Most campaign letters and emails are DOA: dead on arrival.
Not because the candidate is bad. Not because the cause isn’t worthy. But because the copy commits two cardinal sins that guarantee the letter gets tossed before anyone reaches the ask.
Direct mail pro Travis Lee has written about what he calls “Copy Killers” – the self-inflicted wounds that gut your response rate before your prospect even finishes the first paragraph.
And two of the worst ones show up in political mail constantly.
Copy Killer #1: Being Boring.
Your copy can never be too long. But it can absolutely be too boring.
The biggest sin in any fundraising letter – even a two-paragraph email – is losing the reader’s attention.
Tell the complete story. Include every benefit. Give people enough information to take the next step. But cut every single unnecessary word while you do it.
Here’s the practical rule: write only to people who are already interested in what you’re selling.
Don’t worry about the people who aren’t. The ones who are interested need enough information to act. Give it to them – without putting them to sleep.
Copy Killer #2: Writing From the “Me” Perspective.
You’ve seen this. You’ve probably done it.
“I’ve been fighting for conservative values for 20 years…”
“Our campaign has the most grassroots support in the district…”
“We’re the only candidate who…”
Blah, blah, blah.
Nobody cares. Seriously. Not one donor opens your letter wondering how great you are. They open it wondering what’s in it for them – for their family, their community, their values.
So stop selling your resume and start selling the result.
Don’t tell donors you’ve been endorsed by fifty people. Tell them what happens to their property taxes if your opponent wins. Don’t describe your biography. Describe the future they get to be part of if they write a check today.
Here’s a quick fix you can use right now.
Pull out your last fundraising letter. Circle every time you wrote “I,” “me,” or “my.” Then rewrite every one of those sentences with “you” and “your” instead.
It sounds simple. It works like magic.
Your campaign isn’t the hero of your fundraising letter. Your donor is. Write it that way – and watch what happens.
Dr. Chuck Muth, PsD
Professor of Psephology*
(homeschooled)
* Psephology (see-follow-gee): The study of campaigns and elections