Real Texts, Real Wins: Top Campaign Messages of 2024

Political text messaging took center stage this year, driving turnout, energizing supporters, and building strong voter relationships through impactful outreach.

The 2024 election cycle has been a standout year for RumbleUp and our clients. Through strategic texting campaigns, we’ve witnessed remarkable efforts and celebrated extraordinary victories together.

Here is a breakdown of our team’s favorite texts that stood out during this election year, highlighting valuable lessons in creating compelling outreach through P2P texting.

1. Event-Oriented Texts: Celebrating Community

Who doesn’t love an invite to an event for a cause they care about? It’s the perfect chance to connect, support, and celebrate. 

A standout example we saw this year is from the Republican Party of San Diego County (RPSDC), which invited voters to a special appreciation reception.

Example: Volunteer Appreciation Text

Real Client Text

Following a successful election cycle, the RPSDC thanked their volunteers with a heartfelt message and an invite to an appreciation reception. This text highlighted their collective success, sharing that over half of their endorsed candidates had won their races. 

This hyper-targeted text project built a strong sense of connection and achieved exceptional results, with a 99% delivery rate and 15% reply rate from nearly 900 recipients.

Why It Worked:

• Gratitude: Genuine expressions of appreciation with warm-toned messaging foster loyalty and strengthen supporters’ sense of belonging.
• Clear Call to Action: Simple and direct RSVP instructions made it effortless for recipients to respond and engage.
  
  

Event-oriented texts like this are highly engaging, especially for supporters, as they deepen connections and reinforce loyalty. They’re also efficient for reviving and updating contact lists, ensuring long-term engagement. By combining gratitude, actionable details, and visuals, these types of messages demonstrate the power of thoughtful texts in effectively fostering relationships while achieving broader goals.

2. Seasonal Campaigns: Leveraging Timely Themes 

Seasonal messaging campaigns offer a unique opportunity for connection by tapping into the mood and energy of the moment.

In 2024, many of our clients mastered this approach, creating memorable messages that tied their messaging goals to key cultural/political events, holidays and even breaking news. This strategy made their outreach eye-catching, relatable and timely.

One prime example came from the NY RACC’s “Great Pumpkin” Halloween project. It cleverly combined fun Halloween themes with a strong persuasion message to engage voters and highlight key issues.

Example: "Great Pumpkin" Halloween Project

Real Client Text

Why It Worked:

• Humor: The campaign blended festive humor with urgency to emphasize the stark contrast between candidates. The themed GIF and emojis also made the message more relatable, increasing its appeal and shareability.
• Clear Messaging: Even though the campaign used Halloween as a creative backdrop, the text delivered a concise persuasion message for an impactful GOTV call to action.
  
  

Like seasonal SMS marketing, political P2P texting thrives on timing and personal connection. For instance, just as pre-holiday SMS campaigns drive sales, seasonal messages tied to events or breaking news are inherently attention-grabbing and have the potential to resonate with recipients.

3. Advocacy in Action: Fighting Deceptive Measures 

In a year dominated by political campaigns, legislative advocacy took a backseat. However, one standout initiative came from Missouri, where advocates used P2P texting to rally opposition against Amendment 2.

Example: No Amendment 2 Project

Real Client Text

This campaign sent over 135,000 texts, achieving an impressive 100% delivery rate and generating 8,302 replies, reflecting voter engagement with a 6% response rate.

While Amendment 2 ultimately squeaked through with a slim 50.05% to 49.95% margin, this campaign showcased the strength and determination of Missouri’s advocates. Their fight brought the issue to the forefront and nearly swayed the outcome, proving that every message and conversation matters.

Why It Worked

• Credible Voice: The campaign leveraged the perspective of an educator whose trusted role in the community made the message relatable and convincing.
• Urgent Messaging: The text broke down complex issues into clear and compelling points, motivating voters to act.

