Political campaigns, when viewed by a voter, are very rarely seen as advertising or marketing campaigns. That is exactly what they are, however. In today’s time, both politicians and PACs use traditional media and advertising methods to reach the voting population. This includes television ads, radio interviews and commercials, and newspaper coverage. There is a huge media connection missing here however, and politicians are slowly catching on to it- using the internet as a way to connect with voters and advertise their message.
This is called display marketing. Essentially, a politician or PAC would display a specific ad on a specific site that is geared toward certain people. For example, a candidate might run an ad on a pet adoption’s website advocating their desire to sponsor a new bill that stops animal cruelty. The people that view this website will probably be people who want or have animals, and would be most interested in learning about an anti-cruelty animal law. This display marketing piece has directed a specific target of people to a candidate who shares the same feelings and opinions as these voters do.
The benefits of this extend past a single politician or PAC group. With a specified ad such as this, voters can be marketed to directly. This gains interest and momentum in a political race, especially with Generation Y, who use the Internet quite frequently as means for learning new information and staying on top of the news. Bringing the political race to them will make them much more likely to get involved in the political race and vote.
Being able to extend political visibility to as many corners of the advertising world as possible is the goal of a political campaign manager. So utilizing the internet to direct people to a politician’s webpage or perhaps monetary donation site is only logical.
Besides gaining visibility to specific voters, display marketing is also a great way for candidates to be localized with their issues. Putting up advertisements on local webpages about issues relating to the city is a great way to get the community involved in and aware of what is going on. Viewers can be taken to the homepage of the politician or the PAC group and be informed about a particular stance. This gains more votes, traction in the race, and generates interest in topics.
Display advertising has many advantages, many of which help politicians reach more constituents, get their opinions out, and gain more webpage views. There is not much to lose when investing in internet marketing during a political race.
Guest post brought to you by Ted Dhanik. Ted Dhanik is the co-founder and CEO of engage:BDR. Ted Dhanik blogs about display advertising and high performance marketing solutions. To find out more about Ted Dhanik, visit www.teddhanik.com.