The Guide to Creating Powerful and Persuasive Messaging to Voters in an Election
Convincing the majority and undecided voters to choose a political candidate can be an uphill battle during election season. If your chosen candidate is running for re-election, you would need to address issues that sprung from their last term and convince voters who prefer the opposing candidate otherwise. New candidates face the unique challenge of being introduced and convincing many to bet their future on someone they have yet to know. The campaign would likely need to utilize every medium, from printed banners and posters to digital means like YouTube videos and social media advertisements. However, all these promotions would be lost on voters if the candidate's message isn't clear and does not appeal to the target audience.
The campaign message tells the target or undecided voters why they should choose your candidate on election day. It also provides a contrast between the party's candidate and the opponent. If this message is clear and consistent across the candidate's speeches, interviews, advertisements, slogans, and other promotional avenues, they'll convince more voters to check him or her on their ballot. Crafting and implementing this message will take time, effort, planning, and resources. If you're unsure where to begin or how to sort out the ideas around the campaign, here's a comprehensive guide on using persuasive political messaging to help support your chosen candidate.
The Elements of an Effective Campaign Message
To comprehensively cover why voters should choose the candidate, a campaign message also includes the "overall image, narrative, and ideology that a political campaign is trying to communicate on behalf of a candidate." Your message should also include the following elements for it to become effective and clear to voters:
A campaign narrative covers the candidate's personal story, argument, and message. As the name implies, it is the narrative arc or strategic sequence your campaign will use to direct the audience's attention to different elements. It should effectively inform voters about your candidate's character, story, reasons for running for office, values, and policy priorities.
The narrative also refers to how the party controls or reacts to voters' stories about your candidate. For example, opposing campaigns tend to take control of the narrative or go on the offensive to talk about what they want whenever they see fit. The opposing party or candidate could lose control of their own narrative if the opponent forces them to talk about issues that aren't part of the messaging.?
The campaign argument is the core reason your candidate presents why voters should choose them. The argument also filters through the communications and messaging, ensuring these are consistent with how the campaign is intended to appeal to voters.
As stated earlier, the campaign slogan is different from the campaign message. Think of the slogan as the distilled version of the candidate's message or the succinct phrase used throughout advertisements, speeches, rallies, or campaign events. The candidate's slogan is also concise and y enough to effectively communicate the campaign's central message.
The campaign brand will depend on the candidacy type and the campaign. See which of the following categories the candidate will fall under. The candidate's category will depend on their positioning, background, and the race they'll be running in. Below are the candidate categories according to the MasterClass on campaign strategy and messaging:
- An incumbent is a candidate currently holding the office for which they seek re-election.
- The status quo is a candidate of an incumbent party who appeals for continuity in their leadership. An example would be George H.W. Bush in 1988.
- Change agent runs opposing the status quo with a platform focused on the governing party's shortfalls and failures. Their message is centered on changing the current representation, leadership, and governance. An example would be Barack Obama back in 2008.?
- An establishment is a candidate seen as a product of or deeply embedded in the party's governing elite. They shape their policy prescriptions, postures, and behaviors according to and operate within the party's dominant power element (e.g., Hilary Clinton in 2016).
- An insurgent is a candidate seen outside the party's mainstream choices, and their ascendancy challenges any existing orthodoxy (e.g., Donald Trump in 2016).
What a Message Is and What It Isn't
How do you know the candidate has a good message? See how their supporters answer, "why should I support the candidate or their party?" If they provide a concise and persuasive response, your party has a solid message for the campaign. But if the answer is subpar and unclear, it's time to review the candidate's message. Answering the why informs the public what the political candidate stands for, which is crucial in deciding a final vote.
The public policy or approach of the candidate backs up their political message. For example, if the candidate's message is job creation, you should clearly state the policies that will help achieve this goal. However, it's important to remember that the party or candidate's policy program is not the message. Again, a message is a simple statement repeated in the campaign to convince voters. It's the takeaway that the audience or potential voters need to remember.
The candidate's political message is also different from your platform and slogan. Here are the key differences between the campaign message, slogan, and platform:
- Message is short and substantive. It is crafted to target voters.
- Slogan is much shorter and seen in collaterals targeting voters like banners or ads. It provides limited information compared to a message.
- Platform is long and comprehensive. Fewer people are likely to read this, but it's good to cover it on your site and in materials that have the space, like brochures or booklets.?
Many tend to interchange the message with the term "messaging." These two concepts are not the same. Messaging refers to the tactics and strategies the campaign will be used to deliver your candidate's message. Some messaging media stories like press releases and interviews, supporter correspondence through direct mail or text messages, and campaign ads on radio, TV, online, and print. But before we delve into choosing the best messaging tools, let's first define your candidate or party's message.
Knowing your campaign message's audience
A deeper understanding of voters will help refine the candidate's political message. After all, the candidate is running for these individuals. An election's voters come from various backgrounds, classes, ages, and locations. They can range from 18-year-old voters, teachers and farmers, police officers and doctors to immigrants and senior citizens. Given the US population's diversity, the candidate's message can't appeal to the entire public. It's better to focus on specific groups of people that are likely to become the candidate's supporters or are already supporting your candidate.
Study the demographics of the candidate's target voters. Where do they live? How old are they, and what do they do for a living? What kind of issues and problems do they care most about? Answering these questions clarifies what you need to focus on in your overall campaign message.
