With so many recent changes in political digital advertising, most political campaigns have had to adjust their marketing strategies. Some social media sites, such as Twitter, have even banned political and issue advertising altogether. Keeping up with all of the changes can be exhausting, so for your convenience, ImageWorks has compiled a list of things you need to be aware of, hopefully giving you a solid understanding of political digital advertising in 2020.
Facebook Changes
Facebook came under fire back in 2016 when a slew of Russia-linked political ads appeared on the social media site during the U.S. presidential election. In response, Facebook has changed the way political advertisements are bought. Political advertisers now need to provide verification before they can buy and run ads on Facebook. For verification purposes, political advertisers will need a Page that includes a View Ads section so that Facebook users can see what advertisements they have purchased.
Any political ads run by organizations will need to identify the organization they represent and their location. Political advertisements will also be required to include "paid for by" information in the ad itself, and Facebook users will be able to click on a disclosure to view advertiser information and see an explanation of why that particular ad appeared on their newsfeed.
Google Changes
Facebook isn't the only one making sweeping changes when it comes to political advertisements. Google has removed some audience targeting capabilities from display, search and Youtube. The targeting options that will no longer be available on Youtube or Google ads include:
- Political affiliation targeting
- Example - advertisements that appear on your newsfeed based on your political leanings
- Remarketing to website visitors
- Example - advertisements that follow you around and appear all over the web after you view the advertiser's website
- Voter files or micro-targeting
- Example - advertisements that use information such as user's social profiles, behavioral patterns, and interests to create the most compelling campaigns possible
- Specific placement list of websites or applications
Local Campaign Changes
Many states and localities have passed laws in the last few years aimed to increase political advertising transparency. For example, states such as Seattle and Washington now have campaign finance laws that require the disclosure of the organization providing political ads and the amount of money paid for each advertisement. These changes are likely the first of many, as more and more people call for increased transparency in political advertisements.
Hopefully, you now have a solid understanding of political digital advertising in 2020!
ImageWorks, LLC | Digital Marketing for Political Campaigns
ImageWorks, LLC is a CT digital marketing company that uses state of the art techniques to help grow your political campaign. We offer social media management, email marketing, and our one-of-a-kind Proprietary Bidding Algorithm to maximize the effectiveness of paid ads in real-time. If you’re looking to invest in digital marketing for your next political campaign, contact us today.
