Texting is a critical channel campaigns use to reach voters, donors, and volunteers with key messages and calls to action. In recent election cycles, its use has exploded. Americans received 15 billion political texts in 2022.
Understanding the reasons why campaigns increasingly rely on texting is essential for anyone working to build their SMS marketing strategy. For even more details on how to get started and execute an effective texting campaign, sign up for this free training I developed in collaboration with the Leadership Institute.
Voters See & Act On Text Messaging
SMS messages are almost universally seen with an estimated 98% open rate. These high open rates lead to more engagements and conversions compared to other campaign marketing channels like email and social media.
Texting Is Targeted
A mobile phone number is a reliable identifier for a specific individual which means a campaign can target its messages and calls to action to the right voter in ways that aren’t possible with TV advertising or mail.
As privacy regulations make it more difficult to microtarget online ads, texting enables campaigns to accurately segment their communications with voters.
Texting Is Relational
Because a voter’s mobile phone number is personal to them, your campaign can build an ongoing relationship with them via texting. Keeping track of a voter’s support for your campaign, likelihood to vote, volunteer activity, and donor status are all possible via text messaging enabling you to reach them with the most relevant communications.
Texting also makes two way conversations possible between a supporter and campaign.
Everyone Texts
97% of American adults own a cellphone, including 90% who have a smartphone. That means you can still reach voters via text messaging who don’t use social media, don’t watch linear TV, or never answer their front door.
Texting is one of the few remaining universal platforms for reaching voters.
Media Channels & Digital Platforms Are Making It Harder To Reach Voters
New data privacy restrictions are making it more difficult for advertisers to target specific audiences on social media, mobile devices, and desktops. But political campaigns are subject to additional limitations that prohibit political advertising. Social media platforms like TikTok and LinkedIn along with streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are totally off limits for political advertising.
Text messaging is still one channel where political speech is protected because of regulations related to telecommunications companies and wireless phone carriers.
Texting Tackles Any Campaign Goal
Not only can text messaging reach every voter, it can achieve every campaign objective. From building name ID to driving voter turnout, texting is effective for awareness, persuasion, and direct response objectives.
Conclusion
Your campaign can’t afford not to take full advantage of the power of text messaging. To learn more about the different types of texting, how to get data for your text messaging program, and the must-use tactics for successful texting, enroll now in this free, online course I developed in collaboration with the Leadership Institute.
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