WEBSITE, EMAIL MARKETING, DIGITAL ADS
The Michigan House of Representatives had been in Republican control for 12 years and the 2022 midterm election presented a unique opportunity for the Democrats to have a shot at gaining seats, and potentially even winning the House, thanks to a more fair redistricting map. However, in order to do this the Michigan House Democratic Fund needed the money to compete.
In 2022, all seats in the Michigan House were up for election, with the GOP starting with a 3-seat majority. The new redistricting map, however, presented new opportunities for Democrats to flip the chamber after over a decade of heavy gerrymandering. Now that the Democrats have gained control, they will be able to focus on adapting the state’s economy for the future, creating a world-class public education system, and ensuring liberties & freedoms for all Michiganders.
The Michigan House Democrats needed help executing an effective digital strategy that would communicate the caucus’ goals and expand their existing email program to fundraise. The TFC teams started by redesigning the website to make it more functional. Next, a lead generation ad campaign was used to grow their supporter base. Throughout, they optimized a fundraising email marketing program, building in best practices regarding content planning and subscriber segmentation, helping flip the Michigan House in November.
“TFC kicked ass for us this cycle! The work these volunteers did to grow grassroots fundraising and scale digital operations for our caucus and candidates was absolutely critical to our historic win in Michigan."
The MI House Democratic Caucus website was revamped to decrease friction and increase acquisition, specifically to highlight candidate’s Mobilize pages and improve lead generation. To achieve this, the team designed the site so it was easy for supporters to take these actions, such as placing a donation plugin in the prominent hero placement on the homepage. In addition to optimizing the site for these desired actions, the team also updated key messages so the goals of the caucus were clear.
Prior to launching their email marketing campaign, the MI House Dems wanted to grow their email list to maximize their ability to fundraise. The TFC team tested acquisition tactics on Meta, which found that lead ads strongly outperformed ads driving users to the website to sign up. Through message testing, the team found “Flip the House” and “3 Seats” messages were the most effective.
TFC teams built a consistent and strategic email marketing program for the MI House Dem Fund, activating the caucus’ supporters and raising thousands of dollars to help flip the chamber. The team stayed on top of current events in Michigan to frame the stakes of the 2022 election for the caucus’ supporters. They pulled together an email program that made no secret of the GOP’s radical agenda and appalling cast of characters in the state. State-of-the-race messages were particularly effective in rousing supporters.
TFC teams partnered with the MI House Dems to execute a variety of digital media strategies that improved the caucus’ outreach and ability to fundraise. After bolstering their list with new supporters, over 1.5M emails were sent, raising about $24k to support the Dem House party & candidates. In general, it was found that emails negative in tone (i.e., the GOP is defunding public education) performed better than emails with a positive tone (i.e., the Dems will fund public education). Segmentation of the larger email list based on engagement improved open rates and were more effective at fundraising on a per send basis. The team tested deadlines and suggested donation asks to improve donation rates.
Democrats won control of the chamber for the first time since 2010. The House will form part of a Democratic trifecta in the state.
