Campaign emails are not media releases

This email from the UAP demonstrates the crucial differences between effective written email content and media releases.

Email Sent On

April 10, 2022

Organisation

United Australia Party

Subject Line

United Australia Party NOT preferencing Greens

Readability Score

51

Objective

Inform

Platform

Zoho

United Australia Party NOT preferencing Greens

UNITED Australia Party Chairman Clive Palmer affirmed today the party would not be preferencing The Greens in the coming election, describing media reports to the contrary as fake news.

Mr Palmer said that at his National Press Club address this week he had responded to a loaded question from an ABC journalist with a tongue-in-cheek reply, noting that the Greens had never been in government so were not directly responsible for the nation’s debt.

"I made a tongue in cheek remark because I was responding to an ABC journalist that, like the ABC, I may preference the Greens before the others. The fact of the matter is the party executive has unanimously agreed that The Greens will be last," Mr Palmer said.

Mr Palmer made it clear in the original exchange that Labor, the Liberals and the Greens would occupy the bottom three places of United Australia Party how-to-vote card.

"The comment has been taken wildly out of context and twisted by some media outlets. It is nothing more than fake news," Mr Palmer said.

"The notion that United Australia Party would preference The Greens is as ludicrous as them giving preferences to us," he said.

Mr Palmer has already affirmed that neither the Liberals, Labor, Nationals or the Greens would appear on the party’s Senate preference ticket.\

"Each individual voter determines how they order their preferences. How-to-vote cards are simply a guide from each party – all the power rests with the voter," Mr Palmer said.

"All United Australia Party members, supporters or undecided voters can rest assured that the United Australia Party will not be preferencing The Greens."

Email and media releases are different types of communication

Media releases are often sent to broad and diverse media organisations to assist those reporting your issue. The goal is to increase media coverage.
Email is personal communication that does not require a third party to mediate the message. You talk to your supporters directly, delivering valuable information to help them make an informed decision.

This email from the United Australia Party confuses the two forms with a copy and pasted media release used as the primary email text.

The good:

Preheader text: The preview gives additional context to the reader. However, keep the preheader under 35 characters, including white space, to ensure your message is seen in all inboxes.

The Android Gmail app varies the number of preheader characters you can use depending on subject line length

Needs improvement:

Length: This email aims to inform the base that the UAP will not be preferencing The Greens. This message can be communicated effectively in under 275 words.

Personalisation: Research suggests that users have positive reactions to some emails that are text-based and lack high-quality imagery. If done correctly, these messages feel more personal.

If you use this approach, write the email as a personal email from the candidate rather than a press release.

If Clive Palmer wants to paint himself as a man of the people, why isn't he emailing his supporters directly and telling them where his preferences are going? Instead, copying and pasting a media release results in an impersonal and distant email.

Alex Marsh

When Alex isn't watching netball he's reading campaign emails. Political Inbox is a catalogue of emails compiled from the 2022 Australian federal election.

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