A campaign website that raises money
Donate, volunteer, issues and events pages that load fast on phones, with your disclaimer in the footer and on every donation page.
Political Campaigns
Campaign Marketing That Reaches Voters the Right Way
From yard signs to texts to a website that raises money while you knock doors, The Buttered System keeps every supporter, donor and volunteer moving toward Election Day. Consent-based outreach and “Paid for by” disclaimers come built in.
- Consent-based texting and calling
- A disclaimer box on every print template
- AI content labeled, with the candidate’s written consent
- Win number and progress toward it
- Cash on hand versus budget plan
- Donor count and average gift
Quick answer
How does Buttered Business help political campaigns?
Buttered Business helps candidates and campaign committees reach voters, raise money and organize volunteers. We build campaign websites with donation and volunteer pages, run digital ads, set up consent-based texting and email, and print yard signs, door hangers and EDDM postcards with disclaimer boxes, all planned backward from your election deadlines.
Who this is for
Built for Political Campaigns
Candidates, campaign managers and finance directors for local and state races, plus ballot-measure committees and PACs. First-time local candidates for school board, city council and county office are a natural fit: you have volunteers but no system, a hard election date and print deadlines that arrive faster than expected. Federal races should involve specialized FEC counsel from day one.
Made for: Political campaigns and committees
We Know How a Campaign Calendar Really Works
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Election Day is fixed, but mail ballots, filing deadlines and print orders arrive weeks earlier.
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Volunteers are eager on sign-up day and hard to reach a week later.
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Every dollar raised has to go where it reaches the most persuadable voters.
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One disclaimer mistake can become the story instead of your message.
What Keeps Campaigns Up at Night
Campaigns rarely run out of ideas. They run out of time.
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I don’t know how many votes I need or who to talk to.
Without a win number and a target list, every hour of door knocking is a guess.
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Fundraising means calling everyone I know.
Call time works better with a donation page, a follow-up sequence and a list that grows every week.
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Volunteers sign up and then disappear.
If nobody confirms the shift and sends a reminder, the sign-up sheet never turns into doors knocked.
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I’m afraid of getting the disclaimer wrong.
A missing or incorrect “Paid for by” line can turn into a complaint or a news story at the worst possible moment.
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Print deadlines and the election date are closing in.
Yard signs, door hangers and mailers need production and postal time, and mail ballots go out before Election Day.
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I can’t afford TV. How do I get seen?
Targeted digital ads, consented texting, mail and signs put your name in front of the voters in your district without a broadcast budget.
Every one of these has a practical fix. Here is what we build.
See what we build for Political CampaignsEverything a Campaign Needs, Under One Roof
Website, print, mail, ads and supporter follow-up, planned around your deadlines.
Yard signs and banners with disclaimer boxes
Signs and event banners designed to be read from the street, with a disclaimer box built into every template.
Door hangers and push cards
Leave-behinds for canvassers, each with a disclaimer box and a QR code to a tracked volunteer or donation page.
EDDM postcards to your district
Every Door Direct Mail to the carrier routes you choose, planned backward from the date mail ballots go out.
Digital ads with platform authorization
Search and social ads set up through each platform’s political-ad authorization, with “Paid for by” disclaimers and AI-content disclosures where required.
Supporter, donor and volunteer follow-up
Thank-you messages, volunteer shift reminders, donor re-asks around real filing deadlines and vote-plan reminders that link to official election sources, sent only to supporters who opted in.
Consent-based texting and email
Peer-to-peer texting workflows, A2P 10DLC registration support and email programs with STOP handling and working unsubscribe links.
Use one service or the whole system. Every piece works on its own.
See every serviceThe Buttered System for Campaigns
Five steps from first impression to Election Day, with consent and disclaimers at every step.
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Step 1
Attract
Put your name in front of voters: search and social ads with platform authorization, a campaign website, local search for “[Name] for [Office],” yard signs and EDDM to your district.
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Step 2
Capture
Turn interest into a list: donation, volunteer and event sign-up pages with separate, optional consent boxes for texts and calls.
