No matter their affiliation, people tend to get fired up about politics. Nothing emphasizes our hopes, dreams, fears, and anxieties quite like a presidential election. People have more questions than ever about the fate of their economic futures. The 2024 presidential race is shaping up to provide as many hopes, fears, and general questions as ever about the government’s future impact on personal finances.
The good news is, you don’t have to be a political expert or declare your undying loyalty to one candidate over another – in fact, we advise against it – to leverage the upcoming election in your marketing strategy.
The Specifics
The economy in general is typically a hot-button issue in most elections. People want to know how a new candidate will affect the economy. While it can be an ambiguous topic, encompassing many overlapping sectors of people’s lives, it’s prudent to be familiar with the basics and where candidates stand so you can address any questions as best you can.
Social Security is also a big deal. With the benefit pool already drastically underfunded, people want to know if they can count on their benefits. As a financial professional, you can help them understand how each candidate plans to approach this issue.
Health care, too, is always a prominent issue. This is an excellent opportunity to remind your clients and prospects to consider their own plans for health care and long-term care. (Don’t forget: this includes Medicare.) You can help them prepare for different outcomes depending not only on each party’s nominated presidential candidate, but on the final results of the election in November.
Of course, taxes are always a concern for voters, particularly for those nearing retirement age. The Republican line likely won’t stray from a broad “lower them,” while the Democratic line figures to vary in substance and message amongst candidates. Knowing who’s proposing what will be key as we approach November.
Incorporating the Election into Your Marketing Strategy
Your main goal is to demonstrate yourself as a capable agent who is up to speed in an election year. Highlight both your education and your ability to answer any questions they may have about various candidates and the potential effects they may have on retirement and the economy without bias.
You can do this by hosting election-themed events, workshops, or seminars. In our experience, relevant, topic-based marketing assets perform significantly better than more generic content. (In fact, our Trump Tax Plan mailer is still one of our best performing pieces to date!)
Invite clients and prospects to come to your venue of choice and ask their questions in a neutral environment. If you decide to host a group event, make sure that you carefully moderate the discussion – you don’t want it turning into a full-blown debate!
Alternatively, you can invite people in for private consultations about their concerns surrounding the election. This will allow you to connect on a deeper level with each client/prospect and provide them with a private environment to share their worries. Provide them your undivided attention and help work out a plan to address their concerns.
Phrasing Your Post
A pro tip: Facebook/Meta has regulations on political and election-related ads. If your post seems too political, they’ll flag it for review. That means your seminar ads might not go live until it’s too late. (Political ads posted during the final election week will be blocked outright.) Make sure you’re up to date on what phrasing could be considered political and word your post accordingly.
To avoid alienating individuals who may have political views conflicting with your own, be sure to market your ability to help them develop a bipartisan retirement plan. After all, we won’t know the outcome until November. But as the election process rolls along, you can help your clients prepare for different situations ahead of time, so they are not left scrambling to find answers to their questions.
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