What Political Parties Can Teach Us About Great SMS Campaigns
SMS marketing has come to be a crucial element of most businesses’ marketing strategies, and there is plenty of received wisdom within the marketing world as to how to get the most out of your SMS messages. So it might seem like there is not a lot that the world of politics can teach the world of business about SMS. But then again, there probably is.
Think of Barack Obama’s success in 2008, the UK’s dramatic 2015 General Election or the two big referendums we have been through in recent years. Each of these political campaigns had behind them a number of concerted SMS campaigns, with often incredible results. In fact, unnoticed by most of us, SMS has played a big part in quietly transforming our politics behind the scenes. And this quiet revolution has lessons for businesses large and small.
The core of a good political SMS campaign is nurturing a loyal and responsive support base. In the same way, a great business text messaging campaign often aims to elicit an immediate reaction from customers, a political SMS campaign can create greater responsiveness in a party’s support base. Supporters can be called to deliver messages, knock on doors or attend events faster and more instantaneously than ever before. There is a lesson here for those selling services in particular. But what is the key to building this underlying loyalty, whether to a brand or a political cause?
The answer can be again found in politics. The best calls to action here always start with the ‘why’, rather than the ‘what’. Local parties use this to great effect in the run-up to elections, with texts alerting supporters to activity in their area and pleas for action. These work because they always take the time (and space) to identify the ‘why’. A typical campaign text could read, “Polls are close & every vote counts! Protect our NHS – help get Name Surname elected…” and then go on to give activities, times and location. This works equally well for business SMS: consider “Not in the mood to cook? 25% off our delicious delivery menu tonight…” or “New colours in our beautiful autumn range – here’s £30 off…”
The importance of ‘why’ over ‘what’ is all about getting your customers (and your followers) to take action. This is a strategy that soon loses its fizz, however skilfully executed, without a loyal customer base. Here, again, the political world has a lot to teach us. Brand loyalty has many similarities to political allegiance or alignment with a cause – this, too, fundamentally rests on the ‘why’. Building loyalty is something parties have got very good at doing through SMS. The key here is letting your target audience in on something not available to the wider public: show them they’re in on something.
In an election campaign, this ‘something’ can vary. Messages like “We’ve just seen the new polling come through and it’s close…” or “Pre-announcement! Join us tomorrow for special policy speech…” give supporters of a party or politician a feeling of being part of something exciting. This is always based on shared values – as great marketing must also be based on shared values – and if a political campaign can use these shared values to build brand loyalty, businesses can too. Considering how to build brand loyalty using a similar sense of shared mission is a great way to generate powerful business SMS marketing.
There are a few very valuable lessons that political parties can teach us here. The first is the power of getting this message right. The second is the danger of getting it wrong. To take the potentially dangerous pitfall of a misjudged message first, you only have to imagine the trouble that political parties can (and do) get into when ‘call to action’ messages meant for committed campaigners end up in the public eye via social media or the press. From unfavourable descriptions of competitors to poorly judged remarks, a wise political HQ will judge each and every direct message they send out by how it would be received if it found itself thrust into the public eye. This is a problem advertisers and marketers are only too familiar with, from ‘insensitive’ messages to offers that offend. It never hurts to step back and ask how likely a message is to get you into trouble.
The flip side of the coin is the power of a well-aimed message. An appeal to customers’ values and beliefs can make a brand fly, as much through SMS as through email or traditional advertising. In fact, some of the most exciting new brands are so explicitly value-centred in their direct marketing, including SMS marketing, that their messages end up being as much about retaining loyalty and interest as about instantaneously prompting a sale. An SMS can often have a link to a web page, and poorly judged messages can come across as very spammy, so there tends to be either a positive or negative feedback loop: loyal customers will be more willing to receive texts inviting them to an exclusive event or giving them a product update; less interested ones will be more quickly irked by what they perceive to be spam.
Thus the most valuable lesson politics has to teach business about SMS marketing is the most fundamental. Strong campaigns succeed in judging the frequency and authenticity of their messages; they speak to their supporters’ values and they always make space for the ‘why’. This has reaped big rewards in getting supporters to engage more, and more readily, that they otherwise would. If it seems like a daunting task to take these lessons and apply them to marketing, it shouldn’t. After all, the toughest step is the one you should be taking anyway – making sure your brand is relevant, exciting and personal to your customers. If in doing so you can throw in a bit of insider political know-how, so much the better.
Related Articles
What Political Parties Can Teach Us About Great SMS Campaigns
SMS marketing has come to be a crucial element of most businesses’ marketing strategies, and there is plenty of received wisdom within the marketing world as to how to get the most out of your SMS messages. So it might seem like there is not a lot that the world of politics can teach the world of business about SMS. But then again, there probably is.
7 Ways Business Coaches are Using SMS Marketing
The digital age has seen a rise in demand for business coaches to aid you in every aspect of your entrepreneurial efforts. From money mindset to technological solutions, earning passive income and attracting high-paying clients, these days there's a coach for everything. But running a coaching business isn't as simple as the hype would suggest. SMS marketing is the perfect way of supercharging your promotion of your coaching business, here's how.
Drive Up Attendance During Festival Season with SMS Messaging Part 2
Festival season is upon us! Experienced festival organisers predict that to be successful you need more than just music. You’ll need to offer an experience to your attendees. In the last blog I covered some of the reasons for that, and ideas on how to start building your SMS marketing list before your festival begins. In part 2, we’ll take a look at how to use SMS to create engaging experiences for attendees while they are at your festival, and even after they leave.
SMS Marketing for Independent Art Galleries
8 Key Reasons SMS Marketing is So Effective
You might not have run an SMS marketing campaign yourself, but you are likely to have received some form of SMS communication from a business. Whether that's a commercial brand running a competition or a healthcare provider, such as your GP or dental practice, sending you an appointment reminder. If you have run an SMS marketing campaign before, you're likely to already be aware of the effectiveness of the platform for communicating with customers, but might need help justifying your use of SMS messaging to other people or departments in your business. Here, we've listed out the key reasons SMS marketing is so effective.
Oops! What to do When You Send the Wrong Message
Sending a text message to the wrong person can be embarrassing. I've done it many times. Thankfully though, they were just simple messages like "be home soon" or "I'll tell you later". Innocuous, harmless and easily explained away. But what if you make a mistake with your business SMS messages?
How to Use SMS and The Olympics to Boost Business
Almost any business, or even a not-for-profit company, can take advantage of the frenzy of sporting events, like The Olympics. Especially when you combine it with mobile marketing. That’s because there are plenty of fans, and their devices, here in the UK.
Creative SMS Crowdfunding Campaigns for Independent Film Productions
No matter what the task is, any campaign can be boosted by SMS marketing. It's great for businesses and charities but could be especially utilised for the creative industry. From the largest scale (mainstream TV shows, Hollywood blockbusters) to low budget independents, there is an SMS campaign to fit all needs and perform a vital profile-boosting function.
How to Use SMS Messaging to Keep Your Club Members Healthy
In a report released last week by Nielsen, it turns out people want more than just to see a lower number on the scale. In their study, 75% of people worldwide plan to lose weight by changing their diet. And another 72% plan to exercise – that’s where your health club and SMS comes in.
How SMS Messaging can Boost your Social Media Marketing
Is your social media struggling? Read this article to learn how businesses of every shape and size can use SMS messaging to drive social media engagement and generate revenue from increased brand exposure. Whether the goal is to support a one-off sales campaign or a long term drive to increase reach, SMS messaging offers an unparalleled opportunity to make your brand's voice heard in the increasingly noisy social media space.