GOTV - Get Out the Vote - Campaign Robocalls Reach Voters
By Lee Simonson
GOTV (Get Out the Vote) robocalls are a valuable campaign tool for candidates who are looking for a targeted and inexpensive method to remind voters about election information. Candidates or their spokespeople can send out pre-recorded messages via phone to thousands of voters simultaneously for a fraction of what it would cost to send campaign literature through the mail. Fact is, people do really forget to vote and the United States has one of the lowest voting rates in the free world hovering around 50% at a time when many European countries average well over 80% turnouts.
Political candidates running for office only need a phone list, usually obtained from their local or state election board or commission, and a script which can be recorded over the phone. The vast majority of states legally allow candidates to use robocalling, despite other restrictions such as the national Do Not Call list.
There are some "best practices" which candidates should use to avoid having a robocall campaign backfire. GOTV robocalling is a very powerful technology, which if abused, can easily become and uninvited intrusion into voters' lives. That's why it is very important that the technology is used effectively and sparingly.
Here are several rules of thumb that candidates and their managers need to keep in mind:
First, keep your recorded message to 30 seconds or less. If you are responding to a last minute attack, you can go longer, but it's best to go short and be upbeat. For example, "Hi, this is Tom Jones and I wanted to offer a last reminder about tomorrow's election. Thank you for the wonderful support you've given me during the campaign, and I look forward to serving you as your new State representative. Thank you again and remember to vote for Tom Jones."
Second, send your message during the daytime hours and not in the evening. The object is to leave as many messages on answering machines or voicemail as you can. Is it less disruptive and you will disturb fewer people in the process, especially eating dinner or what they consider family time. Moreover, they can listen to the message at their convenience. Remember, most robocall services are capable of delivering a message to both a live answer (when someone says, "Hello.") or an answering machine. The technology is about 85% accurate in determining the difference. You can even deliver a different pre-recorded message to a live answer than you would for an answering machine, but the vast majority of candidates use the same message for both.
Third, when it comes to recording your message -- practice, practice, practice. It usually takes four to five rewrites of the script to get it to where you want, and then candidates need to practice reading it aloud several times to feel comfortable with it. Doing a good phone message recording is just as important as doing a recording for television or radio. In fact, it might be more important, because your message will be targeted and delivered to prime voters, unlike radio or television ads which are played to people who won't or can't vote in most cases.
Overall, a GOTV robocall campaign can prove to be very effective in political campaigns to get out the vote, while enhancing name recognition and voter interest. The key is to use the technology wisely by following a few simple rules.
You can learn more about using GOTV robocalls to your advantage here: http://www.orangepoint.net/political_robo_calls
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lee_Simonson
http://EzineArticles.com/?GOTV---Get-Out-the-Vote---Campaign-Robocalls-Reach-Voters&id=3886754
