Simone Lawson
Email addresses are an important aspect of political campaigns. They are used to raise money and gain support for a particular candidate or cause. The quality of an email list is important when trying to raise money, as it increases the likelihood of donations. While it can be difficult to personalise emails with different ask amounts, it is important to vary content and change ask amounts depending on who is being addressed. For example, AOL email addresses tend to be used by older people who are more inclined to donate to political campaigns. According to Roll Call, an email address could be worth $8 to a political campaign.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Average worth of an email address | $8 |
| Factors determining the value of an email address | Percentage of donors on the list, frequency and recency of donations, total amount raised from the list |
| Effectiveness of email campaigns | Older people are more likely to donate to political campaigns than younger people |
| AOL email addresses | Represent 4% of addresses but 22% of all money brought in |
| Effectiveness of AOL email campaigns | Average donation of $159 |
| Effectiveness of Gmail email campaigns | Used by half the population but only brings in 13% of overall donations, with an average of $31 each |
| Best practices for email campaigns | Personalize emails with different ask amounts, vary content to keep subscribers engaged, share behind-the-scenes pictures |
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What You'll Learn
Renting email lists
When renting email lists, it is essential to set clear expectations for performance and to understand the potential risks and costs involved. The cost of renting email lists can vary depending on factors such as size, quality, and demand. According to Campaign Trend, the cost of renting a list typically falls in the $3,000 to $7,000 range, but larger and more popular lists can rent for much higher prices.
It is also worth noting that simply renting a list is unlikely to generate significant returns or an instant positive return on investment (ROI). Email list rentals should be seen as a complement to other email list-building efforts, such as promoting petitions and surveys on social media platforms like Facebook.
Additionally, it is important to be aware of the potential for spam complaints and the negative impact this can have on your email program. As such, it is generally recommended to avoid purchasing or renting low-quality lists, as this can result in decreased engagement and setbacks for your campaign.
When considering renting email lists, it is advisable to work directly with a list broker who specializes in email list rentals and can ensure the technical aspects of the process are effectively managed. This includes determining the value of the list, which is influenced by factors such as the percentage of donors, their frequency and recency of engagement, and the overall fundraising success associated with the list.
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Revenue-sharing agreements
Political campaigns are increasingly relying on email fundraising as a vital source of revenue. A simple list of emails can be worth thousands, if not millions, of dollars. Acquiring a list of emails can be done through revenue-sharing agreements (also known as "revshares") or list rentals.
List rentals, on the other hand, involve an upfront cost to send an email to the list. The campaign gains a one-time right to contact the email addresses, and the list owner conducts the sending on behalf of the campaign. The cost of list rentals can vary depending on the size and quality of the emails on the list.
Both revenue-sharing agreements and list rentals are effective tools for political campaigns to reach new supporters and donors. The choice between the two depends on the campaign's budget, goals, and risk appetite.
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Donor research
Political donor research is the act of searching for information on specific prospective or existing donors to provide context and inform future fundraising requests. This research explores a donor's capacity and probability to give to a campaign by evaluating supporters' wealth markers, such as stock holdings and real estate investments, and affinity markers, such as past contributions to nonprofits or political candidates with similar values.
When conducting donor research, it is important to follow relevant laws and guidelines related to soliciting political donations. State and local election laws may differ, so it is essential to consult the relevant election authority. Additionally, it is worth noting that reports and databases on donor information may provide limited insight, and more detailed, politically-oriented donor research tools may be necessary.
To further inform fundraising asks, campaigns can vary their email content and format to keep subscribers engaged. Emails that share empowering stories, inspiring testimonies, and other unique content tend to perform well. It is also beneficial to personalize emails with different ask amounts, which can be done through advanced email and fundraising software.
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Personalised asks
Email addresses are an important aspect of political campaigns, with each address estimated to be worth $8 to a campaign. Building a high-quality email list is vital, as it increases the likelihood of raising money for your campaign.
- Vary your email content: Keep your subscribers engaged with different formats, stories, and more. Some of the best-performing emails share empowering stories and inspiring testimonies that stand out from typical fundraising emails.
- Donor research: Conduct research to gauge how much a prospective donor may be able and willing to give to your campaign. You can also ask for a small donation to gather more information about the donor to act on in the future.
- Personalise ask amounts: Change your ask amount depending on who you're speaking to. Asking everyone on your list for the same donation amount is likely to be too much for some and not enough for others. With advanced email and fundraising software, you can ask for a donor's highest previous contribution amount, most recent donation, average donation, or other preset options.
- Segment donors: Use donor target scores and reports to segment groups of donors for email outreach, call time, and other fundraising appeals based on the likelihood of giving and their giving potential.
- Chain fundraising: Send a supporter a letter asking for a donation, and then request that they forward the letter to their friends with a personal note asking them to donate and continue the chain.
- Mentorship auctions: Identify high-profile individuals among your donors and supporters and ask them to donate their time to your campaign. Set up bidding for one-on-one chat sessions with thought leaders or celebrities, with the highest bidder winning the mentoring session.
- Recurring donations: Instead of a large one-time donation, ask supporters to commit to a larger total amount to be billed monthly.
- Volunteering: Mobilise supporters to volunteer for your campaign. This is a great alternative for those who want to support your campaign but may not have the financial means to donate.
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AOL email addresses
The reason for this discrepancy is that people who still use AOL addresses tend to be older and more inclined to donate to political campaigns. A full 83% of all donations come from people over 50, and 58% from people over 60. While AOL users tend to be mocked as old and out of touch, they are still tech-savvy—47% of all money donated to campaigns came from mobile devices.
The value of an email address to a political campaign is not limited to the potential for donations. Email lists are also valuable for mobilizing people to political action, such as writing letters or calling their congressional representative. For this reason, candidates are increasingly spending money on social media ads that drive people to their websites, where they can sign up for their email lists.
Email lists can also be valuable commodities in themselves. Candidates can buy or rent lists from each other, or exchange lists under revenue-sharing agreements. However, it is rare to buy a full list outright. Instead, candidates will usually rent a portion of a list, filtered for the specific parameters they are looking for.
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Frequently asked questions
An email address could be worth around \$8 to a political campaign. However, the value of an email address depends on several factors, such as the percentage of donors on the list, how frequently and how recently they have given or clicked on anything in the email, and how much the list has raised overall.
Email addresses are valuable to political campaigns because they allow campaigns to directly communicate with potential donors and supporters. Campaigns can use email to share their messages, request donations, and encourage supporters to take action, such as signing a petition or volunteering.
Political campaigns collect email addresses through various methods, including sign-ups on their websites, events, and grassroots organizing. Some campaigns may also rent or buy email lists from other candidates or organizations, although this practice is not common and can be risky due to the potential for low-quality or inactive email addresses.
To use email addresses effectively, political campaigns should maintain a high-quality email list with accurate and engaged subscribers. Campaigns can personalize emails to increase the likelihood of donations, vary their email content to keep subscribers interested, and use algorithms to tailor email solicitations for different contribution amounts based on donor data.
