Diversifying Your Outreach Strategy

Our advice to Democrats before iOS 26 arrives

TL;DR

• All platforms are sandcastles. Diversification is key.

• iOS 26 won’t upend campaigns that stayed smart and ahead.

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Even if you’re not involved in the nitty-gritty of politics and elections, owning a cell phone is the only prerequisite you need to receive a text (or 100) from a political candidate or a political action committee. But Apple’s iOS 26 update – out next week – could potentially change the SMS game, because it will institute a “spam folder” that will allow users to filter out text messages from unknown numbers. Something that’s been standard for email now for over a decade.

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What This Means For Campaigns

While many voters may applaud this new feature, if you're running a campaign and trying to win elections, it’s got some ramifications. It’s an especially clarifying moment for anyone in charge of campaign outreach. Specifically fundraising. Because text fundraising has become a huge revenue stream in recent election cycles. And the question is: How will people respond or donate to text messages they never see?

Of course, all this depends on how iOs 26 implements this change. Many people may not be aware of any change at all. If Apple implements this as an “opt-in” change – meaning you have to send specific numbers to spam, as opposed to putting any text from any unsaved number in the folder – it could be trouble for campaigns trying to reach voters.

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So What’s A Campaign To Do?

First, a practical tip: if you’re running a campaign, ask your supporters to save your information in their contacts before this update is implemented. As we’ve already alluded to, it’s no different than the basic best practice that has evolved over decades in email – you ask people, even those who’ve intentionally subscribed to your emails, to please accept you into their address books. It may only cure a fraction of the problem, but if it reaches the most committed supporters – who are likely to be your most willing donors and involved volunteers – not only will you have mitigated the drop-off effect as much as you can, you now know who your core supporters are. To be clear, it is an absolute gift to know exactly who is in your corner for the long haul, who you truly represent, and who you need to be talking to. (Side note: it is also extremely clarifying to know who doesn’t fall into that group, and where you need to do some serious outreach.)

Second, a hard and necessary observation: If your entire list is about to go away due to this one change, that’s a wake-up call, and a clear sign that perhaps your campaign needs to invest in more authentic and relational organizing, with relevant content. In an ideal world, you want to build long-lasting relationships with people if you’re going to ask them for support – whether that’s money, or frankly, anything else. iOS 26 shouldn’t upend any candidate, campaign, or committee that has been respectful of their recipient list and has been following longstanding best practices for marketing.

Let’s also be real. When it comes down to GOTV and sometimes even fundraising, it is impossible to only send to opt-in lists. We can all dream of the day when a majority of voters are engaged enough that they opt in to communications from their preferred candidate. Unfortunately, that day is not today. A campaign’s mission is to reach voters, by any means necessary, and convince them your candidate is the best for them.

Make no mistake, these changes will make it harder and more expensive to reach voters over text. Phone banking is already less effective and after COVID fewer people are answering their door.

However, we also know campaigns will adapt.

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All Eggs, One Basket, And Digital Sandcastles

Finally, the last note is a very old piece of wisdom – never put all your eggs in one basket.

Here’s your gut-check question: “If [insert platform] were wiped out tomorrow, would we be okay?” We’d go one further: “If the platform changed X, how bad would that be for us?”

If the answer is an uncomfortable “Oh crap,” then you have work to do. If the answer is “um…we don’t know?” then you definitely need to investigate further. Because all digital platforms – whether for fundraising, social media, voter outreach, or something else entirely – are sandcastles. They last long enough to make us forget their temporary nature. Or, in the case of behemoths like Meta, they constantly evolve. It’s the nature of the beast, one that’s about to be supercharged courtesy of AI.

That’s why it’s essential for everyone in fundraising and voter outreach – or digital marketing of any kind – to diversify, and always be skating to where the digital puck is going in order to achieve the results you want.

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The Professionals Call It “Development” For A Reason

If a simple upgrade is about to upend your entire outreach and fundraising strategy, it means that your campaign needs to diversify, and stay ahead of the innovation curve all the various platforms are always considering.

And we do mean always. Just ask a social media manager, and watch them exhale in extreme resignation and want to go lay down somewhere. Case in point: The short-lived U.S. TikTok ban. Any campaign who focused solely on growing their TikTok following would’ve lost their entire digital presence. Those who funneled their efforts across multiple platforms had options.

Candidates and campaign staffers need to apply the same approach before the iOS 26 update hits phones. Not just because the market will follow Apple, but because while SMS fundraising may have outperformed email in recent years, that doesn’t mean it will be a hit forever.

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Yes, NDTC has resources if you’re exploring your options. If you’ve never thought about it, start building your email programs up and consider running digital ads. Our Digital Fundraising course will empower you to diversify your fundraising stream plans and set you up for success, while our learning plan to Prepare Your Campaign for GOTV will teach you how to layer your voter contact methods. Both will be key to navigating iOS 26 and staying on track to win. And of course, our website is always stockpiled with more career and campaign resources.