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Step 3
Follow up
Thank every supporter: a thank-you and “3 ways to help” message, a short candidate video and a volunteer or donation ask based on the supporter’s choice. AI-generated videos are labeled and made only with the candidate’s written consent.
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Step 4
Convert
Turn supporters into shifts and gifts: volunteer shift booking and reminders, donation re-asks tied to real filing deadlines and event RSVPs.
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Step 5
Retain
Get out the vote and keep the relationship: vote-plan reminders that link to official election offices, then post-election thank-yous and next steps.
The Numbers That Matter to Political Campaigns
Clicks and likes don’t pay the bills. Once you’re a client, reports focus on calls, leads, appointments and sales, and these are the KPIs your scoreboard is built around.
- Your numbers, not vanity metrics
- Results broken out by lead source
- Plain-English reports you can act on
- Win number and progress toward it
- Cash on hand versus budget plan
- Cost per vote
- Donor count and average gift
- Email and SMS list growth
- Peer-to-peer text reply and opt-out rates
- Volunteer shifts filled
- Doors knocked
- Mail-ballot chase completion
- In-district ad reach and frequency
Illustrative layout. Your scoreboard shows your own numbers, never anyone else’s.
Campaign Marketing, by the Numbers
Every number links to its source.
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$11.6B
record political ad spending projected for the 2026 midterm cycle
Source: AdImpact, via Bloomberg Law, June 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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$0.26
EDDM Retail postage per piece, with 200 to 5,000 pieces per day per ZIP Code
Source: USPS Every Door Direct Mail, read October 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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53%
of mobile visits were abandoned when a page took longer than 3 seconds to load (2017)
Independent industry research, not Buttered Business client results. Tap a source to read it.
Plan Your Mail and Ad Budget
Price a mail drop and work backward to an ad budget. Your result shows right away, no email required.
Free calculator
EDDM Cost & Postage Calculator
Enter the households you want to reach and how many times. Look up route counts with the USPS EDDM Online Tool.
+50 Butter Points
Your mailing
Your print and prep costs
Have a print quote? Enter it for a complete total. Leave these at $0 for a postage-only estimate.
What a job is worth
Estimated campaign cost
$1,040
For 4,000 pieces, including $1,040 in postage.
Postage only. Add your print quote for the full total.
Cost per household contact
About $0.26 per mailbox, per drop.
Campaign mail is judged on reach, not sales, so we show cost per household contact instead of a break-even.
EDDM Retail requires at least 200 pieces per mailing. Add routes to reach the minimum.
USPS accepts up to 5,000 EDDM Retail pieces per day per ZIP Code. Spread a drop this size over at least — days, or across several ZIP Codes.
Break-even jobs = total cost ÷ job value, rounded up. Break-even response rate = those jobs ÷ (pieces × close rate). There is no reliable public EDDM response benchmark, so we show what you need, not a guess.
Your full breakdown
You Know What It Costs. Want It Itemized?
Your free estimate itemizes postage, printing, design and prep, and adds our 7-point postcard checklist, a drop schedule and a tracked QR code setup so you can measure every response.
- Itemized cost estimate
- 7-point postcard checklist
- Drop schedule
- QR tracking setup
+200 Butter Points when you unlock
Your full breakdown opens right here. No spam, and we never sell your information. We ask for your mobile so we can follow up about your report. We’ll only text you if you check the text-message box.
Unlocked
Your full breakdown
Your itemized estimate
- Postage4,000 × —
- $1,040
- Printing4,000 × —
- —
- Designone time
- —
- Bundling and prep4,000 × —
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- Estimated total$0.26 per piece
- $1,040
Postage is the USPS EDDM Retail rate as of October 12, 2026. USPS sets postage and can change it. Printing, design and prep are the numbers you entered; final pricing is confirmed in your quote.
What if this many respond?
- Responses
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- Jobs
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- Revenue
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- Return on cost
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At this response rate the mailing costs more than it brings in. A stronger offer, a tighter route or a higher-value service changes the math.
At this response rate the mailing pays for itself. Track real responses with a QR code and a dedicated number to see if it holds.
