5 Tips for Winning Votes with Campaign Mailers: Political Campaign Marketing Part 1

Running a political campaign requires a delicate balance of using funds wisely, while also projecting your message and/or platform to as many people as possible. While television and print ads can be effective, they are also expensive and will quickly eat up resources.

Direct mail campaign marketing can be just as effective, accomplishing the same great results in a more cost-effective manner. Political mailers are also a powerful way to deliver your message directly to voters and inspire them to support your campaign.

In this blog post, we’ll discuss the five best tips for creating and sending campaign direct mail. We’ll also cover the multitude of benefits of a well-designed political direct mail campaign that will take your outreach strategies to the next level.

The Power of Political Direct Mail

Using direct mail for your political campaign comes with a host of important benefits compared to other strategies.

With political direct mail, you can:

• Capture voter’s attention: Research shows that direct mail open rates can reach 90% compared to an average email open rate of about 20%!
• Increase awareness: One USPS survey found that 80% of surveyed voters said direct mail increases awareness of which candidates are running, while 75% said it provides a helpful starting point to learn more information about them.
• Win undecided and swing votes: According to a new survey, 58% of swing voters found direct mail either “very helpful” or “somewhat helpful” in deciding who to vote for.
• Add a personal touch: Direct mail campaigns are customizable and personalized, adding an authentic touch. In fact, 70% of consumers say direct mail is more personal than online interactions.
• Build Trust: A recent voter survey commissioned by the United States Postal Service, found that 68% of all surveyed voters ranked direct mail among the three most credible forms of political outreach.
• Inspire Action: Research has found that almost two-thirds (64%) of surveyed voters take action online after reading political mail pieces.

5 Tips for Political Campaign Mailers

While incorporating direct mail is already an effective way of reaching voters, there are certain strategies you can use to maximize the effects and increase your campaign’s reach.

1.  Design

The way you present your messaging can make a big difference in whether or not it reaches your desired audience. Some important design elements to include in your mailers are:

• Easy to read fonts
• Balanced use of white space
• Short headlines
• Professional, high-resolution graphics and photos

2.  Clear and Informative Copy

You’ll want to keep your messages simple and pointed, yet captivating enough to secure voters’ attention.

Clear calls-to-action (CTAs) deliver important information to the reader, while simultaneously directing them with what to do next. Examples include phrases like “register to vote by [date]” or “return your ballot by [date].”

You can also include the address of a website they can visit for more information or even a scannable QR code that takes them there directly.

3.  Timing

Take note of how many touchpoints it will take to reach voters and what the timeline of this process might be. Garnering the attention of early voters is a great way to help map out the future success of your campaign.

That being said, if you’re working with a limited budget, it may be a better idea to wait until the final 90 days to begin sending political campaign mailers. In fact, research shows that most voters don’t become involved in campaign activities until this time.

4.  Inspire Action Across Channels

Reinforcing a consistent message across all channels can help build trust in the eyes of your intended voters. The internet landscape now means that political mail can be more powerful than ever, when used as part of an integrated, ongoing, omnichannel experience for your candidate’s supporters and potential voters.

Examples of these combined strategies could include:

• Informed delivery campaigns
• Retargeting website visitors with a postcard
• QR code call-out to drive website visits (in the last election cycle, 27% of national voters and 25% of millennial voters visited a campaign website using a QR code from a piece of direct mail)
• Social media posts/sponsored ads or content

5.  Choose the Right Mailing List

Finally, you’ll want to be sure to choose the right kind of direct mailing list for your campaign’s needs. Targeted political mailing lists (with demographics such as age, gender, income, party affiliation, etc.) will help your mailers reach the voters that are most likely to respond to your campaign.

Another great strategy is to target newly registered or undecided voters, or even voters who have recently moved to your district. If your campaign is being run in a specific location, EDDM lists can help you target voters locally, by sending your political mail to all homes in your campaign’s district.

*Bonus Tip* Use the USPS Tag 57 for your political mail

The USPS Tag 57 is a red tag that identifies a mail piece as part of a political campaign. This helps to ensure that your important mail is processed and does not get lost in transit.

Keep in mind, Tag 57 is only intended to make the mailing more visible to USPS personnel during processing, so you won’t be guaranteed a faster delivery.

Connect with Voters – Prepare Your Political Mailers Now!

Direct mail can be a fantastic addition to your campaign outreach efforts, but it doesn’t end there! Stay tuned for Part 2 of this blog, where we’ll talk about printed campaign materials such as flyers/posters, signs and banners, table covers, and more!

There is so much involved in running a political campaign. Let us take this task off your plate! One Stop Mail is a full-service direct mail agency. Our experts can handle your political direct mail from start to finish, including:

• Graphic Design
• Lists and Data Services
• Offset and Digital Printing
• Variable Data Printing
• Mailing and Tracking
• Integrated Marketing Platform

Ready to learn more about your options and create your own political direct mail campaign plan? Reach out to us today at (602) 223-3003 or contact us.

Want even more political direct mail marketing tips? READ PART 2