweepstakes, auctions, or campaign events, text message marketing campaigns are among the most effective fundraising methods. In a recent internal study at Tatango, we found that for every dollar invested in building and operating a texting program, campaigns net $20 in donations on average.

SMS marketing helps campaigns reach supporters, invite them to donate, and thank them for their meaningful contribution with a personal note. To create an effective fundraising text message, be sure to include these three elements:

  • A clear and compelling message
  • A clickable link to the donation page
  • A powerful CTA (call to action)

 

2. Increase Supporter Engagement

As with brands and their customers, engagement is one of the most important and effective ways to build and strengthen a candidate’s relationship with voters and cultivate their loyalty. Developing successful ways to engage with supporters is vital to a campaign. With text messages, a candidate can communicate about events, campaign information, polling updates, and other important information. Text message marketing opportunities are endless and can be a game-changer for political campaigns since the average American checks their phone more than 45 times a day.

While SMS messaging and other communication channels like social media and email marketing are useful tools for communicating with supporters, text messages have a 209% higher response rate than email, phone calls, and even social media such as Facebook. It’s the perfect channel to engage with voters in real-time.

Some examples of campaign and candidate engagement are:

  • Polling supporters about issues
  • Sending personalized thank-you’s in response to donations and contributions
  • Providing voter registration information
  • Delivering personalized and exclusive campaign information and updates
  • Reminding voters about important deadlines

Below is an example of a thank-you message to increase supporter engagement:

“Dear John, thank you for coming to my event today and donating $5. We have your email address johnperry@example.com and will follow up with you soon. Please reply Win2021 to stay informed of our campaign and the upcoming events via SMS.”

 

3. Recruit and Organize Volunteers

In addition to engaging with supporters and raising funds for campaigns, candidates can use SMS marketing to recruit new volunteers from among their most loyal supporters. It’s easy to collect data about opted-in subscribers using text message marketing. A political campaign can use collected information such as demographics and location data to send segmented bulk messages to supporters about volunteer opportunities, updates, and information about upcoming events in their area.

The internet is so cluttered with information that supporters can quickly get distracted and miss invites to events, as occurs with social media. For example, if you use Facebook, you know how common it is to confuse groups and pages. Text message marketing is a highly effective tool when you need to send information your recipients will see immediately and without distraction. Data shows that 83% of SMS messages are read within 90 seconds of being received and 90% within three minutes.

 

4. Remind Supporters To Get Out The Vote

SMS messaging is one of the most inexpensive, powerful, and direct tools to reach a large number of people for efforts such as getting out the vote (GOTV). Research by Tech for Campaigns showed that people who were reached by SMS texting were 1% more likely to vote. Although 1% may not look like much, it can make a significant difference in a close race. This same research found that people who responded to messages were 9.6% more likely to vote, and those who were informed through texting about issues related to a candidate or district were also 8.2% more likely to vote.

An SMS marketing software provider like Tatango helps you maintain a direct line to your supporters so you can keep them in the loop. You can also schedule text messages with reminders about important dates, such as a last-minute reminder on Election Day.

 

5. Gain More and Younger Supporters

We live in a mobile-first era, where most people skip TV and social media ads and where email platforms automatically filter promotions and spam. It’s no surprise that political campaigns rely on an easy and economical channel to get their audiences’ attention. Although not everyone has access to the internet on their mobile devices, SMS texting is still a very popular feature, even among younger adults—97% of mobile owners between the ages of 18 and 29 use their phones for texting, as do 92% of those between the ages of 30 and 49.

Worldwide, about 5 billion people can send and receive text messages, and more than 200 thousand text messages are sent per second. Most younger voters are entirely immersed in technology. No one under the age of 40 wants to receive a phone call, especially about politics.

 

Get Started Text Messaging Today

Ready to earn the vote? Whether your political campaign is looking for an SMS marketing software or looking for ways to differentiate competitors, Tatango can be your best partner. As the industry leader in text message marketing for the past 13 years, we’re ready to help! Contact us today.


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