5 Must Have Digital Marketing Strategies for Electoral Candidates

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A record 67% of all voting-age adults participated in the 2020 election. It was a contentious election, driven by civil rights, a global pandemic, and a divided nation.

If you’re an electoral candidate in an upcoming election, you can learn a lot about digital marketing tactics other campaigns used to win.

When you look at local elections, only about a third of people voted in local elections. Yet, local elections have a huge impact on local policies. But, unfortunately, just a handful of votes often decides them.

Every vote counts in every election. That’s why electoral candidates have to do everything they can to increase voter turnout.

Keep reading for the top digital marketing tips you can use in your next electoral campaign.

1. Build a Strong Foundation

Why should people vote for you? Why are you running? These are the two essential questions you have to answer before you do anything online.

It would be best if you also had a personal story. Candidates tell stories about their origins. You often hear, “I’m the daughter of immigrants,” or “I’m the son of a blue-collar family.”

This gives voters a chance to get to know you and your values.

Once you have these basics down, you have to build your digital marketing strategy. First, you need to have a campaign website. A company like Gravis Marketing can help you set up a website built for fundraising and getting out the vote.

The next step is to decide where you’re going to be online. For example, will you invest in search ads? Will you do videos for Facebook and YouTube?

You might decide to start a TikTok account. Ensure that you pick the platforms that give you the best chance to connect with voters in your district.

2. Have a Digital Marketing Budget

Unless you’re already famous, you don’t have the time to build an organic online following. You’re going to need to spend money on digital ads.

About $2.1 billion was spent on political ads in the last presidential campaign. You don’t need to raise that much money for a local election.

You need to ensure that you have the budget to get your message out to a broad audience. So please don’t make a mistake and run a single ad and expect everyone to respond.

It would be best if you created different ads for different demographics. For example, you should have an ad targeted towards members of your own party to volunteer.

You can target people who are apathetic about politics. Create an ad that introduces you and your story to them. They won’t get involved in your campaign, but they will vote for you.

A different ad for members of the other political party is appropriate. Remember, every vote counts in a general election. If you can capture a few swing voters, you can win your campaign.

You do need to be prepared to deal with trolls and negative comments. Have a set policy in place that outlines how staff members and volunteers deal with them.

Every comment reflects your campaign, so you want the response to be civil and firm.

3. Live Stream Events

Live streaming is one of the most effective ways to connect with voters online. You can live stream events and rallies on Facebook and YouTube.

Live streaming on IGTV gives you a chance to do town halls with voters without leaving the campaign trail. That makes you much more approachable and grows your following quickly.

4. Work With Influencers

Have you wondered why Dr. Anthony Fauci is all over YouTube these days? This is because he’s allowed himself to be interviewed by every influencer out there to educate the public about coronavirus.

Influencers hold a lot of power in elections. Just one Instagram post about your candidacy can change the entire election.

You want to find out who the top influencers are in your area. First, learn more about their content and values. Then, make sure that the influencer’s values align with yours.

Also, set goals when you work with influencers. Please don’t do it because it seems like a good idea. Instead, be clear about what you want the influencer to do for your campaign.

5. Break the Partisan Ice

People will vote for you if they feel like they know you and they like you. Your policy positions don’t matter as much as your likeability.

It’s important to remember that you’re frustrating about 55% of your audience when posting political content online.

More than half of social media users are frustrated with the amount of political content.

It’s also the disagreement between people online that’s frustrating. Most people would rather be right about their position than have a real political conversation.

How can you get your content seen and heard, so you have a chance to get people to vote for you? So, again, go back to your foundational messages.

Tell your story and make yourself relatable. Then, please get to know voters online by asking them questions. Learn what’s most important to them.

Most people want a good job, provide for their family, and feel safe and secure. So focus on those issues in your district that touch on these themes.

You can tell stories of constituents that have challenges related to those core issues. Those are the things that people care about, regardless of political affiliation.

Digital Marketing Help for Electoral Candidates

Electoral candidates have their hands full in every election. Elections are no longer about canvassing and fundraising. You need to run a complete campaign that includes digital marketing.

You have to make sure to have a strong foundation with a crystal-clear message. It’s also important to tell a great personal story to make a connection.

That enables you to tell your story across social media platforms and create ads that get results.

Check out the other articles on this site to help you use eCommerce tips to raise money and sell promotional products for your campaign.

5 Must-Have Digital Marketing Strategies for Electoral Candidates

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