Campaign yard signs. If you’re a political candidate, you know exactly what they are. If you are a voter, you can’t find your way clear of them. They seem to be on every lawn, every street corner, church, busy intersection, and polling place. There is an absolute reason for it. It’s because they are a vitally important part of success to those running for office, and they can absolutely sway an election in either direction. Yes, there are multiple different outlets where candidates can advertise. The political yard sign could be thought of as antiquated in the digital age that we live. But it is a trusty, highly effective way to acquire name recognition, get a message spread, and to earn an unparalleled cost-per-impression benefit.
Name Recognition:
The whole country was aware that Donald Trump and Joe Biden were the two people running for the highest office in the land. They were household names, and their platforms were clear. But if you’re a local candidate looking to earn a seat on the city council, your advertising dollars may be a bit meager. Your name might not be well recognized. And, you might even have just decided to enter the political arena for the first time – you’ve been an attorney or a small business owner, and no one has ever even heard of you. How do you effectively get your name out there?
One savvy way to do it, and working nimbly with your budget, is to buy political yard signs. Those little corrugated plastic yard signs can be had for as low as a couple bucks each. Campaign signs draw the eyes of people driving in their cars every day. With all those viewings of your political yard sign, your vote totals increase dramatically. Research has shown that each one earns between six and 10 more votes. If you purchase 100 lawn signs, that gets you upwards of 1,000 more punches on ballots. On the local level, a thousand extra votes can be the deciding factor whether you end up in office or not. Remember in the 2000 election, when George W. Bush won the presidency over Al Gore? One big reason was due to the narrow margin of 537 more votes he tallied in Florida. Let that number marinate in your mind, then think about the ramifications of what 1,000 extra votes can mean.
Time to Talk Timing:
There is no real tenet as to when you should put up your campaign signs. But there is a general rule of thumb on timing. You want to have them out for exposure no earlier than eight weeks prior to the election. Additionally, yard signs should be up no later than four weeks leading up to the day ballot boxes get stuffed. If you distribute those corrugated yard signs that sit on metal stakes too early, your name could become stale as time goes by. Displaying signage too late, and you’ll have missed out on a ton of exposure. The Wall Street Journal reported that custom yard signs can be seen by as many as 25,000 people per day. Plant just one lawn sign two weeks after your opponent, and it equates to you losing potentially 350,000 impressions.
Design and Color of Political Signs:
When running your political campaign, utilize a bright, rich color of text against a white background on your signs. It will draw and hold eyeballs. It’s a clean, crisp look that really stands out. Light colors appear washed out and are very hard to see, even up close. Imagine voters driving by a sign with poor quality text and imagery at 50 miles per hour. That election sign just became pointless.
If you’re dead set on going with a lighter color, combine it with a darker color background. Yellow ink, for example, pops nicely when in combination with black. Big letters, bold letters, and a brief message are essential in sign design. A long slogan or an overly-complex design will have people trying to read a sign that’s now—unreadable.
Also, make sure you have consistency cognizance with your yard sign. The same color and design with your campaign advertising will help voters remember you a whole lot better. That name recognition you seek can be lost with signs that have different colors and text. Consistency is repetition, and repetition works. Consistent repetition with color and design is a big key to your campaign success.
The Power to Influence Voters with Images:
You’ve heard it a thousand times. A picture is worth a thousand words. That’s truer than ever in this age of digital messaging. It also applies to the good old political yard sign. The power and transcendence of imagery lies in the fabric of human nature. We are innately wired to notice, learn from, respond to and remember visual cues and elements. These numbers don’t lie when comes to the average consumer:
-10% of information is recalled for three days after hearing it. The addition of a picture ramps that number up to 65%
-65% of the country’s population says it learns visually
-94% of articles with relevant images get more views on average
If you’re going to put a photo of you to advertise on custom yard signage, get the best picture you can of yourself. Whether you want to be presented as kind and warm or smart and authoritative is your call, no doubt. But make sure to use the best version of pictures snapped. When people drive by, they only get a few seconds, a fleeting glance of you. The right image that represents you is quite important. If you don’t catch the viewer’s attention, it could have you watching an opponent take you down come election day. The power of images is very real.
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Summarizing:
Election yard signs can be the pieces of advertising that either have candidates end up holding office or not. With many media outlets to promote a campaign, yard signs are the most beneficial in a cost-per-impression aspect than any of the others.
Among the many things candidates need to take care of are earning name recognition, the timing of when to put signs out, and a smart sign design.
These factors play a vital role in the level of success for those who aspire to come out victorious on election day.
