From Mail to Media: Why Digital Advertising is a Game-Changer for Campaigns

Vic Eppler • August 8, 2024

In the dynamic world of campaigning, going digital isn't just an option—it's the game-changer you can't afford to miss.


Here's why shifting your budget to digital advertising is a winning move over traditional mail:


1. Cost Effectiveness

Digital advertising offers a more cost-effective solution compared to traditional mail. With digital ads, campaigns can reach a larger audience at a fraction of the cost of printing and mailing physical materials, allowing you to invest more in other critical campaign activities. You don't need a huge budget to make an impact! Our budget estimator tool will tell you how far your budget will go or what your ideal budget should be.


Compare the basic costs of printing and mailing a 5-piece mail program to a 5,000 person universe versus reaching the same audience with digital. Just use the slider below to compare the programs:



Alternatively, the same $28,750 mail budget could get you over one million impressions across display, digital video, and CTV/OTT advertising options. Check out this estimate using the Turn It Blue Ads Budget Calculator:



The budget is only one reason to digitize your campaign outreach this year - below are even more reasons you should consider investing in digital ads over traditional mail


2. Real-Time Analytics

One of the most significant advantages of digital advertising is the ability to track and analyze campaign performance in real time. Detailed metrics on how your ad is performing provide valuable data on which messages are resonating and which audiences are responding to your ads. Turn It Blue Ads makes it easy to see this data so you can quickly adjust strategies and ensure that every dollar is used efficiently.



3. Targeted Reach

Digital platforms enable highly targeted advertising, allowing campaigns to reach specific demographics, geographical areas, and interest groups—and do it with data not readily available for your mail universe. You can tailor your ads to resonate with particular voter segments, increasing the likelihood of engagement and support, and get immediate feedback to know your ads are working.



4. Speed and Flexibility

Digital advertising offers unmatched speed and flexibility. With Turn It Blue Ads, you can start running ads in just 15 minutes! Campaigns can quickly launch, modify, or pause ads based on performance and emerging trends. However, it can often be equally important to be able to STOP your outreach based on current events and happenings in the community. This agility is crucial in the fast-paced political environment, where timely responses to opponents’ actions or breaking news can make a significant difference. In contrast, traditional mail takes considerable time to design, print, and send out, often resulting in delays that can hinder timely and effective campaign responses—and once that mail piece is dropped in the “send” box, there’s no getting it back if events unfold between “sent” and “received.”


5. Enhanced Engagement

Digital platforms provide interactive opportunities that traditional mail cannot match. Features like video ads and clickable links engage voters more effectively and with minimal effort on the voter’s part. This interactive aspect encourages voters to take immediate action, such as visiting a campaign website or donating, increasing the overall ROI of your ad dollars.


6. Environmental Impact

Shifting to digital advertising also has environmental benefits. Reducing the reliance on printed materials means fewer trees are cut down and less waste is generated. This eco-friendly approach can also resonate with environmentally conscious voters, enhancing the campaign’s public image.


7. The Future of Campaigning

Embracing digital advertising is not just a smart move, it's essential for any modern campaign. The Turn It Blue Ads platform offers unparalleled solutions for cost-effective, targeted ads to engage your voters. Don't miss out on the future of campaigning — create an account today and take your campaign to the next level with Turn It Blue Digital Ads!


Get Started Today

Turn It Blue Digital Blog

By Reilly Shelton October 18, 2024
Launching an effective ad campaign can seem daunting, but with some tips and the right plan, you can achieve great results. We’ll give you important tips and best practices to ensure your campaigns not only reach but resonate with your audience. Planning Your Digital Ad Budget Don't draw your digital budget from leftover money! For digital advertising to be effective, you want to aim for 6-12 impressions per voter per week. You’ll need enough funds to reach every voter the desired number of times throughout your campaign. Tip: Our 💥 Budget Estimator Tool 💥 (view on desktop) can help you plan your budget based on audience size and campaign length. Build Your Audience Strategically When you think about building your audience, consider: Voter geography. Narrow your audience to only those who can cast ballots in your election. Voting history. Are members of your audience registered voters? Do they have a history of voting behavior? Our ads platform also has this information built for easy targeting. Voter preferences . Are you targeting strong progressives to increase turnout? Or persuading voters likely to agree with you? Use voting history or third-party data to predict voters’ behavior. Tip : Plug in your target demographics with our Custom Audience builder , and you'll be serving ads to the right people in no time! Turn It Blue Ads also makes it easy for you with our expert-curated One-Click Audiences . Are you focused on getting out the vote? Use our General Election Turnout Universe to get in front of your voters! Key takeaway : Don't get too granular. Cast a wide net and reach voters in your area who have voting behaviors consistent with your strategy to reach your win number. Don't Be Afraid to Run Multiple Campaigns You may need to achieve a few different goals with your digital approach—that isn't uncommon. You might consider running ads asking your base voters to volunteer while reminding infrequent progressive voters to head to the polls. Alternatively, you could run ads to increase name ID, followed by ads highlighting your key values. The great news is that you can execute all these strategies simultaneously! Here are three ways you can break up your campaign plan to achieve multiple goals: Target based on voting history behavior. Your message should be different when talking to people who consistently vote than when you talk to people who are irregular voters. Divide based on target issue preferences. If you need to persuade voters to reach your win number, split your audience into two or three main groups based on likely issue propensities. This way, you can send a message that matters to them. Divide based on timeline. Your goal may be to do all of these things at once—and that's okay! Try breaking your ads down based on the election timeline. By embracing these strategies, you can harness the full potential of digital advertising and drive meaningful engagement to achieve your campaign goals. Turn It Blue Digital is here to support you throughout your journey, providing expert guidance and tools to ensure your campaign's success every step of the way.
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