The level of engagement driven by face-to-face canvassing is almost impossible to replicate. But canvassing is often limited by several factors, including budget, staffing and a reluctance to answer the door — especially amongst younger voters.
This begs the question: Is there another, equally impactful solution to connecting with voters in today’s world?
Studies have shown that in certain cases when looked at dollar for dollar, digital advertising has been more effective in both persuasion and GOTV than other tactics. Granted, it’s possible to find a study to support or contradict nearly any hypothesis in political advertising.
Regardless, it’s safe to say that digital advertising, especially digital video, is only going to continue to grow in importance, so figuring out how best to harness its potential will be crucial to your success.
One Size Does Not Fit All
When it comes to door-knocking, strategies and tactics must be influenced by the unique set of circumstances on the ground in that district. There must be some research into local demographics, cultural and social dynamics, voting patterns and the issues relevant to that community.
Depending on the race, this could matter more, or less. Is it for a school board seat or one in the Senate? Regardless, it still matters because it demonstrates a genuine interest that extends beyond pandering. And this is what makes canvassing so powerful: it’s a conversation. Conversations are dynamic and can pivot as the canvasser gathers more information.
In lieu of having this in-person conversation, one’s advertising must be relevant, personalized and impactful.
Speak to Your Audience Where They Are
One of the first steps for delivering relevant messages to your target audience is to speak to them where they are. This means running your ads on the sites and streaming platforms where your audiences consume content, in the language they consume content in.
It also means localizing your ads to provide a more personalized feel. Advertising can include local imagery, city name, or testimonials from local community members or organizations to build a more immediate connection. The messaging used in your ads should also show your audiences that you understand the local issues that matter the most to them.
For example, did a factory recently close? Did home insurance rates just skyrocket? Was the education budget just gutted in the most recent state budget? Find issues that are already being discussed, that people can identify with and relate to, and tailor your message to highlight how your campaign or candidate can effectively address these issues. Amplify this further by engaging local community leaders to deliver the message in your video ads.
Digital Advertising Tactics That Engage
After you’ve crafted your digital strategy and developed the content to support it, it’s time to think about tactics. It cannot be overstated – the tactics employed are critical to campaign success. For example: What platform are you serving your ads on? What types of ad units are you using? Static display ads aren’t going to be sufficient if we’re trying to replicate the impact of canvassing. Even standard pre-roll video ads fall short.
The answer to engagement may lie in dynamic, interactive video ads, which can better support the objectives of a digital door-knocking campaign. Examples include CTV ads with scannable QR codes and online video ads that employ interactive features where the audience can engage with educational content and get more information. As much as possible, it’s important to utilize tactics that generate engagement and cleverly convey important information in a compelling way.
Art and Science
For advertisers who seek to supplement canvassing efforts with digital video advertising, the right mix of science and art is required.
The science part relies on using best practices in terms of audience creation, targeting, and tactics employed. Research the district, understand the nuances, and then use the most precise means of communicating with them leveraging voter data.
The art part relies on some creativity and thoughtful hypotheses regarding what content is going to resonate, and how best to deliver it. In recent years we’ve seen some candidates defy the polls and standard convention to win campaigns. This reminds us that there is an emotional and irrational part to all of this, which can’t be diminished and is crucial to keep in mind while devising your strategy.
At the end of the day, all of our efforts to connect with communities and voters go beyond winning and losing a race. Forging a genuine, meaningful connection with a constituency is also an end, in and of itself, and need not always be a means. People can often sense when they are a means to another’s ambitious end, and that breeds the cynicism and disillusionment we find ourselves combatting. To break this cycle, we must leverage the technology at our fingertips, in tandem with the right creative approach, to effectively engage audiences and invite them to continue the conversation.
Zachary Adams, Senior Specialist, Client Partnerships, VDX.tv, has over 15 years of experience working in the startup and digital marketing spaces, with a focus on politics and public affairs. Prior to joining VDX, he was most recently at DSPolitical where he was the Director of Accounts.