Create a persona based on the demographics and researched data about your target voters. Personas are a communication tool that humanizes the figures, numbers, and other research you've gathered about your supporters and potential voters. It'll be easier to create your message and other messaging forms when you keep the persona in mind. Here are a few questions to help you make an identifiable and very human persona:
- Write down the groups of individuals you're targeting as voters in the election.
- What do your census data, voter lists, and past voter records say about your target demographic? Apart from age, gender, race, and occupation, look at their party registration, homeownership, and past votes.
- Draw a mental picture of the voter based on your previous answers. How old are they? Male or female? What did they finish in terms of education? What is their job(s)? Do they drive cars or take public transportation? What are their hobbies? Put yourself in the voter's daily life; from there; you can better understand their concerns.
Developing an Effective Campaign Message
You can now build a compelling message from your elements and voter persona. But apart from all the gathered information, what qualifies for an effective campaign message.
Short and simple. Your message is concise enough to deliver in less than a minute. You'll no longer lose the audience's attention, wasting a potential vote. Don't forget to phrase that concise message in your voters' language. Otherwise, they will not listen to or read a language they cannot understand or relate to.
Truthful and credible. Reflect on your candidate or party's values, policies, practices, and historical authenticityc in the message. It won't be believable if it doesn't come out as authentic and consistent with the candidate or party's history. Support the message's statements with objective knowledge qualifiers, proof of past experiences, and other means to establish trust among the voters.
Show your candidate's distinction.How different is the candidate from everyone else in the race? Both parties can promise a better economy, but the candidate's difference lies in how they will implement this need. You can also distinguish your candidate from issues other opponents tend to ignore or have not prioritized in their last term.
Target the candidate or party's message. The candidate's message shouldn't be too general and try to please everyone. Otherwise, it won't target or speak to particular people. To find a targeted and specific message, which of your voters' interests are you representing as a candidate or party? Go back to the voter personas and take it from there. Most of the time, your target voter will go for the one that represents their own interests.
Speak to the voter's head and heart. People will always act on emotion. Your candidate must appeal to the voter's heart at the end of the day. Does the "why" they should vote for the candidate appeal to what or who drives them emotionally, like their families or personal advocacies?
Balance the emotional appeal with the intellectual basis of the candidate. Do they have the credentials to back up their suitability for the position? How articulate is your candidate speaking, and can they express themselves well to an audience? You shouldn't underestimate the voter's intelligence as it still helps them decide on that final vote.
Repeat your message.The message will only get through if repeated at every speaking and promotional opportunity. Remember that voters have jobs, families, and personal responsibilities that keep them busy during the election. Thus, you must consistently repeat the message every time the voters pay attention. Audiences need to hear a statement at least seven to as many as 14 times before it's remembered. If the message is broadcasted on TV or published as a tweet, you have no idea if that's the first or third time they've read your candidate's message. Maximize every opportunity to repeat and reinforce your message so that they remember the candidate and keep them in mind for the vote.
Create a campaign message guide
A campaign message guide will ensure that the candidate's message is consistent across all platforms and is repeated correctly in these avenues. It should contain the following for the campaign team's easy reference:
- Your candidate's core message
- Talking points for each issue
- Counterpoints on the issues
- Messaging on the major issues your candidate champions
Choosing the Best Media for Getting Your Message Across
Spreading the candidate's message across media will help introduce and reinforce the campaign. It's best to cover all platforms for consistent repetition and reiteration:
Print has an advantage over digital advertisements. It cuts through the notifications and noises your voter hears from their phones and other gadgets. You might want to focus on older generations, who are 21% more likely to trust print over all other media for the majority vote. Printed vinyl banners, posters, and postcards also feel personalized, which appeals to the potential voter's emotions. According to research, 42% of direct mail recipients are more likely to scan or read the mail upon receiving it. While online audiences are more likely to scroll mindlessly through their social media feed, 41% of Americans of all ages look forward to checking their mail. Direct mail requires 21% less cognitive effort to process than email, so your target readers will more likely read through a campaign postcard, brochure, or flyer they receive from their mailbox.
Political campaign printing materials are also cost-effective in ordering in bulk and reaching a more comprehensive range of people through the various tools available.
Social media is where over half of Americans receive their news. The candidate can utilize social media's various avenues like live video, which gives them a chance to directly converse with voters and non-voters. While Twitter and Facebook are the default platforms, candidates appealing to the younger vote can explore Instagram and TikTok for the campaign.
Whatever platforms your candidate chooses to use, make sure to take a proactive approach against misinformation. News travels faster through social media, so anything published must be thoroughly fact-checked and reviewed. If the candidate is caught making any false claims, you might have to realign the entire campaign narrative. Be responsible enough when using social media and know the consequences of misinformation.
Text messaging's advantage over other media is its immediate, flexible, and unintrusive nature. Voters are not obligated to respond like they would on social media. They can also save the message for reading, unlike seeing a poster or banner along a street. Text messages are the best avenue for sending supporters fundraising requests, campaign announcements, and thank you notes.
Once you have a clear message as to why voters should go for the candidate, it'll be easier for the team to communicate and repeat it during the election campaign. Concise and clear versions of the message usually go into print materials like banners, posters, yard signs, bumper stickers, and postcards. It's also worth exploring how materials such as brochures can better explain the candidate's credentials and policies. Start planning the campaign message today and print the materials to communicate why voters should vote for the candidate.