Key Marketing Lessons for Local Politicians
Every two to four years, local politicians begin an urgent quest for constituent support in just a few months. However, many voters remain unaware of these candidates and their stance on crucial local issues. Enter the awkward campaign season in which campaign volunteers knock on doors, ring phones and borrow on other grassroot and grass top techniques to get out the vote.
In the dynamic world of politics, effective marketing is vital for local politicians seeking constituent support. Unfortunately, numerous campaigns make fundamental marketing errors that hinder their success. These are five important lessons local politicians can learn before their next (or first) campaign:
1. Authenticity Matters: One prevalent mistake in political marketing is the lack of authenticity. Local politicians often adopt generic messaging or mirror national trends, neglecting their community’s unique needs. To resonate with voters, authenticity should be at the core of every campaign. Sharing personal stories, highlighting genuine concerns, and showcasing a deep understanding of the local landscape are crucial. Unfortunately, local politicians have little experience in marketing themselves and trend toward simplistic and increasingly average messaging. This eliminates the chance to stand out.
2. Utilize Digital Platforms Effectively: In the digital age, a strong online presence is essential. Many local politicians, however, struggle with ineffective use of digital platforms. We noted one unsuccessful candidate for Nashville’s Metro Council race amassed a mere 18 page likes — an enormous swing and miss. For successful candidates, social media should be more than a broadcast channel; it's an opportunity for engagement. Building a community is crucial here, similar to building the support of a civic group, neighborhood association, or government group. Respond promptly to messages, share behind-the-scenes content, and leverage data analytics to understand the audience’s interest in your shared content.
3. Do Better on the Basics: Despite advances in digital marketing, snail mail remains a primary medium for local campaigns. However, few candidates produce effective direct mail. Their oversized, awkward mailers don’t fit properly in mail slots and often arrive torn or mangled. Much of basic messaging can feel offensive to educated voters. Many of the mailers are poorly designed and waste available space. And some candidates even overshoot their zip codes by reaching voters in the wrong districts. All of these issues are preventable with a better marketing team leading the fundamentals.
4. Learn from Data Insights: By leveraging voter information, politicians can fine-tune their messaging, identify target demographics, and allocate resources more efficiently. That election data tells exactly who voted in past elections and how they voted. Campaigns typically cater to active voters first, while largely ignoring those who didn’t recently vote. But the best sales operations in the world are routinely nurturing new relationships at all times. It’s no surprise local elections have such dismal participation when candidates themselves are disinterested in the nonvoting electorate.
5. Start Earlier to Nurture the Voter: An ancient marketing adage involves the Rule of Seven, which claims prospects need to see an advertiser’s message at least seven times before they’ll take action. That’s a pre-internet practice and clearly much has changed since then. What hasn’t changed, however, is that only a tiny percentage of people are ready to buy at the precise moment you approach them. Everyone else must be nurtured, and this is something local political campaigns do poorly. One improvement any candidate can make is to create and nurture relationships earlier. Without the relationship, those seven noisy touches will fall on deaf ears. Worse, that many touches in the matter of a few weeks will result in unsubscribes or the recycle bin.
Embracing these lessons, local politicians can forge stronger connections with constituents and increase the likelihood of a successful campaign. Remember, a well-executed marketing strategy is not only about winning elections; it's about building lasting relationships within the community!