Raising awareness for a political campaign is a game of numbers, and there many ways to reach established members of a party of for a certain candidate. There are also countless ways to reach potential voters as well. One of the most personalized and efficient ways to do this is via SMS or text messages.
Changing Tactics
The voter demographic is changing in part to technological advances. In the past, long mailing lists, phone calls, and rallies were the best way to raise awareness and incite potential voters to action. Social media has replaced mailing lists, and electronic correspondence is phasing out phone calls. Now is as good a time as ever to utilize SMS messaging to reach out to the changing market. While not everyone will open a letter for their preferred candidate, or may hang up the phone when they hear a recording, an SMS message will allow for personalized communication. What used to take days or weeks to reach voters can now reach them instantly via SMS messages. The open rate for emails can be as low as %40, with many emails be permanently rerouted to Spam folders. Text messages however boast 90% open rates and can reach a far larger audience.
Efficiency: Cost and Response
Political campaigns require money to function, and in a game of securing votes, every cent counts. The cost of postage, mailing lists, and shipping are all eliminated when SMS messages are used for a campaign. The cost of sending out mass text messages are minimal, and due to the fact that recipients opt in to receive SMS messages in the first place, the correspondence will be welcome. This will cut down on wasted campaign funds, and yield a higher response rate, be it at rallies or at the voting booth.
Personalized Message
Cell phones are still an intimate form of communication that can reach out to a certain demographic and send a personalized message. This is especially important in politics because it is important to make a connection with voters and supports to move them to act, convene, or vote.
SMS messaging can be an effective tool to spread awareness about a cause or candidate. It’s widespread availability and personalized nature can yield far more results than mailing lists or phone calls. In terms of cost, SMS messaging is the most cost effective way to reach a large number of people.
