When you need the public to know about a time sensitive initiative, you need to quickly draft and implement a plan for action. There’s no time to waste when you’re on a tight deadline.
Background
That was the situation the League of Women Voters of North Carolina was in when the organization contacted Targeted Persuasion about their www.VOTE411.org website in the weeks leading up to the May 2018 primary election. The site is a one-stop-shop for election related information and is a valuable tool for the voting public – but only if they were aware of its existence.
That’s where Targeted Persuasion came in. We were able to craft an effective message and get it out to the public using a combination of earned media and digital advertising.
Approach
Targeted Persuasion was able to get thousands of eyeballs on VOTE411 by crafting simple and persuasive messaging and distributing that message through multiple channels. Here are some of the tools we used.
Press Release
When announcing a major campaign, often times the best place to start is a simple press release. For this campaign, we distributed our release to media all across the state and several publications ran it.
Messaging
Your message is unique to your brand and your particular campaign. There’s no formula or algorithm to which you can plug inputs to get your message. That’s where having a team of experienced, dedicated, and creative professionals comes in. As we do with all of our clients, we worked closely with the League for Women Voters to craft massaging for various audiences, including media and the general public. For the VOTE411 campaign, these messaging elements included taglines, unique hooks for media, an elevator pitch, social media sample copy, and talking points for League leadership.
For logos, staying on brand is important, but so is standing out. How do strike that balance of staying true to your brand but also catching the public’s eye. The experienced professionals at Targeted Persuasion can help.
Media Hooks
What does the media care about and what kind of stories are they looking to cover? What is your unique perspective and how can it help a reporter with a story? These are important questions to ask when building a public relations campaign. If you answer these questions well you’ll be able to effectively pitch media and get your organization’s name in the news.
Digital Ads
What makes an effective digital ad? Eye-catching visuals are one element. Succinct and clear language is another. Targeted Persuasion was able to combine these elements in our VOTE411.org campaign.
Using technology, we were also able to target a specific audience for our client. This ensured that not only was our message seen, but that the right people saw it.
Media Coaching
When you get in front of the media to talk about your initiative, what will you say? How will you stick to talking points in the face of potentially tough questions? What should those talking points even be? Not only can Targeted Persuasion get your story in front of the media, we can prepare you for when that reporter calls or when the TV camera shows up.
Social Media
Social media can’t get the job done on it’s own, but in the 21st century it’s a must-have component of any public affairs campaign. Crafting great posts with sharp imagery is a good way to ensure your followers like, share, and comment.
Media Outlets Provided Exceptional Coverage Helping to Raise Awareness
Here is just a small sample of the coverage we won for our client:
NEWS AND OBSERVER:
For NC’s Primary Voters, There Was No Such Thing As Too Far Left Or Too Far Right
WRAL:
Unlike Past Elections, 2018 Ballot Filled With Legislative Contests
Spectrum Charlotte
Unaffiliated Young Voter Numbers Largest In Mecklenburg County
Fayetteville Observer:
League of Women Voters Launches Election Related Info Website
The Results?
Over the course of our campaign, VOTE411 had 32,489 site views. While we can’t take all of the credit, we’re proud to have helped with the dramatic improvement over previous years. The national organization reported that NC was #3 in the country.
At Targeted Persuasion we strive to always exceed expectations.
Wonder if grassroots advocacy could help you or your clients?
Let’s talk!
Targeted Persuasion | 206 New Bern PL. | Raleigh, NC 27601 | 919.386.9183 | info@TargetedPersuasion.com
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