The throb of election season is upon us. Texting is the key to reaching more people than ever before as political candidates launch their campaign engines. ClickSend and other political messaging services are revolutionary. They facilitate SMS communication between elected and aspirant politicians and their constituents.
Let’s clarify:
The effectiveness of a messaging service for political campaigns
Laws governing political SMS marketing
Political campaign texting tactics
Political SMS advertising during pivotal campaign events
How to begin using a text messaging service
The effectiveness of a messaging service for political campaigns
Over 15 billion political texts were sent in 2022. A crucial component of political campaigns nowadays is sending out a campaign message on a regular basis. Approximately 39 messages were sent to Americans for every political call in 2022.
For political campaigns, bulk SMS works better than other methods as well. A 2022 study found that people open political texts 70–98% of the time and reply to them 40%–50% of the time. Thus, you can win votes and initiate a crucial discussion.
Campaign messages have a far greater open rate than emails or phone call responses.
Additionally, you can message thousands of constituents at once by using a political campaign texting service like ClickSend. Additionally, your team can save time on the campaign trail by customizing and scheduling your texts ahead of time.
establishing the rules for political SMS marketing
You should be aware of the rules and legislation governing text messaging in the US before sending out your campaign slogan and election pledges.
The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) recommendations are your best bet for understanding the regulatory environment if you’re seeking for particular restrictions regarding texting during political campaigns.
You need to comprehend the opt-in guidelines. You want to conduct a clean campaign, and following FCC rules is essential for political campaigns.
The fact that your constituents must consent to get text messages is one of the most important things to comprehend. Before adding someone to your SMS contact list, you must get their express approval.
The establishment of a robust voter opt-in is strongly advised by our compliance team. This is a result of frequent provenance audits by networks and carriers. A carrier may prove that your lists do not have recipient agreement if an excessive number of recipients “opt out” (a threshold of about 4%) and you could face penalties.
To handle opt-ins, use a political campaign SMS provider.
Using a reliable, law-abiding messaging service that is aware of the rules, such as ClickSend, is a smart option. Compliance is a feature of top-notch political texting services, allowing you to gather numbers in a secure manner. For instance:
Connect SMS to your online forms. Candidates can incorporate opt-in boxes into website forms to make sure that visitors voluntarily consent to receive messages when they join your email list. This creates a database for upcoming communication initiatives in addition to ensuring compliance.
Text-to-opt-in By providing a campaign number and asking supporters to text a certain keyword to that number, you can get voters to opt-in to your campaign. As an illustration, “Text VOTE to 33556.” To ensure that the voter is in your database, you can program an automated response.
Automatic opt-outs You must honor a voter’s request to be removed from your contact list if they choose not to receive messages. This can take a lot of time, though, if you’re handling thousands of contacts. With ClickSend’s auto opt-out tool, voters are immediately deleted from contact lists, freeing up your time to focus on winning battlegrounds.
Develop a texting plan for your political campaign.
We are aware that you have a well-defined campaign approach. However, have you given your text message political campaign plan any thought? Don’t worry, we have five best practices to help you get your message into voters’ hands, hearts, and minds.
Get more SMS subscribers as soon as possible. The lifeblood of your texting campaign is your subscriber list. You can reach more voters if you have more persons on your contact list.
Configure your website to get opt-ins from mobile devices. Additionally, use events, social media, and email to expand your list. Ensure that you are gathering information (and consent for SMS) at every stage.
Take your time creating the campaign’s messaging. Your SMS campaign’s effectiveness depends on how compelling your messages are. Make use of data analytics to better understand your audience and create communications that speak to their needs and ideals. To continuously improve and streamline your communications strategy, use A/B testing.
To connect with Gen Z, use texting. After your list has grown, demographic analysis becomes even more important. Reaching the elusive Gen Z voters can be accomplished through texting. “Texts are one of the few things that younger voters will actually see,” says Colin Delany, a digital consultant. Make sure you create communications that appeal to Gen Z and millennials if they make up a large portion of your list.
Use multimedia to transcend plain text. Politics, they say, is perception. Use graphics to help your constituents grasp your identity and values.
