Political Text Messages Working
More than a billion text messages are sent in the USA every day. And, now text messaging is becoming a major force in political campaigns, as reported by CBS News.
Analysis by CBS News shows that the cost of obtaining a vote via text message is far cheaper than through other mediums. Direct mail costs $67 per vote and door-to-door campaigning costs $30. Telemarketing costs $20 per vote. But, text messaging, as little as $1.50 per vote. (Note the CBS story did not give the financial analysis behind these numbers.)
P0litical scientists at the University of Michigan and Princeton University found in 2006 that text message reminders increased voter turnout by five percent over those who were not sent a text message. That’s especially notable considering that only 25% of young adults vote. Young Americans are also not likely to have a landline phone–as many as 20% don’t bother with a landline.
“The Obama campaign especially has done a great job with reaching voters via text message,” said Bob Bentz, director of marketing at Advanced Telecom Services–a supplier of text messaging to political candidates. “Imagine having a walking billboard in the voter’s pocket. That’s a powerful influencer and makes the candidate more relevant, especially to younger voters.”
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