Everything is digital today, right?
Mail is old-fashioned.
Mail has lost relevance.
Mail is boring.
Believe any of that and you’ll be missing out on one of the most effective forms of voter contact today.
That’s right.
Data-driven direct mail is made for today’s digital age.
STRENGTHS
There are some inherent strengths to direct mail.
One, every registered voter has a mailing address. You can reach any voter via their mailbox. But you don’t need to reach every voter – you need to reach your voters. That’s where direct mail becomes even more valuable.
Direct mail allows you to target based on vote history, partisanship, issues, demographics, geography, and more. You can forget about wasting money on voters outside of your target audience.
Two, mail is a trusted medium. Mail is trusted more by voters than other mediums.
Nearly 75% of recipients at least scan their mail. Your message will be delivered, and personalization like variable data can increase mail’s efficacy even more.
Three, mail is assuredly not boring. The physicality of mail lends itself to unique folds, diecuts and even scents – yes, scents – that can create stand-out memories with your target audience.
QR codes bring the digital world into the physical, and variable data brings both added personalization and creativity into the long list of potential for direct mail to pack a punch.
WEAKNESSES
Yes, there are some weaknesses to direct mail. That’s true. But a good direct mail firm will help you navigate around those weaknesses and ultimately have a better product.
First, direct mail relies on the USPS. Every campaign has heard the stories of mail not being delivered or being delivered after Election Day.
How do you combat that?
THE SOLUTION: Mail tracking and informed delivery.
Second, you have to print, dry, cut, fold, and address mail. That takes time.
THE SOLUTION: Use a firm that’s ready to move at the speed of the news cycle with strong relationships with a national network of printers. Do that and you’ll never have to wait for art, wait for a change, or wait for press time.
Third, once mail is printed, it’s printed. Whiteout can’t fix a typo on tens of thousands of pieces of printed mail.
THE SOLUTION: The solution is to not make the mistake in the first place. That means working with a firm with layers of protection in place to avoid common mistakes and ensure your mail is right the first time.
Contact our team of national and state strategists to get started writing your data-driven voter contact mail plan.
Built on over two decades of industry-leading experience, Majority Strategies direct mail and print advertising combines cutting-edge creative with state-of-the-art targeting to deliver persuasive printed materials, including more than 2.5 billion pieces of direct mail for 4,500 clients spanning elections, advocacy and brand in all 50 states.
Read more before you go:
Data to the Rescue: Learn more about the importance of data and targeting
Thinking About Running for Office: The tough questions candidates need to ask themselves.
Case Study: The power of direct mail and data.