Your drop schedule
- 1 Week 1 First drop, tracked QR code
- 2 Week 4 Same routes, fresh headline
- 3 Week 7 Same routes, fresh headline
- 4 Week 10 Same routes, fresh headline
- 5 Week 13 Same routes, fresh headline
- 6 Week 16 Same routes, fresh headline
Our suggestion: about three weeks apart, so each drop lands while the last one is still on the counter. Adjust it to your offer and season.
7-point postcard checklist
- One clear offer, with a deadline only if it is real.
- A headline people can read from arm's length.
- Your phone number, website and a QR code to a page made for this mailer.
- A true reason to act now, like a seasonal service window.
- Photos of your real work or team, not stock images.
- Size it as a flat and print the EDDM Retail postage marking and the "Postal Customer" line. Check the current USPS EDDM rules before you print.
- Proof everything twice: phone, address, spelling and where the QR code goes.
Track every response
- A QR code that opens a page made only for this mailer, so every scan is counted.
- A tracking phone number printed only on the postcard.
- An offer code people mention when they call or book.
- One question on every new lead: "How did you hear about us?"
With real response numbers, the what-if above turns into a measured result for your next drop.
Put your name on every door
We design, print and bundle EDDM postcards to USPS specs, so your mailing is ready for the post office.
How we calculated this: see the formula, a worked example and every source
Estimates for planning only; based on cited industry benchmarks. Final pricing is confirmed in your quote. Postage is set by USPS and can change.
More free tools for political campaigns
Browse every free toolAd Budget Calculator
Work backward from the customers you want to the leads, clicks and monthly Google Ads budget you need, using industry benchmarks.
Disclaimers and Consent, Handled With Care
Campaign rules are strict and public. We build them into every piece.
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FEC disclaimers (federal races)
Political committees must include “Paid for by” disclaimers on public communications, publicly available websites and emails sent to more than 500 substantially similar recipients. Communications a candidate didn’t authorize also need the payor’s permanent street address, phone number or web address and a statement that no candidate authorized them.
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Disclaimer format
Printed disclaimers go in a box set apart from the rest of the piece, with 12-point type as a safe harbor on pieces up to 24 by 36 inches. Internet ads generally must show the disclaimer without any action by the viewer, and radio and TV ads have their own spoken and on-screen rules.
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State and local races follow state law, and disclaimer wording, size and placement vary. We keep your exact disclaimer text on file and place it in your site footer, on donation pages, on every print template and on every ad export. Your treasurer or counsel confirms the wording.
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Calls and texts
Autodialed or prerecorded calls and texts to cell phones need prior express consent, and prerecorded messages must identify the caller at the start and give a phone number (FCC). The FCC has treated true peer-to-peer texting, where a person sends each message, as outside the autodialer rules, but state laws may differ. STOP requests are honored right away.
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Carrier registration
Campaign texting needs A2P 10DLC registration, and political campaigns also need a Campaign Verify token. Filing details must match your FEC or state records.
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AI in political ads
Many states regulate synthetic media in election communications, and Meta and Google require political advertisers to disclose realistic AI-generated or altered content. Our rule: AI content of a candidate only with written consent and an on-screen AI-generated label, and never synthetic media of opponents.
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Email
Alongside any required disclaimer, campaign emails include a working unsubscribe link, and opt-outs are honored.
This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm every disclaimer and outreach plan with your treasurer or election-law counsel.
Read the full guide Hide the full guide
Political Campaign Marketing, in Plain Terms
Political campaign marketing gets a candidate or cause in front of the voters who decide the race, then turns interested people into donors, volunteers and votes before the deadlines hit. Unlike most marketing, every campaign has a fixed end date, strict disclaimer rules and consent requirements for texts and calls.
Buttered Business builds the pieces campaigns need under one roof: a website that raises money and recruits volunteers, digital ads, consent-based texting and email, and printed yard signs, door hangers and EDDM postcards with disclaimer boxes. The Buttered System keeps every supporter moving toward Election Day.
| What it is | Websites, ads, outreach and print for political campaigns |
|---|---|
| Built for | Local and state candidates, ballot-measure committees and PACs |
| What’s included | Campaign website, digital ads, consent-based texting and email, yard signs, door hangers, EDDM and supporter follow-up |
| Follow-up | The Buttered System: thank-yous, volunteer reminders, donor re-asks and vote-plan reminders for supporters who opted in |
| Pricing | A custom quote in writing after a free strategy call |
| First step | A free campaign strategy call |
Why Campaigns Run Out of Time, Not Ideas
AdImpact projected a record $11.6 billion in political ad spending for the 2026 midterm cycle (Bloomberg Law). Big races buy the airwaves. Local and state campaigns earn attention with focus: knowing their win number, reaching the right households and following up with every supporter who raises a hand.
