Done correctly, direct mail is one of the most effective and efficient methods of direct voter contact with your target audience. For smaller races, direct mail is a highly targeted way to combine field strategy with your communications and paid media plan. The tips below will help you plan and execute a successful direct media campaign.
Your Three Audiences
- 3-4-second (they’ll read the headlines, scan the pictures – name – slogan)
- 10-20 second (they’ll read and absorb headlines and scan the copy)
- The readers (want more information, will read more text)
In general, direct mail needs to be written and produced in a way that gets its main points across as succinctly as possible.
BEGIN WITH A GOOD PLAN
- Your target: Make sure you define who your targeted voters are.
- Repetition matters: Your mail plan must include multiple contacts with targeted voters over a span of time building toward Election Day.
- Thoughtful timelines: Most voters aren’t paying attention to a campaign until the last 90 days. The challenge in waiting until voters are tuned in is that you will be competing against the clutter of everyone else’s mail; you’ll want to make sure you have a big enough program with enough repetition and creative design to break through the clutter.
- Respond quickly: The political landscape can change overnight. You need to be ready to quickly shift your strategy. We can turn on a dime.