4. GOTV Series: Turning Strategy into Results

Timing is everything regarding effective Get Out the Vote (GOTV) campaigns, and our clients demonstrated just how impactful a well-planned texting sequence can be during this cycle. By following our recommended GOTV strategies, they connected with voters meaningfully and ensured their messages resonated at the right moments.

A key takeaway from our approach is that GOTV efforts must begin well before Election Day. Our campaign and texting experts recommend a series of texts that start months before the General Election with various engagement-focused messages that build rapport and trust.

Our client, Mobilize the Message, ran the texting program for the Eddie Andrews campaign and secured a decisive third term in Iowa House District 43.

Example: Eddie Andrews - Layered GOTV Series Project

Real Client Text

In August, his campaign launched a strategic text outreach plan with a family-friendly fundraiser and auction event to build early momentum.

They followed up in October with invitations to a reception event where supporters could interact directly with Rep. Andrews, strengthening the connections formed in August and energizing supporters.

As Election Day approached, the campaign ramped up its efforts with a series of well-timed GOTV messages. By increasing the frequency of their texting during the critical final days, the campaign ensured voters were informed and motivated to cast their ballots.

This proactive and consistent communication strategy was instrumental in driving voter engagement and turnout, ultimately leading to Rep. Andrews' re-election.

Why It Worked:

• Building Connection: Eddie’s campaign strengthened voter engagement by inviting supporters to events for direct interaction and meaningful discussions.
• Clear Call to Action: Whether it was RSVP-ing or reminders to vote, each message provided clear and actionable steps, making it easy for supporters to take action.

Bonus Feature: Amanda Elliott's Top 3 GOTV MessagesTailor Your Messages of 2024

With over a decade of experience in Republican politics, including managing multimillion-dollar digital strategies as Digital Director for the Republican Governors Association, Amanda Elliott has shaped some of the most successful campaigns in the field. Now leading Anchor City Strategies, she continues to set the bar for innovative and effective digital outreach.

To provide an insider’s perspective, we asked Amanda to share her top three favorite GOTV messages that she was personally texted from the 2024 election cycle and showcased in her newsletter covering all things digital on the right, Doomscroll. Her selections showcase messaging strategies that stood out to her as both a voter and a political professional.

Here’s what she had to say about her picks:

1. Nevada Senate Candidate Sam Brown

Real Client Text

"I chose this text from Nevada Senate candidate Sam Brown because I really appreciate that he gave special attention to how the message would appear in someone’s messaging app. Too often we forget that the first line of any message acts like an email subject line—and it should be compelling! This one grabbed my attention right away, and I opened the text to find out more."

2. Nikki Haley's GOTV + Fundraising Hybrid 

Real Client Text

"I chose this text from Nikki Haley because she had an outstanding P2P program during the primary, and this is a great example as to why. By blending GOTV and fundraising messaging, she’s killing two birds with one stone. Moreover, the donation ask isn’t over the top, which is rare for a candidate asking for money on primary day. Even though it’s a high-stakes ask, she’s sticking with the same, measured, and respectful tone she’s always had. In doing so, she’s respecting voters and keeping their interests in mind!"

3. A Unique Endorsement + Fundraising Pitch 

Real Client Text

"This is a great text for several reasons. The graphic has a unique Call to Action. The use of emojis actually works here, and the copy is compelling and engaging. Even though it’s a little on the long side, I remember reading it all the way through when I got it on my phone. For anyone who’s trying to blend an endorsement with a fundraising pitch over text—this is the way to do it!"

Amanda’s thoughtful selections showcase how creativity, strategy, and timing can elevate campaign messaging. Her insights reinforce the themes we’ve shared throughout this article: impactful and well-crafted outreach has the power to make a difference in modern campaigning.

Bottom Line

From event-focused texts to GOTV strategies, these examples highlight texting's indispensable role in 2024.

As we move into 2025, with elections continuing in states like New Jersey and Virginia, our focus will also broaden toward advocacy and other key areas, supporting our clients in achieving new milestones. 

The future of texting is brighter than ever, and we’re proud to lead the way in this evolving space.

Ready to take your outreach to the next level? Let’s get started!

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