The calendar is the hardest constraint. Yard signs, door hangers and mailers need design, printing and postal time, and mail ballots often go out weeks before Election Day. Plan backward from the ballot mailing date, not from the election.
How The Buttered System Works for Campaigns
The Buttered System is our five-step growth engine: attract, capture, follow up, convert and retain. For campaigns, every step runs on your election calendar, with consent and disclaimers built in.
Know your number
A win number is the votes you need to win: expected turnout from past elections of the same type, times the share you need, plus a safety cushion. For example, if 20,000 people voted in the last comparable two-way race, you need at least 10,001 votes before any cushion. It tells you how many voters to reach and how fast, so your outreach plan starts there.
A website that works while you knock doors
Your site carries donate, volunteer, issues and events pages, with your disclaimer in the footer and on donation pages. It loads fast on phones, because supporters will open it from a text or a QR code on a door hanger. Google’s 2017 research found 53% of mobile visits were abandoned when a page took longer than 3 seconds to load (Think with Google).
Mail and print on deadline
Every Door Direct Mail reaches every household on the carrier routes you choose, with no mailing list. USPS lists EDDM Retail postage at $0.26 per piece, with 200 to 5,000 pieces per day per ZIP Code (USPS). Yard signs, door hangers and push cards each get a disclaimer box and a QR code to a tracked page.
Supporters who stay engaged
New supporters get a thank-you and a choice of three ways to help. Volunteers get shift confirmations and reminders. Donors get thank-yous and re-asks tied to real filing deadlines, never invented ones. As voting opens, supporters who opted in get vote-plan reminders that link to official election offices.
Keep volunteers showing up
Volunteer sign-ups get an instant confirmation, a shift calendar link and reminders the day before and the morning of. After each shift, a thank-you and the next opportunity go out automatically, so your best volunteers come back. Your field lead sees who has committed without chasing anyone by phone.
Ads with the right authorizations
Search and social ads run through each platform’s political-ad authorization, carry the required “Paid for by” disclaimer and disclose AI-generated content where platforms or states require it.
Disclaimers, Consent and AI Disclosure
Federal political committees must carry “Paid for by” disclaimers on public communications, on publicly available websites and in emails sent to more than 500 substantially similar recipients (FEC). State and local races follow state rules, which vary. Autodialed or prerecorded calls and texts to cell phones need prior express consent (FCC), and campaign texting needs carrier registration plus a Campaign Verify token.
AI content of a candidate requires the candidate’s written consent and an AI-generated label, and we never depict opponents with synthetic media. Confirm final wording with your treasurer or counsel. This is general information, not legal advice.
Who This Is For, and Who It Isn’t
It’s a strong fit for first-time and local candidates who need a website, print and a system for volunteers and donors, and for committees that want consent-based outreach. It isn’t for campaigns that want to text purchased lists without consent or run deceptive synthetic media. We won’t do either.
Where to Start
Book a free strategy call. We’ll look at your race, your deadlines and your budget, and tell you honestly which pieces to build first. Want numbers first? The EDDM Cost & Postage Calculator totals postage for your district, and the Ad Budget Calculator works backward from your goals to a monthly ad budget using cost figures you enter from your vendors.
Keep reading: EDDM Postcards That Actually Get Calls, on our Marketing Wisdom blog.
Sources
Every statistic and rule on this page links to where it came from.
