Phones are ubiquitous. Whether it’s communicating with friends and family or finding the latest music, we all rely on our phones. According to Australian government figures, around 90% of adults use a phone to go online every day.
For those working in political messaging, this is fundamental. A messaging campaign that doesn’t reach the voters’ phones may never reach them at all. While some people are receptive to emails or fliers in the letterbox, such methods will never reach people like a simple SMS message will.
The commercial platforms that built the modern SMS industry have already worked out how to use the channel well, and their methods translate cleanly to community politics.
So why exactly do SMS messages make it easier to connect with the electorate? Political communications specialists such as http://www.politicalcomms.com build campaigns around a few clear advantages of the medium:
Commercial senders are subject to the Spam Act of 2003. The law states that those sending SMS messages must have consent from the recipient. But, with political messaging, there’s an exception.
The act specifically states that political parties may send unsolicited campaign messages, even if they didn’t get prior consent. But, it’s not a free for all, political messages still have to make it clear who the message is coming from.
While political messaging in Australia has an exception from some of the more stringent data handling laws, research shows the Australian public largely expects political actors to follow the same rules as commercial entities.
So how can a campaign make the most of the medium without wearing out its welcome? A few simple habits make all the difference:
The main takeaway here is that trust is an important resource and it outlasts the election cycle process. Anyone working in political messaging is probably aware of Clive Palmer and his unsolicited texts. While his actions were legally sound, the messages were universally loathed.
Despite being legally in the right, his name became the national shorthand for excessive political spam. In Australia, political communicators shouldn’t treat the law as an indicator of what the general public will accept.
Ultimately, SMS provides local campaigns with a unique opportunity: a direct line to almost all voters. The law hands political messaging plenty of room, but that room is easy to abuse. Send with care, and a contact list stays useful long after the votes are counted.
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