Practical tips for applying knowledge of your audience to create persuasive messages.
Meet at their values
The key to an effective values-based message is—you guessed it—values! Not your values, not the values you want your audience to have, but their existing core values. Meet them right there! Check out the definitions of the values we consider in our audience segments to get you started.
Use imagery that taps into their values. For example, to effectively counter the fear-based narratives on critical race theory targeted at moderate white women, particularly mothers of sons, we use visuals that honor their in-group care
, patriotism
, and their desire to be “good and right,” especially in their role as mothers.
Choose words that evoke the value. You don’t need to say the actual word to accomplish this. Rather, read the definition of a value they are high in and think about phrases that capture that sentiment. For example, if your audience is high in nostalgia
reference a time in the past that compares to what they are feeling now and remind them “we’ve gotten through tough times before” to build hope for the future.
Keep in mind that there aren’t inherently “good” or “bad” values when it comes to persuasion. The key is to know what pulls voters away from progress—fear, anxiety, and chaos—and countering that with a positive alternative.
Don’t know what values your audience is high in? Don’t guess! Pause your messaging work and take some time to do deep listening to learn.
Test your knowledge of values-based messages with this quiz!
Address barriers
Now that you’re meeting your audience at their values, it’s important to clear the path of barriers that could interfere with them acting in line with those values.
Think about the real every-day stressors your audience is facing (e.g., the rising cost of gas and groceries) and acknowledge those up front. It’s important that they feel seen and heard in your messaging. However, don’t dwell in the negative for too long. At Galvanize Action, we use an “80th Word Rule” to ensure we’ve pivoted to the positive/a proposed solution by the 81st word of a message, at the latest. In this example, we get there at the 53rd word!
| My father was an ironworker whose apprenticeship training gave him a good career that could support the whole family. It’s sad that so many of these jobs have been lost and that so many hard-working people I know can’t get the skills to work a good job without going into debt. I want to see the government invest in more training programs, like those in the infrastructure [Build Back Better] bill, that will help people earn a livable wage with dignity, just like my father. |
Consider where your audience falls on the scale for traits impacting political behavior, particularly racial resentment
, internalized sexism
, and outgroup derogation
. Folks who are above average on these traits are particularly susceptible to grievance-based narratives. It’s important to address their fears and anxieties by tapping into their strengths and hopes. For example, if your issue is immigration and your audience is high in racial resentment, just world view
, and patriotism, emphasize how many immigrants serve in the military and deserve to be treated with the same respect as all service members.
Remember to resist the urge to fact battle and check out these neurohacks for sidestepping defense mechanisms and utilizing hope over fear.
The right tone
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to writing effective messages and using the right frame and tone for your audience can be tough to figure out. Message testing to learn what works and what backfires is really critical at this stage of the game! Here are some tips to get you headed in the right direction.
- Spend time understanding and testing the best way to connect with your voters on their values. For example, purity
may show up to one voter as “I just can’t stand those neighbors that have so much trash in their yard!” For another, purity may show up as “My top priority is keeping my family healthy.” How can you know the difference? Test, test, test! - Use a value (or set of values) as your central focal point and then try speaking to that value in different ways (e.g., humor, an authoritative angle, or a conversational tone). Test how each option lands with your audience and make adjustments based on what you learn.
- Create a toolbox of the variables that work well together based on your testing so that you can keep coming back to the successful combinations. For example, we’ve learned that we connect well on in-group care when we use humor and cultural references. And purity is spoken to effectively with religious, compassion, and authority frames.
- A word of caution on emotions! Voters make decisions based on their emotions, not rational decision-making processes, so it’s tempting to go for empathy in your messaging. While some types of empathy are effective for persuasion, other types are not. Don’t leave your audience feeling vulnerable or in pain. Instead, leave them feeling hopeful about the future. Learn more about the different types of empathy.
Trusted messenger
Last but not least is matching the right messenger to your message. Who you select to deliver your message is just as important as the message itself! Consider these prompts when choosing your messenger.
Who does your audience want to be associated with? Is it important for them to be seen as a good mother? Then a mom demonstrating their values is a great messenger. Is their church community important to them? Then a religious authority figure makes a great messenger. In this example, a mom who is thinking about her kids’ future delivers a message to counter grievance-based narratives about critical race theory.
Who does your audience trust? Is it doctors, teachers, their neighbors, the military? Build trust in your message by using a trustworthy messenger. Voters’ values also provide good clues to trusted messengers. People high in authority
respond well to people in power or religious leaders. Those who are high in security
respond well to police officers and doctors.
Does your audience need to hear from someone like themselves? Make sure you get as close as possible and be authentic! Find messengers that look and sound like your local audience. When in doubt, view your message, meme, or ad from your audience’s point of view and make sure they are the hero of your story.
Practice, practice, practice!
Use our interactive worksheet as often as you’d like to generate messaging ideas and remember to take the time to listen to your audience so that you understand what they value. Our tools and strategies are not attempts to change anyone’s beliefs. Rather, they are designed to meet folks at their values, diffuse grievance-based narratives, and support them to align their actions with our shared hopes for progress.