Iowa Caucus Season is Here!
It is no secret that Iowa Caucus season is here. It is March 2019, well over a year in advance of the actual 2020 election. But, as first in the nation to weigh in on the political hoopla of the presidential election through the Iowa Caucuses, Iowans are already being served media coverage for the upcoming race, already being polled as to who we support and already being asked to donate dollars toward campaigns.
As a marketer, I can hardly wait to sit back and watch as blanket mailers hit the mailboxes, ads are run on radio stations and televisions across the state, and emails are churned out by the political parties on, what feels like, an hourly basis.
This makes me stop and think about some of the new cutting edge products B2E is offering, and how if used correctly, they can make messages so targeted and controlled that there’s no need to spray the town. If I were to give a campaign manager the best ways to sell their candidate through marketing and make the best use of those hard earned campaign dollars, here would be my recommendations:
Step 1. Let’s stop blanket mailers. They go in the trash most of the time anyway. Instead, send mailers to people who have shown interest. Maybe they visit a website, follow you on social media, click a banner ad, attend an event or somehow otherwise engage in your message. These people would appreciate a follow up via mail.
Step 2. Share meaningful content. I really want to know how electing you is going to impact my life. Share ongoing content through a blog, social media or video. Help me engage with your message. And if you really want to impress, personalize those videos so they really are 1 to 1 in nature.
Step 3. Build a model of who you think your typical supporter is. Take a look at the attributes of someone who you know supports you today, and build a “look-a-like” audience. Then target these folks through IP address targeting, social advertising or send them something in the mail.
Step 4. Monitor the sentiment of your personal brand and performance through social media. Using AI tools, you can monitor trends in the sentiment voters have for you. If you take a turn south, quickly head it off by changing up your message or your marketing.
These are four easy things that could allow political messaging to hit more targets, while saving campaign dollars and the sanity of Iowans.
