Voter Registration: How Snapchat, Instagram, and Taylor Swift Are Changing the Game

Stating the obvious here: The current political climate can best be described as “tense” (to say the least) and instead of complaining – many people are putting their efforts where they matter most: ensuring that voter registration reaches peak engagement. Constant ‘Breaking News’ alerts remind us of the political tension and on November 6, 2018 (Election Day) the pressure is on. With registration deadlines that vary from state to state, voter registration is a hot topic indeed – A topic that brand marketers, social platforms, and influencers should at the very least, be aware of. Social platforms are promoting voter registration through “for social good” marketing strategies. Here is how Snapchat, Instagram, and Taylor Swift are all driving voter registration.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BoKRTOZHraG/?tagged=voterregistration

Snapchat is working on promoting voter registration in a few ways:

• Ads: Users will see ads between Snaps that will drive them to a TurboVote landing where they can get registered to vote or can file absentee ballots.
• Discover: Users can also visit Snapchat Discover to view community efforts during this election season – such as viewing stories from those snapping from the lines at the polls, manning booths, promoting political efforts, or leading up to the day of the midterm elections.
• In-App Button: For some users, visiting their Snapchat profile page allows them to quickly tap on the newly added ‘Register to Vote’ button, directly driving traffic to TurboVote.
• Filters: Surprise, surprise – Snapchat, the OG selfie filter creator, has special election filters – aimed at sparking the interest of voting and spreading awareness amongst communities.

Instagram will be also be joining in on the fun:

• Swipe Up to the Polls: Instagram will continue to leverage the success of Stories using the Swipe Up method to drive traffic to TurboVote. In a brand study in partnership with Gap, Instagram found that stories increased ad recall, message association, and click-through rates – all extremely helpful in the case of voter registration.
• Stickers: Any of the 400 million Instagram Stories DAU can spruce up selfies with “I voted” stickers. Users can attach the sticker onto selfies and post within stories or feeds, increasing awareness.
• GTTP: When users click on the “I voted” sticker, they’ll be redirected to Get To The Polls, an initiative where people can find their closest, local voting booths.

The Power of the Influencer:

Perhaps the most notable way that Instagram has increased awareness around Voter Registration has nothing to do with their marketing tactics, and everything to do with Swifties – the loyal fanbase of Taylor Swift. Swift previously caught flack for not promoting/being definitive about her political affiliations, but this week she shared personal political views via Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BopoXpYnCes/?taken-by=taylorswift

Taylor not only shares who she intends to vote for, but also the state in which she is registered to vote in – Tennessee. And just like that the Influencer Marketing Halo effect strikes again. Kamari Guthrie of Vote.org shared that after Taylor posted on Instagram, voter registration rose to 65,000 within 24 hours of her Swift’s Instagram post. Swifties in Tennessee also drove up the states’ registration numbers, nearly doubling the amount of voters who registered in September within a single day. Vote.org site visits and impressions also rose to 155,940 after Taylor’s post.

Captiv8 data verifies that 72% of Taylor’s audience is between the ages of 18-34 year olds, meaning Influencer marketing endorsements like hers will be integral to securing Millennial voter registration. Reach out to Captiv8 to find the perfect Influencer to help take your message to the next level.