Political parties and candidates are behind other industries when it comes to engaging their audience and exploring new ways of accomplishing voter engagement. We have seen the increased usage of digital content, such as social media (Facebook and Twitter) and video sharing (Youtube and Vimeo). This type of engagement is a step forward, but often candidates and parties don't capitalize on the full benefits of these platforms.
For example, the micro blogging platform Twitter offers a wealth of data that can be used to improve future tweets and learn about your audience. I'm not referring to the number of retweets (a metric that quantifies the number of people who shared your post), but rather data such as what time people viewed your tweet, their gender, location and interests. In future elections, if candidates don't have a social media strategy as well as the knowledge and tools to properly implement it, you will lose your strongest access to voters between the ages of 18-30. This segment will continue to grow every year.
Twitter is just one of the growing number of communication channels you need to manage. Additionally, the "one size fits all" message will not stimulate voters and bring them to the polls. Pursue them with the content they want, on the channel they will engage with.
How can you engage your voters in a meaningful way? Add a Smart Voter Engagement platform to your current communication toolkit. An all-in-one platform combines the power of multi-channel communication and individual voter profile building, and helps you make a real impact.
Step 1: Stick to Facts, Not Trends
With an all-in-one communication platform, every time you share content with voters the audience benefits and the sender benefits. Every interaction builds the profile for each voter you reach out to. You can track what content each voter responds to and tag their profile with that content. This functionality helps you reach out to those voters more effectively and build stronger relationships.
If someone interacts with job-related content, send them your stance to improve the job growth in their region. Avoid the standard content that has been the norm for too long. They will welcome a more personally tailored approach and they will feel rewarded for supporting you.
This whole process is done automatically with the right platform, and it will integrate with your current contact system. Imagine if you could have the power of big data in your campaign office.
Step 2: Go Beyond the Mailbox
Fliers were useful before the arrival of the internet and they may still offer some value with certain demographics. Yet the trend is obvious: more and more people don't want printed mail content. The cost and reward of printed media versus digital media is staggering.
Digital media can track who reads what content, A/B test different content, gather demographic data, track open rate (if someone actually looks at your content), redirect to your website and much more. The printed mail content? It provides little return on your investment and fills up the recycling bin.
You might have already adopted email. Perfect! You are on the right track. But can you personalize each email for each individual voter? Is your email content the same as your printed content would be? Take full advantage of this communication channel and automatically send emails to voters based on their interests.
Step 3: Counter the 'Cord-Cutting' Wave
If you are unfamiliar with the term, "cord-cutter" refers to the growing trend of telecommunication consumers that are cancelling their cable and landline phones. Instead, they rely solely on their cell phones for communication and use the internet to consume media and content. In 2013, 30% of Americans and 20% of Canadians used their cell phone as their primary phone line. Initial data indicates that these numbers have grown considerably in the last two years.
This information essentially reduces the potency of televised ads and home phone calling. Do you have a strategy in place to shift away from these channels and embrace the powerful alternatives such as SMS and personalized email?
Over 90% of voters in North America have a cell phone in their pocket. SMS campaigns will reach a larger audience and will increasingly be the starting point to engage your voters. You need an all-in-one platform that enables you to scale your communications over multiple channels.
Where Can I Learn More About Smart Voter Engagement?
Contact the Voter++ team at SimplyCast to start building your Smart Voter Engagement campaign: politics@simplycast.com. Sign up for a demo of Voter++ and see how you can build a stronger relationship with your voters. Voter++ enables you to be creative with your voters and reach new levels of engagement. It is not just about communication. It is about discovering new opportunities.