Effective advocacy starts with a realistic budget. Whether you are running a Get Out The Vote (GOTV) campaign or a digital persuasion effort, you need to know exactly what it costs to reach your universe with enough frequency to make an impact. This calculator helps you estimate the raw media buy required to hit your saturation goals.
Ad Budget Estimator
How to Use
- Target Audience Size: Enter the total number of people you need to reach (e.g., your win number or a specific voter segment).
- Desired Frequency: Enter how many times you want each person to see your ad. (Political best practices often suggest a frequency of 7+ for message retention).
- Average CPM: Enter your estimated Cost Per Mille (cost per 1,000 impressions).
- Typical Benchmarks: Display (4–10)
- Facebook/Social (15–25)
- Connected TV/Pre-roll (35–55)
Why It Matters
In digital advocacy, “posting” is not the same as “penetrating.” A common mistake in political campaigns is spreading a budget too thin or reaching 100,000 people once, rather than 15,000 people seven times. Frequency Matters!
To move numbers, you must achieve effective frequency. This tool helps you work backward from your goals to your budget, ensuring you don’t commit to a universe size you can’t afford to saturate.