Political advertising has been around for a while, with candidates focusing on television heavy advertising for years. However, with the digital space taking over, many politicians are looking to digital campaigns to make sure they win at the polls. As digital is always changing, there are already some key changes coming this election season that can give any candidate the edge over their competition.

What is Changing

Traditionally, political advertising was done all through broadcast television. Society is changing and today, advertising is done primarily online. Just as society is changing, so is the way political campaigns are advertising.

The switch to digital marketing isn’t the only change happening in political advertising. Campaigns are moving away from the national audience and are targeting a more local audience. It is important for campaigns to focus on a range of recency, targeting the right person at the right time. Localized marketing allows the campaigns to focus more on the individual voters, getting them as many votes as possible.

The internet has become a major source of information for voters across the country. Voters will look online for more information about the candidates, so the internet serves as a great place to advertise. Marketing teams are able to use keyword, category and search contextual targeting to reach more voters online. These strategies give marketing teams information on what voters are searching for online. This information is used in the decision to place ads where potential voters will be looking.

How to Reach Potential Voters

Geo-Fencing technology utilizes latitude and longitude data to target potential voters in a specific geographic area. Ads are pushed out to voters in these areas to get as much visibility as possible. Information is also attainable from targeting individual households using Addressable Geo-Fencing. A more hands-on approach, this is being using by marketing teams to enhance the results from other campaign tactics such as mailing lists. Going door-to-door as well as getting digital ads across every platform in a household is essential in getting voters.

Once a voter has shown interest in a candidate, it is important to keep that voter interested. Along with Geo-Fencing, site retargeting is a key component in securing voters. Once a voter has seen an ad, marketing teams want to make sure that they continue to see that ad in order to secure the voter and encourage donations.

Creating a large volunteer base is a key component in running a successful campaign. Digital marketing tactics are crucial in securing voters. Geo-Fencing and site retargeting reach voters on a personal level. Once a voter is secured, marketing teams want to continue to advertise in order to generate more interest. When a voter is interested in supporting a cause, they are more likely to get involved by volunteering and donating.

Digital advertising is becoming more localized, and the impact is showing in the polls. There is a major focus on reaching the right voters at the right time. The marketing tactics have been broken down and have become more individualized to secure as many voters as possible. The use of contextual targeting has made it easy to learn about the voters and what they are looking for.