- Bloomberg Law, midterm ad buys projected at a record $11.6 billion (AdImpact, 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- USPS, Every Door Direct Mail (opens in a new tab)
- Think with Google, mobile site load time statistics (2017) (opens in a new tab)
- FEC, Advertising and disclaimers (opens in a new tab)
- FEC, final rule on internet communications disclaimers (2022) (opens in a new tab)
- FCC, Rules for political campaign calls and texts (opens in a new tab)
- Wiley, FCC guidance on peer-to-peer texting platforms (2020) (opens in a new tab)
- CallHub, Campaign Verify tokens and political 10DLC use cases (opens in a new tab)
- Google Ads policy, disclosure of synthetic content in election ads (opens in a new tab)
- Public Citizen, state laws on election deepfakes (opens in a new tab)
Don’t Take Our Word for It. Take Theirs.
Business owners from different industries describe working with Ken Henderson, in their own words.
For all your marketing needs, Sublime Digital Marketing and Ken Henderson to the rescue!
Everyone quoted here worked with founder Ken Henderson when his agency was called Sublime Digital Marketing Group. Same founder, new name. Quotes are excerpts, exactly as given. Results vary by business.
Results From Our Founder’s Client Work
Running totals from founder Ken Henderson’s client work, as reported by Ken.
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6.5K+
Leads generated
Source: Owner-reported
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99+
Businesses served
Source: Owner-reported
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$5.5M+
Revenue generated for clients
Source: Owner-reported
Owner-reported totals, not independent research. Your results will depend on your market, your offer and how fast you follow up.
Questions Campaigns Ask Us
Have a question we didn’t cover?
Ask a real person. You’ll get a straight answer about your situation, with no pressure.
What does a “Paid for by” disclaimer need to say?
For federal committees, the FEC requires the name of whoever paid. If a candidate didn’t authorize the communication, add a permanent street address, phone number or web address and a statement that no candidate authorized it. Printed disclaimers go in a readable box, with 12-point type as a safe harbor on pieces up to 24 by 36 inches. State and local races follow state rules.
Can campaigns text voters without permission?
Autodialed political texts to cell phones require prior express consent. The FCC has treated true peer-to-peer texting, where a person sends each message, as outside the autodialer rules. Carriers also require 10DLC registration and a Campaign Verify token, and campaigns should honor STOP requests immediately.
Do we need to disclose AI in political ads?
Often, yes. Many states have laws on AI-generated content in election communications, and Meta and Google require disclosure of realistic synthetic content in political ads. We label AI content and use a candidate’s likeness only with written consent.
What is a win number, and how do I calculate it?
A win number is the number of votes you need to win. Estimate turnout from past elections of the same type, multiply by the share you need (just over 50% in a two-way race) and add a safety cushion. It tells you how many voters you must reach and how fast.
Does my campaign website need a disclaimer?
Federal political committee websites available to the public need one, and most states have similar rules for state and local campaigns. Put it in the site footer and on donation pages, and confirm the exact wording with your treasurer or counsel.
How early should a local campaign start marketing?
As early as your filing allows. Websites, email lists and text lists take time to build, and printing plus postal delivery adds lead time before voters receive mail ballots. Plan backward from your ballot mailing date, not Election Day.
How much does EDDM cost for a campaign?
Postage is the predictable part. USPS lists EDDM Retail postage at $0.26 per piece, with 200 to 5,000 pieces per day per ZIP Code. Printing and design are separate. Our free EDDM postage calculator totals the cost for the households and drops you choose.
What does it cost to work with you?
It depends on your race, your timeline and which pieces you need: website, print, mail, ads or supporter follow-up. Book a free strategy call, and you’ll get exact pricing in writing before you commit to anything.
More Industries We Serve
Same system, different rules and numbers. See how it adapts.
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Answer every inquiry, follow up with prospects who reached out and get found in search and AI answers, built with attorney advertising rules in mind.
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Keep more first-time donors with mobile-friendly giving, Google Ad Grants help, automated thank-yous and print that does more with less staff time.
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Turn more inquiries into enrolled families with school websites, local SEO, admissions ads and automated follow-up from inquiry to tour to application.
Reach Voters Before the Ballots Go Out
Book a free strategy call. We’ll look at your race, your deadlines and your budget, and tell you honestly whether and how we can help.
Free. No obligation. Consent-based outreach only.
P.S. Print and postal time come before Election Day, not after. Find the date mail ballots go out in your county and count backward. That’s your real deadline.