November 3rd is election day. Trump vs. Biden. The news is saturated with election content, social media is saturated with election content, and amazingly, digital ads are growing saturated with election content as well. It may seem unexpected, but the closer we draw to the election, the more competitive online advertising will become.
This is a convergence of both the COVID-19 pandemic and the election. With Americans struggling to control the spread of COVID-19, most in-person meetings, debates, and campaigning efforts have been canceled. Where volunteers once went door-to-door imploring voters to make it to the polls, they are now placing calls and sending emails in an attempt to stay safe and stay distanced.
A fantastic way to reach voters directly in their homes and on their devices is through digital. The political campaigns are buying up banner space and bidding high on google ad spots. Their goal is to get in front of literally every American, which means that they will undoubtedly be infringing on the ad space that your digital marketing has historically owned.
You may not have anticipated competing for keywords with presidential candidates, but it is easier to do than you may think. For example, let’s consider the hot-button issues of social justice and police reform that have presented themselves during this election cycle.
Political candidates may be targeting keywords like “justice,” “equity,” and “fair.” Do those sound familiar? They may be the same keywords your law firm is using in ads that read “seeking justice for car accident victims,” “equity in the workplace,” and “we promise a fair outcome to our clients.”
It is more likely than not that you are already competing with campaign marketers.
Experts project that by the time the election is over, $6.7 billion will have been spent on advertising alone. Understanding how that crossover can occur can help you to plan around the rising price of ads.
Instead of shelling out the additional money for pricey ads between now and election day, re-strategize and try to use words that political campaigns are less likely to go after. Terms like “personal injury,” “labor attorneys,” and “Southern California legal team” will be more advantageous to target in the coming weeks.
