Direct Mail
From Democratic GAIN Wiki
Over the last 20 years, direct mail has evolved into a highly targeted technique used to convey a stealth message. It can be used for persuasion, GOTV, and fundraising, and is an effective tool for delivering a candidate’s message directly to voters.
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[edit] Using Direct Mail
The best direct mail is carefully targeted. Some examples include mail pieces introducing your candidate to newly-registered voters, issue-specific mail to undecided voters, and reminders about Election Day to core constituency voters.
Although direct mail is expensive, as television and radio costs have skyrocketed, the relative cost of direct mail is a more efficient way to communicate with targeted voters. Integrating your campaign’s direct mail plan with your voter contact activities is critical for success.
In order to make your direct mail effort a success:
- The message used for broadcast media needs to be coordinated with the direct mail message.
- The message used on the phone banks needs to be the same as the direct mail message.
- The message being communicated during free media events also needs to be the same as the direct mail message.
- Who do we target with direct mail?
- Undecideds: Voters who we believe are likely to be undecided about who to vote for.
- Soft supporters: Voters who might be supporting our candidate or the opponent, but might change their mind in the course of the campaign.
- Base voters: Voters who firmly support our cause but who vote less frequently.
- Undecideds: Voters who we believe are likely to be undecided about who to vote for.
[edit] Advantages of Direct Mail
Direct mail has three distinct advantages over other forms of voter contact:
Direct mail can be extremely well targeted.
Using polling, electoral and demographic targeting and a good voter list, your campaign can design and deliver a targeted message to a specific audience. Mail can be better targeted than radio or television, so you can communicate with specific demographics or geographic groups without wasting resources on unregistered or low-frequency voters. Examples include sending a pro-choice message to persuadable unmarried women or sending Social Security pieces to seniors.
Direct mail can be used to send repetitive contacts to the same audience
Several pieces of mail can be sent to targeted audiences, to reinforce the message.
Mail is an effective way to deliver negative messages.
Mail is a good medium to get out a negative message that you do not want on television or to a broader audience. It is important that your charges are accurage and believable. Use footnotes and litations to validate your claims. And using outside sources such as newspapers, non-partisan advocacy groups and community leaders will make your charges more credible.
[edit] Disadvantages of Direct Mail
Direct mail is sometimes ignored.
Mail is not always read by the voters and 35 to 45 percent of recipients read only the headlines and the sub-headlines. Mail is a far more active medium than television. It requires voters to pick up a piece, look at the visuals and read at least some of the content. That is why the essential message must be carried in your visuals and headlines, so that a voter can consume your message within 10 to 15 seconds.
Direct mail can be read by the wrong people.
Furthermore, it is very unlikely that the 15 to 20 percent of the voters who read literature cover to cover contain all of your target voters.
Therefore, mail needs to be one part of an integrated campaign so that it is constantly reinforcing the message while asking voters for their support.
[edit] Types of Direct Mail
[edit] Positive
This is often used when the candidate is not well-known or is running for office for the first time. It is usually the first piece of mail and should be positive in nature.
[edit] Comparative mention of the opponent
This type of mail educates voters about the differences between opposing candidates. Side-by-side comparisons are often used.
[edit] Negative
This type of mail educates voters about the short comings of any opponent. These pieces generally do not mention the candidate we’re supporting.
[edit] GOTV
This should remind supporters and low-frequency base voters to vote. It is often personalized to inform the voter of their specific polling place or to provide them with a phone number to call for more information or a ride to the polls.
[edit] Fundraising
These mail pieces should request money and specifically state what it is to be used for, either in the form of the cause or a specific program.
[edit] Third party mail
Third party mail is sent by allied organizations such as labor unions, business groups, PTA, etc.
[edit] Mail Design
When deciding on mail designs, concentrate on enticing the reader to open up the mail piece. The most important challenge is creating a cover tat will draw the reader in, capture the reader’s attention and engage him or her with photos and headlines that speak to their concerns, beliefs and values — or simply to pique their curiosity. Keep in mind when sending a letter from the candidate or a surrogate that one of the most often-read parts is the postscript.
Again, one of the benefits of direct mail is that it can be used to deliver your message when you cannot afford to reach voters with electronic media or when you need to reinforce the message shown on TV. It is important that your mail be well-designed. Modern political direct mail is in competition with slick, glossy, full-color corporate and commercial mail.
Wherever feasible, campaigns should retain professional help in putting together a direct mail program.
General: Communications | Earned media | Public News Events
Message: Defining Your Opponents | Debates | Defense | Inside Baseball
Earned Media Techniques: Communications Team | Press list | Radio Actualities
Paid Media Techniques (Microcast): Direct mail | Paid phones | Print advertising
Paid Media Techniques (Broadcast): Display advertising | Radio advertising | Television advertising
