Ensuring current fans vote is easier, cheaper, and more effective than converting non-fans. Whether through mail-in voting, early voting, or timely reminders, emphasize convenience before conversion. Aim at the act before the attitude.
When you do tackle attitude, remember how voters really decide. The most important choices of our lives—of spouse or friends—are not considered, rational decisions made after careful evaluation of the pros and cons. Likewise, voting is not the result of a detailed calculation, but rather an emotional decision based on how the choice feels.
Five Suggestions
Focus on immediate feeling. You should, of course, address the many important issues in the campaign including reproductive rights, making rich people and corporations pay their fair share of taxes, preserving Social Security and Medicare, respect for democracy, access to healthcare, clean air and water, union strength, decency, and honesty. On these Biden has the advantage. Unfortunately, voting for Biden won’t immediately achieve reproductive rights and won’t immediately preserve Social Security. Delay drains the power of any reward. However, delayed rewards can be transformed into immediate gratification. Remind voters that their vote is their “fight”. It feels good right now to fight for reproductive rights, clean air, etc. Remind voters how good it feels to be part of the struggle.
Forget lists. Concentrate on each target’s number one concern. Multiple rewards don’t make messages more persuasive. Multiple rewards dilute the impact of your most effective reward. People don’t add, they average. The persuasiveness of your most compelling reward will always be greater than the average of the most compelling reward and any other reward. Tailor your message to each target and stay focused on their number one concern.
Don’t neglect the image of the Biden voter. You are not just asking people to vote for Biden. You are asking them to become one of those people who vote for Biden. Make Biden voters a group that others want to join. People’s impression of Biden and their eagerness to vote for Biden will depend on their impression of the people who they believe are voting for Biden.
Use the medium as the message. The most compelling information you give voters about Biden will not be the facts within messages promoting his candidacy. Voters rely on much more than the literal information in a message. Voters use everything about the message—its tone, characters, words, visuals, sound, style, and the surrounding context--to make inferences about Biden and those who vote for him. The message itself must be assertive, contemporary, genuine, honest, decent, or fun before anyone will believe that Biden has those qualities. What is said communicates less than how it is said. Action communicates essence.
Clarify the alternative. One of the most compelling reasons to vote for Biden is that otherwise, you’ll get Trump. Repeatedly and vividly remind voters that whatever they care about will be in the dump with Trump:
- reproductive rights—in the dump with Trump
- Social Security—in the dump with Trump
- environment—in the dump with Trump
- a fair shake for unions—in the dump with Trump
- decency—in the dump with Trump
A better product makes marketing easy. Fortunately, Biden is a better product.