Where voting feels like more than just a civic duty, it feels like a moral obligation.
If you thought that the 2020 election season would bring out record numbers of voters, you might be underwhelmed by the data. Voter turnout during this year’s primaries in 20 states was only slightly higher than in 2016, but it still fell short of the numbers seen in 2008.
What does that mean for your voter engagement campaign? Well, it means you have some work to do.
If you’re trying to engage voters, inform them and encourage them to vote this election season, chances are that you are already deeply involved in political matters that involve your family, your community, your state and your country.
But how do you get others to feel that same sense of civic engagement that you do? How do you bring more community members into your movement?
With 313 million people actively using the internet in July 2020 in the United States alone, the answer of where to cast your net to engage people is simple: online.
But while the where might be easy, the how is a different story. Here we will give you our best tips and tricks on how to engage voters and encourage them to get out the vote by using the internet as your platform.
Provide Multiple Online Opportunities to Engage
In this day and age, when someone has a question, chances are they turn to the internet for an answer. So when a potential voter seeks information about political issues and candidates, the best thing you can do is use your online influence to take them from being interested to being active.
To spark action from potential voters in your grassroots get out the vote campaign, it’s important to have a diverse internet presence that is kept up to date regularly. These online channels—such as a website and social media profiles—will give your audience current information and opportunities to get involved and engage with the movement.
Why is it important to diversify? Well, not all social media platforms appeal to the same demographic. For example, Facebook’s users are primarily 25-49 years old. However, only 22% of adults report using Twitter on a regular basis. Diversifying where you post your content based on the demographics you’re trying to target can help you cast the wide net you need to engage voters.
Perhaps they would like to keep track of your progress or help out in ways that don’t require them to be physically present somewhere. They can help you reach other people and spread your message or simply donate money to the cause. Provide multiple options and opportunities for voters to be involved in a variety of ways and broadcast those opportunities across a variety of platforms using your online presence.
Be a Storyteller
When you’re passionate about a subject, it might be difficult to gain the perspective of someone who hasn’t had that emotional connection to the issue yet. But that’s exactly what you need to build—an emotional connection.
Starting your conversation with issues, candidates and the goals you have in mind doesn’t draw someone into the conversation easily. Instead, people feel an emotional connection and a desire to take action when they get a true story of a real person’s life and struggle.
And people love a story. In fact, it’s estimated that 65% of the average person’s daily conversation is telling stories. They understand issues and candidates more when there’s a human connection and story attached.
The internet is the perfect place for storytelling. Whether it’s a blog post or a social media post about the human side of an issue, connecting to your audience with someone’s story will engage them more quickly than anything else.
Give Supporters a Voice
People join a movement because they feel emotionally connected and invested in that movement. When someone feels connected to something, they often want to share that connection with others. They are looking for people who are facing similar issues and people who have common experiences with the matter at hand.
Your online presence should give your supporters a chance to express that connection and connect with others who share the same feelings. This could take many forms, such as a forum on your website or a group on Facebook.
Providing your supporters a place to engage with one another and with the cause makes them feel immediately tied to a community of like-minded people. Building that community, even if online, is how you create loyal supporters and keep moving toward your goal.
Make Donating Quick and Easy
When you’ve engaged potential voters and they want to support the good work you’ve been doing, some may find that the best way they can contribute is through monetary donations. Giving them an option to donate online, while they’re engaged and interacting with your online presence, can take your fundraising to a whole new level.
Set up multiple ways for donors to contribute online, whether on your website, through email forms or on a fundraising platform. Making the act of donating easier than writing and mailing a check can help the donor immediately feel like a part of the community and get them more enthusiastically involved in your goal.
When you’re trying to build a community to get out information about the importance of voting this year, it’s important to engage your audience where they spend their time. Undoubtedly, building a strong and current internet presence is key to gathering supporters who can help you mobilize potential voters.
Luckily, Campaign Now can also help you. We can help get your movement going and growing with strategies that we have proven to be effective. Are you still trying to build your organization? We can help you there, too. Get in touch with us through our website or by giving us a call at 512-582-3421.