Political campaigning is not a cheap enterprise. Donald Trump raised an estimated $1.1 billion to spend on his reelection campaign, which was at least two million more than Biden’s war chest. The great thing about online campaigning is that it is relatively cheap compared to the cost of creating high-quality TV ads and campaign videos.
The internet and social media have been game-changers for politicians, as it allows candidates with less money to build a profile and connect with voters. It has now become the norm for politicians to speak on social media and communicate via SMS; Donald Trump was infamous for his use of Twitter during his presidential campaigns and once he was elected.
Better for Fundraising
As already mentioned, campaigning is essential if politicians want to build a war chest for their election bid. The good news is that spreading the message online can be enormously effective. Software tools like Tatango can be integrated with donation platforms such as Anedot. Politicians can reach a global audience in an instant and make use of these software tools to facilitate fundraising. People are far more likely to be influenced by text messages and emails than billboards and flyers, which means a simple SMS campaign could yield a lot of donations from engaged recipients.
An Unfiltered Message
In a bygone age, everything a politician said and did was filtered through the lens of whatever media outlet hosted them. Unfortunately, media channels are usually biased, so the message might not be quite as the politician intended.
The great thing about social media, SMS marketing, and email marketing is that messages are unfiltered. Politicians can say what they want, and this message reaches their followers undiluted. Trump is a good example of how this works. He freely expressed his thoughts on Twitter daily, much to the despair of his campaign messages, but it was a highly effective strategy and allowed him to build a big following.
Politicians are More Accessible
Following on from the last point, it’s fair to say that online campaigning means politicians are far more accessible than they once were. Whereas before the internet, if voters wanted to see a politician, they would need to attend a political rally or watch them on television, now, anyone can sign up to receive text messages and emails, follow them, and direct message them on social media.
More Personalized Content
Using strategies like social media and SMS messaging is much more effective at persuading people to vote for and donate to a political party. Messages can be personalized and directed at specific segments of a database, whereas a TV ad is not necessarily going to reach the target audience.
Reaching Out to Younger Voters
Finally, using online strategies is a great way to reach Gen Z voters, who have grown up with digital content and are less likely to pay attention to traditional media sources.
All of the above are great reasons why politicians of all ages must get on board with the digital world. As Donald Trump and Barack Obama showed, digital is where it’s at.
