We’ve been a part of all sorts of campaigns— from local elections to major drives— but they all share a similar problem. Limited time, money, and manpower.

Everyone wants to run a highly effective and engaging campaign but struggles to do so efficiently. So, let’s break down the many advantages of Keypad Surveys and how you can use them to dominate your district.

What is a keypad survey?

After finishing a phone call with a customer service representative, have they ever asked you to complete a quick survey? Then, an artificial or recorded voice comes on and says, “Using the keys on your touch-tone phone, please rate your experience on a scale of 1 to 5, with one being the worst and five being the best.”

Keypad surveys allow participants to answer questions by pressing numbers on their keypads. Here’s an example:

“Which of the following issues is most important to you?

• Education
• Healthcare
• Economy
• Public Safety.”
• How do Keypad surveys work?

Traditional phone surveys require volunteers to manually ask these questions. Here, a voice talent records the questions and answers, allowing for quick and widespread automation.

Advantages of Keypad Surveys.

1. Cost-Effectiveness: Keypad surveys are very economical in terms of time, money, and volunteer work. So, these are great for campaigns limited in resources, such as local or state elections.
2. Reduces Bias: We know a lot about biases and how they can impact surveys, but that’s the topic for another blog. In short, telephone surveys suffer from the recency effect: respondents are more likely to choose the last option they heard because of its recency. However, we incorporate answer randomization into our keypad surveys to combat this bias. Instead of listing [1] Education, [2] Healthcare, [3] Economy, & [4] Public safety in that order every time, we mix it up.
3. Increased Honesty: Since respondents aren’t answering to a real person, they have a sense of anonymity, leading to more accurate insights.
4. Immediate Data Collection: Keypad surveys are quick to produce, implement, and answer. You get instant results, empowering your campaign to think and act on its toes. Rapid feedback is crucial for any campaign, but it is especially advantageous in the final stretch of a campaign.

There’s one major disadvantage to keypad surveys.

Keypad Surveys are a type of Automatic Telephone Dialing System (ATDS). Under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), ATDS cannot be used to contact a cell phone without the user’s “prior express consent.” In short, you cannot send keypad surveys to cell phones unless you have the consent of the user.

However, you can use an ATDS on landlines within a few limitations.*

1. Political campaign-related robocalls can be made to residential landline phones without prior consent but they are restricted to no more than three calls within any consecutive 30-day period.
2. These robocalls must include identification information such as the organization’s name and callback number.
3. Some states have additional restrictions on political calls, so check in with a local expert.

If these restrictions come off as confusing or make you nervous, don’t worry. We can help! As one of the best political texting companies, we’re competent in compliance. Running a campaign is stressful enough, let us help so you can focus on your success.

You’ll notice that this landline limitation has a self-selection bias. The people who are most likely to respond to keypad surveys are older adults with a landline.

You might be thinking, “Who answers a landline anyway?” The truth is, voters do. These older adults are also the most likely to vote in local and state elections.

However, unless you overcome your landline limitation with consent forms, you’ll miss out on a key demographic: younger voters.

How to Dominate Your District with Keypad Surveys.

Even the best strategies require some improvisation. Use the quick turnaround time of keypad surveys to analyze real-time voter sentiment.

Use Issue-Based Surveys to Shape the Narrative.

• Identify Voter Concerns: Use Keypad Surveys to pinpoint the issues that matter most. At the end of the day, every voter just wants to feel heard.
• Target-Specific Demographics: Customize surveys for distinct voter groups, tailoring questions to address age, gender, or geographic-specific concerns.
• Timing is Critical: Align your surveys with key events or news cycles to capture timely and relevant data.

Use Preference Surveys to Swing the Vote!

• Monitor Trends Over Time: Conduct recurring surveys during debates, policy announcements, or major events to track shifts in voter sentiment.
• Focus on Undecided Voters: Use data to understand what attributes or policies resonate with this critical group.
• Adjust Strategy in Real Time: Refine your messaging, allocate resources, or adjust outreach efforts based on survey results.

Maximize Voter Turnout with Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) Surveys.

• Gauge Voter Enthusiasm: Identify voters most likely to turn out and those needing additional motivation.
• Segment Voter Base: Categorize voters by their likelihood to vote and tailor outreach efforts accordingly.
• Provide Targeted Reminders: Use survey data to send personalized voting instructions and reminders to high-priority segments.

Keypad surveys are best used as a component of a broader outreach strategy.

So, if you need quick, accurate, and helpful insights from the text marketing of your political campaigns, we’re the experts to call!

*Legal Disclaimer: This blog post is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. Always consult official resources and seek legal counsel for complete and accurate information.

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