If political practitioners learn only one thing from the 2024 election, it should be this: The most persuadable voters are those who pay the least amount of attention to the news and politics.
These so-called “low information” voters have fewer pre-existing opinions and are more likely to move when they do hear the arguments from campaigns. In 2024, Kamala Harris lost big among these voters and it cost her the election.
As a candidate or campaign, your communications strategy must focus on these voters. These voters are often actively avoiding politics, so reaching them means buying their attention through paid media. Every form of paid media has its own pros and cons – so let’s get into it so you can determine what makes sense for your race.
- Television
Pros:
- Evidence shows that television advertising is one of the most persuasive modes of communication, winning votes on a per dollar basis better than any other medium
- Viewers can’t skip your ads and even if they’re scrolling on their smartphone, they can still hear the audio
- Even as television viewership has declined in recent years, broadcast TV remains the single largest platform to reach voters
Cons:
- Television is expensive and most local campaigns can’t afford to pay the hundreds of thousands of dollars it takes to get on the air
- Targeting is extremely limited. If you’re running for the state legislature in the suburbs of Denver, you usually have to buy TV across the whole market, meaning that most viewers won’t even live in your district
- Direct Mail
Pros:
- Direct mail is the most targetable medium for paid communications. You can send it only to people who are highly likely to vote, or be persuadable, or be from a particular demographic
- Because (with only a few minor exceptions), people must register with an address, you can be sure you’re hitting every household in your target universe and only households in your target universe
- In states where most people vote by mail, you can ensure voters receive your information right alongside their ballot
- Because of its size, direct mail can convey more information with more specificity than a 30-second video or audio spot
Cons:
- Direct mail production takes time. You have to write and design the piece, then wait for it to be printed and for USPS to deliver it. It’s not super flexible if you have late money or a message you want to get out ASAP
- Oftentimes, the lifespan of your piece is the amount of time it takes to walk from the mailbox to the trash can so you have to be sure to get your message across through headlines and imagery
- In large races, direct mail can be pricey. Printing and postage for a statewide race, for instance, can be prohibitively expensive
- Digital Advertising
It’s worth noting before going into the pros and cons that digital advertising is a very broad category. There are many different kinds of ads – from banner ads, to audio ads on platforms like Pandora, to Connected TV like Hulu and Paramount Plus. Each has different targeting capabilities, costs per impression, and presents to voters in different ways.
Pros:
- Combining all platforms, more time is now spent watching “TV” through streaming services than on broadcast and cable combined
- Because there are so many different platforms at different price levels, just about every campaign, from the smallest local race to the presidential campaigns can develop a digital advertising media mix that works for them
- Unlike television, digital advertising can be targeted to your voter universe. On some platforms, you can even target 1:1 by matching a list of voters from the voter file. Other platforms are more limited but still allow targeting by ZIP code, gender, age, or race and ethnicity.
Cons:
- Some cheaper forms of digital advertising may collect a high number of impressions but leave little impact as most people scroll right past them or skip them before they finish
- Many platforms ban political ads (like TikTok) , don’t have ads at all (Netflix) or severely limit targeting options (like YouTube)
- Video ads are short, 6 seconds, 15 seconds, and if you’re lucky, 30 seconds while display ads are centimeters long on a tiny phone screen – that doesn’t leave a lot of room to tell your story
- Field
Pros:
- Nothing is more persuasive than a one on one conversation with a voter. You can tailor your message to their specific concerns and make them feel listened to
- You’re able to get direct feedback on your message from real voters and identify supporters and opponents for follow-up later on
- Like with mail, you can be very targeted – only knocking the doors of your preferred target audience
Cons:
- More and more people have call screeners and video doorbells, allowing them to easily ignore campaigns. Contact rates can be as low as 15% at the door and below 5% over the phone
- The strength of a paid field program depends heavily on the quality of the canvassers, which means a significant amount of time must be spent on training and hiring the right people
These are just four of the most common forms of paid media but there are so many more. Signs, billboards, influencer marketing, podcasts, and direct placement in print media are other popular options.
All that being said – no one tactic is right in all cases. The best campaigns layer many or all of these modes, multiplying their effects and reaching more voters.
The optimal media mix for your campaign depends on your district, your target audience, and even the contents of your message. If you’re thinking about the right mix for your campaign and don’t know where to start, don’t hesitate to reach out. Our team of experts offers free consultations for campaigns like yours.
