How College Recruiters Can Copy the Science Behind Political Yard Signs

Why are there so many? And do they work? You'll find this interesting, Coach...

Why are there so many political yard signs everywhere during elections?

I mean, seriously: This is the age of social media and sophisticated campaign strategies. Do yard signs everywhere actually make a difference?

(And in case you came here for recruiting tips, and are wondering if you stumbled into some other website, hang in there - I have some interesting lessons you put to work with your recruits, Coach).

Do political yard signs actually work?

Yes.

From a recent article studying the practice of putting yard signs up during an election:

Some experts have examined signs' effects on influencing voters’ decisions. A 2015 study led by Donald Green, a political science professor at Columbia University, found that yard signs can increase voter share by 1.7 percentage points on average. The study, coauthored by Alexander Coppock, a political science professor at Yale University, suggests that this modest increase could swing a close election.

Beyond trying to influence voters’ decision making, setting up campaign signs serves a functional purpose.

“Lawn signs are part of what you call the visibility campaign,” said Tobe Berkovitz, a professor emeritus of advertising at Boston University, who has worked as a political media consultant since 1974. He said setting up campaign signs is a way of showing voters that a candidate has supporters.

Other studies back all of this up, too:

They play a really key role in fostering “the bandwagon effect”. When voters see a lot of signs supporting a particular candidate, they may perceive that candidate as more popular or credible. This psychological phenomenon, called social proof, can lead undecided voters to align with the candidate they believe has broader community support. For example, a 2015 paper by two researchers explored the social pressure of political campaigns and suggested that visual cues like yard signs help reinforce social norms, which can sway public opinion, especially when so many voters today are unsure about their choices, or don’t pay close attention to politics or elections like some of the population does.

Another reason for the popularity of yard signs is that they are relatively inexpensive compared to other forms of campaign advertising, like television or online campaigns. For local campaigns with limited budgets, yard signs provide a high-visibility, low-cost advertising option. A 2013 study from the American Political Science Review argued that while yard signs are less effective than TV ads, they offer a better return on investment in tight-budget local elections.

Overall, yard signs also serve as a type of nonverbal endorsement from neighbors and local community members. Political science research published in Political Communication showed that seeing yard signs in a neighborhood often encourages individuals to vote, as it creates a reminder of the upcoming election. The visual presence of a candidate’s name and logo serves as a mobilization tool, especially in the days leading up to the election. So while the direct influence of political yard signs on changing voter opinions is relatively small, they remain popular due to their ability to enhance name recognition, leverage social influence, and promote a sense of community involvement. And in close races, like we seem to have these days in elections, these marginal effects can be significant, making yard signs a cost-effective tool for campaigns, especially when we’re talking about it all happening at the local level.

All of these factors are true in your recruiting, too.

Why should coaches take a page from politics and use their own version of ‘yard signs’ in their recruiting? Because they all apply to what you are trying to achieve as a coach: Influence, action and doing it all in a cost effective way.

• Your consistent written messaging can very definitely swing a close decision in your favor. Deciding on a college is stressful for most recruits, primarily because