Robo Calls Becoming Staple For Political Campaigns

Robocalls  are pre-recorded phone messages that a candidate or political groups send before elections. Candidates hire robo call services that use autodialing technology capable of sending hundreds of calls simultaneously, thus the name “robo call,” or delivering messages robotically.  Content of the messages can vary, including soliciting support at the polls, or responding to false accusations .

The federal government and the vast majority of states permit political robo calls, though some states have restrictions. Candidates are also allowed to call phone numbers that are on the national Do Not Call list. The use of automated calling is controversial with proponents saying it upholds free speech, while opponents equate it with telemarketing and that it should be outlawed completely.

 Autodialing  is an extremely powerful medium — so powerful in fact, that many recipients consider it an invasion of their privacy. It can be a two edged sword. While it is the fastest, most effective, and least expensive  means to enable voters to hear a candidates voice, if executed improperly, it can actually lose votes for a candidate.

Voter acceptance all depends on how you use robo call technology. For example, it’s expected that those at home  would be bothered receiving  intrusive  calls at dinner time. No one enjoys  having their private time interrupted. So why do ill-advised political candidates send their robo calls at the worst moment, undoubtedly  losing support  in the process? Who knows? The preferred time to send your recorded message out is during the day between 10am and 3pm. That way, your pre-recorded messages  are sent  to voicemail  (70% of the American population is NOT home during the day) and citizens can listen to the message at their leisure, and without intruding on their private time.

All of this sounds reasonable , but again, little attention or thought is given this portion of the campaign. If used properly, robo calling can be the most efficient and most effective way to get your notification to the people .

While individual state laws vary, federal law requires that the robo calls identify who made the call and include an identifying telephone number or address.

Here is a list of “best practices” that candidates or political groups should consider when using robocall services or a robocall provider:

1) Robo call campaigns should be conducted during the day rather than the evening to avoid interrupting dinnertime and other family activities. Pre-recorded messages can be played to people who answer the phone live or can be left on voicemail . The object is to call during the day and leave as many messages on answering machines as possible so recipients can listen to the message at their convenience.

2) The huge advantage to robo calling is that unlike television or radio, calls can be targeted to people who actually vote. Moreover, voter lists can be defined into subgroups and different messages can be delivered to each group. For example, you might want to deliver a different message to senior citizens and another message to people who live in a particular town or city.

3) Keep your message to 30 seconds or less. Make sure you identify yourself.

4) Plan  ahead ! Most robo calls are thrown together at the last minute and little thought is given to the message or in organizing a phone list. A properly managed robo call campaign can take days or weeks. Make sure you have a good, properly formatted list (an spreadsheet works) and that you have scheduled and reserved time with your robo call provider. Sometimes capacity is maxed out and last minute robo call customers are unable to get their messages out. Generally, voter phone lists are public information and can be obtained from local or state election boards.

5) Tell your robo call service provider what Caller ID number you want voters to see. Be prepared to use a phone number associated with the campaign. That number will receive a lot of calls since many voters will call back wondering who called them. The best practice is to have your Caller ID number go to a recorded voice mail greeting that identifies your campaign and thanks the voters for their support.

6) Like any other political advertising, robo call providers will require payment in advance. Since most don’t charge for undelivered messages that are unanswered or disconnected, the providers can only estimate. Chances are they will overestimate the job and give you an immediate refund for any overpayment. Regarding rates, you’re best bet is to pay on a per minute basis rather than per number because many of the numbers on your list will be undeliverable. Generally, you can estimate that 75-80% of the calls will get through. All in all, if used properly, robo calling will help a candidate get an important message out to voters, particularly when responding to last minute attacks. But the use of robo calls should be limited and used sparingly.

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