As easy as utilizing SMS through a political texting service, you may utilize MMS to increase the impact of your campaign and strengthen your brand image. Recognize the psychology of images and strategically employ them to successfully communicate your point.
Legal and compliance considerations Data privacy and compliance are non-negotiable when it comes to campaign messaging efforts. Following the rules to the letter increases voter trust, which is your political currency. You should establish reliable procedures for managing requests to unsubscribe and opt-out.
It can be beneficial to use a reliable political campaign texting service, such as ClickSend. We are aware of the laws, guidelines, and your specifications.
Choose the appropriate SMS program to work with. Selecting the appropriate platforms and tools to support your tool is crucial. Select a political texting service that has 24/7 customer assistance, automotive opt-in and opt-out capabilities, and complaint number registration procedures.
ClickSend provides everything mentioned above and more. We will be delighted to assist you with your bulk SMS and campaign messaging for political campaigns. Schedule a free demo with our professionals right now.
How to use SMS marketing for politics at each significant campaign moment
You will need to stay in constant contact with your voters throughout the lengthy journey to office. Here’s how to use SMS at every significant campaign milestone, from the vote box to your campaign launch.
Keep in mind that nice things can be overdone. Keep in mind the demographics, behaviors, and attitudes of your contact list while using SMS, and always use it wisely to align with your campaign goal.
Campaign announcement Announce the campaign’s beginning, introduce the candidate, and point receivers to the campaign website for additional details in a mass SMS.
Supporters are reminded of impending town hall meetings through community gatherings and town hall meetings. You can use SMS to promote attendance and distribute event details. After the event, follow up with thank-you notes and highlights.
Debates During debates, you might provide your highly engaged viewers with real-time updates and insights. Encourage fans to pay attention by sending them a text message and asking them to post their opinions on social media.
Super Tuesday Provide real-time information on the campaign process, voter turnout, and any noteworthy events during the day. Supporters feel more involved and part of the community as a result.
SMS blitz after Super Tuesday Send out an SMS blast to supporters to let them know how the campaign is doing, thank them for their support, and let them know what comes next.
Speeches on Policy Send out SMS summaries of key policy speeches with a link to the campaign website’s full text. Encourage supporters to tell their internet network about the candidate’s position.
Endorsements Notify people via SMS of any high-profile endorsements, highlighting the campaign’s improved legitimacy and momentum.
Events to raise money Send prospective smaller contributors customized SMS messages. You can send customized invitations and advertise fundraising events. After the event, send thank-you notes to donors.
Campaign Commercials To distribute campaign advertisements via MMS, use bulk SMS for political campaigns. It’s a fantastic method to deliver powerful messages to supporters directly. Add a call to action, like making a donation or volunteering.
Management of Volunteers To keep your volunteer pool under control, use a political texting service. It’s a quick and simple way to publish essential updates, remind individuals of events and shifts, and organize people.
Your campaign on social media Notify supporters via SMS about live streams, Q&A sessions, and other online actions you want them to take. For convenient interaction, include links to the candidate’s social media accounts.
Attempts to Get Out the Vote (GOT) Use SMS as a last-ditch effort to remind supporters about rallies, share uplifting campaign news, and urge them to cast their ballots.
Election Day Throughout Election Day, remind supporters via SMS of the significance of casting a ballot. Give details on the locations and hours of the polls.
Concession or victory speech All supporters should receive a victory or concession SMS thanking them for their support and detailing the campaign’s future moves.
Make sure your SMS communications adhere to the law if you intend to use them for a political campaign. Additionally, always give recipients the choice to stop receiving messages.
Personalise messages when possible and use SMS strategically to complement other campaign efforts.
Start using ClickSend, a reliable texting service for political campaigns.
Are you prepared to take full advantage of the election cycle? Here’s how to begin using ClickSend right now.
Create a ClickSend account here for free. A seven-day free trial is available. Additionally, you won’t have to commit to a membership because our pay-as-you-go model guarantees that you only pay for the messages you send.
Obtain a specific SMS and MMS number: Obtain a campaign-specific number with ease. Sending to mobile numbers in the US and Canada requires dedicated numbers.
Get your number registered: To register your dedicated number, adhere to our instructions. You can send messages to supporters and voters in a matter of days when your number is registered with the carriers.