With the 2024 election season fast approaching, local, county, governor, and state elections are gaining significant visibility. In this blog, we will focus on the power of digital advertising for local candidates, providing strategic insights and best practices to help maximize advertising campaign performance.
The Power Of Digital Advertising For Local Candidates
Digital advertising has become increasingly crucial in political campaigns due to its numerous benefits, including enhanced targeting capabilities, broader reach, and cost-effectiveness. According to Statista, political advertising spending in the United States is projected to amount to 10.2 billion U.S. dollars in 2024, with digital channels flourishing. Between January 1st and August 1st, of the 2022 election cycle, nearly 700 million U.S. dollars were invested in political digital ads, distributed across Google, Facebook, and Connected TV (CTV) ads.
Specifically, advertising across social platforms like Facebook and Instagram provides exceptional opportunities to engage with local constituents, leverage targeted ads, create custom audience creation, and precise demographic segmentation.
Additionally, numerous types of programmatic advertising, such as standard audience and demo targeting, content targeting, and Connected TV (CTV), allow local candidates to tap into the growing streaming trend to reach voters in their homes.
Best Practices Successful Political Advertising Season
In the realm of campaign advertising creatives and messaging, the strategic incorporation of best practices plays a pivotal role in garnering the attention and endorsement of local constituents. A close and synergistic partnership with local candidates is imperative to develop compelling advertising content that authentically connects with the target demographic. At AffinityX, we understand the importance of crafting messages that reflect the values, aspirations, and issues that matter most to the community.
Regarding the actual ad creatives, it is beneficial to utilize a mix of visuals, videos, and text that captivate the audience’s attention and effectively convey the candidate’s message. Keep in mind that the campaign must comply with all local legal requirements. Most DSPs and ad platforms prohibit offensive content or slander/bashing the opponent. It is also important to ensure that the landing page matches the creative messaging, and all creatives must contain the visible “paid for by:” line.
Combining compelling storytelling with solid visuals that showcase the candidate’s values and vision can create a strong emotional connection with voters, resulting in more well-rounded and impactful campaign ads. It is essential to keep lines of communication open, allowing for feedback and revisions to ensure the message is on point.
Another best practice is to tailor the messaging to different platforms and formats. Each platform has its unique audience and features, and the messaging must be adapted accordingly, whether it’s crafting concise and impactful ad copy for social media or developing a more detailed and informative script for Connected TV ads, adapting the messaging to suit the platform and capturing the attention of the target audience.
These policies do not apply to political campaigns encouraging people to get out and vote so long as they’re not endorsing a specific party, figure, or agenda. Additional policies regarding Facebook and Instagram advertising for local political candidates can be found by visiting the Meta Business and Help Center.
Continuous testing and optimization are also essential in maximizing the effectiveness of campaign ad creatives and messaging. Conducting A/B testing, analyzing performance metrics, and monitoring audience feedback allows for ongoing refinements and improvements. Being data-driven can help fine-tune the ad creatives and messaging to ensure they achieve the desired results and resonate with voters.
Choosing A Political Advertising Campaign Partner
At AffinityX, we are dedicated to empowering our clients with innovative and collaborative solutions for political campaign ad creatives and messaging. Our expert team understands the importance of capturing the essence of local candidates and crafting compelling ads that resonate with their constituents. We help our clients optimize their campaign performance through a results-driven approach while staying true to their message, values, and aspirations. Together, we can create campaign ad creatives and messaging that leave a lasting impact on local constituents and contribute to a successful campaign. Contact AffinityX today to get started.
