Welcome to the Dove Direct Print and Marketing Blog. Today's post, "Capture Voter Attention with Political Mail," serves as a reminder of direct mail marketing's power when used for political campaigns. Savvy brands and most marketers are well aware of the resurgent value of direct mail. It is available in reports, surveys, and a host of data mining organizations supporting receipts that are undeniable. We are in the last days leading up to the 2020 presidential election. Now is the time for political entities and activists to get their messages out to voters and candidates alike.
Before we start, we would like to remember all who were affected by 9/11 and thank our first responders. We salute and honor your service, sacrifice, and commitment to saving lives and rebuilding New York City.
Quote of the Day: As it has for more than two centuries, progress will come in fits and starts. It's not always a straight line. It's not always a smooth path. - President Barack Obama
Political Mail & Digital Can Mobilize Voters
President Obama often reminded people how important it is to vote, noting that even two votes can secure a precinct, in a district or a county. The difference in securing a victory often can come down to a plus-one vote advantage.
Early voting is now underway in some states. Political campaigns have a good read on what makes voters respond. With the understanding of personalized voter data, these campaigns can create communications that drill down to what matters most to voters. They can do this by age, ethnicity, economics, home ownership, moral values, and other data points that may be relevant. In the final days leading up to November 3, it is an all hands on deck approach to reach voters wherever they are in the decision-making process. To that end, mobilize voters with the power of Artificial Digital Intelligence, combined with the wizardry of Political Mailings.
Political Direct Mail Grabs Attention
According to the findings put forth by Prezi, 2018, entitled, State of Attention Report, 49% of people admit they've become more selective about the content they consume. Meanwhile, increased speed combined with unmitigated information being available and accessible across a myriad of media channels and devices has created digital exhaustion.
Due to this digital phenomenon, voters want more. These voters do demand and expect more personal communication. As a result, political campaigns must dive deeper to deliver messages to their constituents more effectively.
Direct mail marketing offers a personalized, targeted channel for campaigns that want to make a real impact while reaching constituents with a message that matters and resonates with them. In addition, political direct mail pieces are demonstrably visible inside constituent households more than any other medium. That visibility creates an indelible, visual stamp in a manner that other mediums can only wish for, by conjuring up a meaningful event that secures attention and spurs actionable results. Consider the following data:
- 98% of people check their physical mail daily, compared to an average of just 20% of people who open emails — "The Power of Transactional Mail and Printing," Baker Goodchild
- 63% of people take a direct mail campaign more seriously than an email campaign, and only 17% view email campaigns as favorable - Myles Robinson, "Transactional Direct Mail."
Political Mail Is Now Smarter
The USPS recently stated, "We're using technology to help you harness the power of digital and the authenticity of physical channels to drive voter action and increase your campaign ROI. By seamlessly integrating these technologies into your direct mail marketing efforts, you can help boost campaign effectiveness and increase your reach to potential supporters."
In support of the USPS statement, a Merkle research report from 2018 states, "Campaigns that use direct mail and one or more digital media channels experience a 118% lift and response rate compared to direct mail only."
Retargeting Capabilities
To increase maximum engagement with prospective voters, campaigns can run across multiple online channels with a single platform. Various actions can be assigned by which automated triggering can be realized through voter behavior. With CRM software, organization, and categorization of data, whether by individuals or target segment, can be attained.
Political mail retargeting software, which can be integrated within an automation platform, will provide a campaign to access data to target the prime prospects with personalized communications.
The value increases exponentially when a campaign can offer constituents customized micro-moment bursts. For example, a quick, personalized thank you mailpiece can work wonders in gaining additional support for any constituent. And, this can track deeper with friends and family members.
In case you're wondering, Reach Dynamics backs up the idea that direct mail campaigns, when teamed with retargeting capabilities, increases a marketing investment return as high as 300%.
Informed Delivery
Another area to be cognizant of is the USPS Informed Delivery® feature, which allows voters to preview and interact with their mail from anywhere on their computer, tablet, or mobile device. Informed Delivery® also offers the opportunity to connect with voters via an integrated mail and digital marketing campaign.
"Political mail can be accompanied by colorful supplemental content that includes a representative image of the mailpiece and a clickable Ride-along Image directing your constituents to a digital experience where they can immediately engage with your campaign."
Informed Delivery® notifications' effectiveness comes in at 62.3% versus the average email open rate of 20.8%. That translates into additional opportunities for boosting candidate support and more fundraising. In short, Informed Delivery® provides three impressions in a single mailpiece;
- Checks their informed Delivery Daily Digest email.
- Reads their physical mail upon arriving home.
- Visits your online experience by clicking on the Ride-along Image, interacting with the mailpiece QR Code®, or navigating to their personalized URL (PURL).
The Net-Net
Political campaigns are in full swing, and it's the right time to invest in direct mail integration to reach constituents for the last final push. Voters can be moved to action via political mail campaigns.
Political direct mail offers a two-edged sword that utilizes data integration and analysis and provides a tangible object for voters to interact with for maximum campaign impact. Campaigns that invest in direct mail and combine their efforts with digital marketing channels will likely receive more bang for the marketing buck. Thanks for reading "Capture Voter Attention with Political Mail!"
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