All political campaigns have to use all the tools available to them to get their message out to the masses. Because many people opt to receive these messages through SMS, political campaigns that are not taking advantage of this medium risk falling behind other campaigns and candidates that do so. There are several reasons why political campaigns should use text messaging, and we are going to look at the most compelling ones below.
Ability to Reach Younger Voters
Times have changed and most people under the age of 45 do not like receiving calls unless they are urgent or personal. Various messaging options have become the preferred way of communicating ever since peer-to-peer messaging options became commonplace. SMS is a great option for this demographic because the recipients are already open to this kind of messaging.
High Open Rates
SMS has one of the highest open rates amongst all communication mediums. In the past, campaigns would make calls or knock on doors to reach people. Research has shown that knocking on doors only reaches about 30 people per hour. It is also very ineffective because only 25% of those reached are receptive to the campaign.
Things get even worse for phone calls. Many people no longer pick calls when they do not know who the caller is. However, many people open almost all SMS messages they receive. Even with this high open rate, SMS still offers another benefit in that a campaign can send an unlimited number of text messages at once using the right software.
Fundraising Through SMS
Political campaigns have realized that SMS is a very effective tool for running fundraising campaigns. SMS makes it easy for political parties, organizations, organizers, and groups to reach numerous people regardless of where they are located. SMS marketing software makes it easy, and all a campaign has to do is craft the targeted and compelling messages that entice people to donate.
There are various tools available for campaigns to use including SMS platforms like Tatango and fundraising software like WinRed. Campaigns can use Tatango to send SMS and WinRed to receive donations from those who receive the SMS. Combining WinRed donations and Tatango allows a high return on investment and increased donations at a minimal cost.
Immediate Responses
SMS is also a great tool for campaigns that want a response from their recipients. Every campaign should listen to voters and collect views and opinions to know how to tailor its messaging. SMS has a very generous response rate of about 45% because replying is quick, the messages are short and people do not have to worry about being formal or how they come across on SMS.
Follow-ups
People appreciate knowing the actions they took have been acknowledged by the other party. Campaigns can send SMS messages to acknowledge donations, opinions, and views sent by their SMS recipients.
SMS gives campaigns so much flexibility and reach when it comes to getting a message to the masses. SMS is also a lot more effective than other means of reaching voters, mainly because of its open and response rates.
