Tips #13 – 14: Size Matters (when determining how to deliver your message)

You’ve researched your decision makers. You’ve determined your target audience needed to influence them.  But how are you going to get your message to that audience?  

Here are some tips for determining which methods to deliver your well-researched and tested messages.

Tip #13: New Year, New You?

Convincing people to start a new behavior is a big hurdle. Think about how hard it is to keep up with your New Year’s resolutions. 

The most likely people to pick up the phone, send an email, vote, or show up at a public meeting are people who have already done it.

Tip #14: Calibrate your message delivery to your audience size

We know that getting people to attend a local zoning board meeting is a MUCH bigger hurdle than asking them to share an online petition. So you need to calibrate your message delivery accordingly: 

• If you need a handful of phone calls into a particular decision maker, then you’re going to invest time and money in direct contact with those people most likely to pick up the phone.  You’ll use methods like:
  • Personal phone calls
  • Personalized mail
  • Personalized email
  • One-on-one meetings
• If you need thousands of emails into decision makers, then you’re going to turn to bulk mail, mass media and online advertising to get your message out.  

Next up: Some characteristics of people involved in political activity and how to find them!