Direct Mail Political Campaigns Are More Effective Than You Think!

Political ads—you see them all the time, good or bad. This candidate hates puppies; how can they possibly be trusted to run our great state? Or, since they announced their candidacy for Governor, over five people have said that they’ve personally witnessed him pick his nose in public!!! Is this someone you want making decisions for your taxes?  It’s easy to think that this is the only way a political campaign is won (or lost—who would vote for someone who hates puppies?), but a lot of elections come down to more than just commercials. After all, buying up ad space on TV can cost a fortune, and a lot of candidates don’t have room in their budget for just one type of campaign.

That’s where political mailing lists can be a huge boon for your campaign—instead of a big, fancy (and mean) ad, pivot to a medium that’s plenty reliable and only costs a fraction of the price. We’ve outlined some of the key benefits of a direct mail campaign, and what steps you need to take to make sure that your targeted audience reads and listens to what you have to say.

Effective, cost-controlled marketing

When you’re deciding which direction to go in for your political campaign, your budget is undoubtedly one of the most important things that you need to consider. Why waste all your money on one medium, when you can diversify your options while still reaching your target audience? Direct mail is a cost-effective method of reaching the people you want to reach. Compiling a mailing list is relatively easy—you can choose voters that are active participants in local politics (you can see how many elections they’ve voted in recently), which party they vote for, what precinct they voted in, and where they’re registered to vote.

How to avoid the garbage can with your mail

Now that you’ve determined who you want to target with your mail campaign, how do you make sure they don’t immediately toss it away, never to be read again? While some voters that take a little more time to read what you have to say, the vast majority of recipients will barely skim your mail before throwing it away almost immediately. There’s not much that you can do to change what people do with their mail (some people would rather not receive mail at all), but you can certainly change the content of your letter to get your message across more effectively. You want to let your voters know why you’re running for office in as little time as possible—delivering a message that is too granular, issue-specific, you risk accelerating your trip to the trash can. Two key parts of a direct mail campaign are:

• Raising name awareness
• Highlighting your message/emphasizing negatives about your opponent

If there’s one thing you want the reader to see, it’s your name. Soon, they might be asked, “are you voting in the local election?” They may not have the best idea yet, but at the very least they’ll know your name. If there’s another thing that you want them to see, it’s what you do well, or what your opponent doesn’t do well. As long as you’re effective in your brand positioning, you’ll be able to reach the audience you want with minimal hassle.