Getting people to like your campaign video on social media is one thing, but getting people to register to vote and show up on Election Day is much more challenging. No matter how well-researched or clear your message, it must persuade people to take action and vote, commonly known as GOTV (get out the vote). All US local, state, and federal political campaigns face this challenge.
Almost 67% of eligible adults voted in the November 2020 elections. While this is higher than any other year this century, there’s still significant room for improvement. When races come down to a few percentage points (or even fractional points), getting more people out to vote can make critical differences. You’ll need to communicate directly with potential voters to connect with them and inspire them to action. With modern technology, one of the most effective ways is through SMS marketing. By learning the best tips and tricks for texting GOTV campaigns, you can set yourself up for success on election day.
How SMS Marketing Works
Text messages perform significantly better than campaign emails or mailers. Emailed voting reminders and campaign pledges can easily end up in the spam folder. Expensive printed pamphlets are often ignored or tossed in the trash along with junk mail. But text messages land directly in people’s phones, offering a fast and direct line of communication with voters.
Using SMS marketing software like Tatango, candidates and strategists can create, manage, and fine-tune texting campaigns. By building a list of opted-in subscribers, you can send them recurring messages —- with embedded donation links, videos, audio clips, and calls to action.
Marketing and campaign emails have a low 20% open rate compared to SMS messages, which are opened 99% of the time (plus 90% are read within three minutes of being received).
Recent data shows that over 78 percent of people consider texting the fastest way to reach them. When fundraising and registration deadlines are approaching, your campaign team needs to be able to rely on their messages getting through.
Getting Out the Vote
Encouraging people to vote is only part of the GOTV process. Successful campaigns need to engage supporters long term, providing event notifications, registration reminders, polling updates, and thank-you messages. Voters in your subscriber list shouldn’t experience any confusion about how to prepare and follow through on Election Day.
SMS marketing game plans are crucial for campaigns. Haphazardly mixing text messages into your overall campaign won’t provide optimal results. Placing SMS marketing at the center of your campaign communication strategy will give you the best possible shot at increasing voter turnout and engagement.
How to Start an Effective GOTV Campaign
Luckily, you don’t have to set up your SMS campaign in the dark. Text messages play an increasingly essential role with every election season. Start with the following key steps to get the most out of your time and resources.
1. Partner with the Right SMS Platform
Start by choosing the right SMS platform and provider. When deadlines are tight and every vote matters, you’ll need an SMS marketing platform capable of sending millions of messages an hour. Tatango has led the industry for almost 15 years, providing accessible and powerful tools for campaigns and organizations—as well as expert advice and design support.
Instead of developing your own software and resources, you can rely on Tatango’s purpose-built platform and tested expertise. With web-based software, you and your team can access your SMS campaign while traveling and campaigning. Our team of experts can help you plan an efficient and effective texting campaign.
2. Build Your Subscriber List
Before sending out messages, you’ll need to grow your subscriber list. Legally, campaigns need supporters to opt-in for messaging first. Promoting your subscriber list and SMS campaign will be a top priority.
With Tatango, you can integrate a short snippet of code with your website, so whenever someone provides their number on a web form, they’re synced with your SMS program.
Make sure to also promote your subscriber list everywhere: on signs, at events, in campaign ads, etc. With just a short line of added code, Tatango can integrate your subscriber list with your website. When supporters add their contact info to your campaign site, automated opt-in requests go out immediately. As your list grows, each SMS message has a more significant impact.
3. Use Voter Data Efficiently
Voters can opt in to your SMS list simply by texting YES. They can also send useful keywords you can use to better understand and segment your list by specific demographics such as location, time zone, and donation activity.
Instead of sending general messages to all supporters at once, you can target your texts to keep messages relevant and avoid overwhelming voters with messages. Focused communication can make all the difference, especially when sending time-sensitive information.
4. Write Great Messages
With the Tatango Design Studio, you don’t have to create compelling messages on your own.
When you partner with Tatango, your team gains access to easy-to-use tools and support from in-house designers—at no extra cost.
Tatango also supports multimedia messaging service (MMS) texts. These texts can handle more characters than SMS texts and can include embedded images, GIFs, audio clips, campaign videos, and other media. Try mixing longer, media-rich messages with shorter reminders. Variety in your SMS conversation helps your messaging feel fresh.
With increased voter turnout in mind, use direct, clear language. Be concise and include action-oriented phrases, like “Register today!” or “Donate now!”
5. Keep Optimizing Your Messages
Successful SMS campaigns adjust and fine-tune their strategies over time. With Tatango, you can track open and click-thru rates, donations, and keywords so you can optimize your messaging strategy in real time. Imagine knowing exactly how much each text message brought in with donations, every time you send a message.
When unexpected events and news happen, lean into your SMS messages. They’re a fantastic way to reach supporters quickly and communicate directly before other parties can spin the story. Boost engagement and your chance of victory by using text messaging to share your political stances, promises, and goals and encourage people to register and vote. Then keep track of how your supporters respond and make adjustments to keep refining your texts.
Start Your GOTV SMS Campaign Today
Share your vision and passion with supporters directly by sending SMS messages through the Tatango platform. Avoid generic GOTV emails in favor of eye-catching messages and timely reminders, and you’ll see meaningful results. Text messages can play a vital role throughout the entire campaign cycle, from registration to election day to follow-up thank-you messages.
With the right SMS partner and a growing subscriber list, you’ll reach potential voters with compelling messages and get more people out to vote than ever before.
To find out more and get started with your GOTV texting campaign today, contact the team of experts at Tatango!
