Top 5 Digital Advertising Mistakes Political Candidates Make—and How to Avoid Them

In today’s fast-paced, scroll-obsessed digital arena, political candidates don’t just run against their opponents—they run against the algorithm. A well-run digital ad campaign can propel an underdog into the spotlight, while a poorly executed one can quietly bleed a budget dry with zero voter impact.

Yet despite how critical digital advertising has become to winning elections, even seasoned candidates and campaign teams fall prey to avoidable (and expensive) mistakes.

At Pinnacle Strategies Group (PSG), we’ve managed millions in digital ad spend across city councils, state legislatures, ballot initiatives, PACs, and political nonprofits. Whether you’re running for mayor or managing a multimillion-dollar statewide campaign, here are the Top 5 Digital Advertising Mistakes Political Candidates Make—and How to Avoid Them.

1. Chasing Virality Over Voter Contact

The Mistake:

Too many campaigns waste precious ad dollars trying to “go viral” with content meant to impress the consultant class or trend on Twitter/X, rather than persuading voters or turning out their base. Flashy videos and snarky posts may win applause in digital echo chambers, but they don’t always drive results at the polls.

The Fix:

Prioritize reach, frequency, and message discipline in your ad strategy. According to a 2022 ACLU + Analyst Institute study, voters need to see a persuasive message 7-10 times before it sinks in. Target your persuadable audience with consistent, emotionally resonant content that aligns with your core campaign message. Let engagement be the byproduct—not the goal.

2. Wasting Budget on the Wrong Platforms

The Mistake:

A school board candidate spending thousands on YouTube preroll. A city council hopeful blowing 80% of their digital budget on Twitter/X ads. We’ve seen it all.

The reality? Not every platform fits every campaign. Just because your opponent is on TikTok doesn’t mean your voters are.

The Fix:

Use platform-specific data and voter file matching to meet your voters where they are. For most local and state-level races, Facebook and Instagram remain dominant, especially among Gen X, Boomers, and even late Millennials—your likely voters.

Meanwhile, YouTube works well for top-of-funnel name recognition, but can’t carry your GOTV program. Twitter/X is great for press and influencers, but poor for voter targeting. Don’t guess—track. Digital consultants worth their salt should provide real-time platform performance reporting and pivot as needed.

3. Neglecting Microtargeting and List Matching

The Mistake:

Running broad geographic ads without leveraging voter files, demographic segments, or custom audiences. That’s not targeting—that’s praying.

The Fix:

Use custom audience matching and microtargeting to ensure your ads are seen by the right people. Platforms like Meta (Facebook/Instagram), Google/YouTube, and programmatic DSPs allow you to upload voter lists, create lookalike audiences, or even suppress people who already support your opponent.

One 2020 test across multiple congressional races showed that list-matched ads had a 45% higher engagement rate and were 2.3x more cost-effective in terms of cost-per-persuasive-conversion.

Advanced campaigns go further: segmenting by region, race, age, donation history, or voting propensity to serve different messages to different voters. If you’re not segmenting, you’re sabotaging.

4. Failing to Test Creatives and Optimize

The Mistake:

Running one version of an ad for weeks—same photo, same copy, same headline—without testing variants. This kills performance and fatigues audiences.

The Fix:

Enter the golden rule: Always Be Testing. A/B test headlines, video intros, calls to action, even color palettes. A Nevada state senate campaign we supported increased video completion rates by 38% simply by testing a different opening line in the first 3 seconds.

Use built-in tools like Meta’s A/B testing framework or run split tests manually on YouTube and programmatic platforms. Even a $500 test budget can yield powerful insight.

Monitor performance daily and optimize weekly. Swap out underperforming creatives. Double down on what’s working. Good digital is data-driven, not “set it and forget it.”

5. Treating Digital as an Afterthought

The Mistake:

All too often, campaigns view digital ads as an add-on, funded only after mail and TV are budgeted. This leads to underinvestment, sloppy creative, and missed opportunity—especially in tight races.

The Fix:

Treat digital as a foundational strategy, not a line item. Digital advertising is the only medium that allows for real-time feedback, audience targeting, creative flexibility, and direct voter action (donations, signups, vote pledges, etc.).

In fact, in battleground states during the 2022 cycle, Meta ads accounted for 22% of all persuasion ad impressions—outpacing mail and field by far.

Winning campaigns today treat digital like the heartbeat of the campaign: the central nervous system that connects persuasion, fundraising, mobilization, and rapid response. Plan accordingly. Budget intentionally. Staff appropriately.

Bonus Tips: Digital Ad Best Practices for Campaigns

• Use native video: On Meta, native video outperforms YouTube links by over 50% in engagement and reach.
• Don’t skip captions: Over 85% of mobile video views happen with sound off.
• Keep it short: Aim for 15–30 seconds. Front-load your message.
• Include a CTA: Tell people exactly what to do next—click, donate, volunteer, share, or vote.
• Track everything: Use UTM parameters, pixels, and conversion tracking to know what’s working and why.

Why These Mistakes Cost You More Than Money

Let’s be blunt: these mistakes don’t just burn cash. They can cost you votes. In a field where elections are decided by hundreds—or dozens—of people, you cannot afford to leave your digital campaign to guesswork.

Take 2020’s House race in Iowa’s 2nd district. It was decided by just six votes. Six. In that environment, wasting impressions, skipping message tests, or ignoring audience data is not just careless—it’s political malpractice.

What Winning Campaigns Get Right

At Pinnacle Strategies Group, we’ve seen what works—and what doesn’t—across local, state, and national campaigns. Here’s what the winning ones always do:

• They plan digital early.
• They match their voter file to ad platforms.
• They test constantly.
• They align digital messaging with the field and comms team.
• They optimize every dollar.

You don’t need a massive budget or a viral TikTok to win. You need a disciplined, data-driven digital strategy—one that turns impressions into conversions, clicks into votes, and dollars into outcomes.

And we’re here to help you do exactly that.

Book a Free 15-Minute Strategy Session with Our Campaign Team

Whether you’re a first-time candidate or a campaign veteran, getting a second set of expert eyes on your digital plan could make the difference between “almost” and “elected.”

Let’s talk.