The $710 Local Campaign: How We Achieved Ad Saturation on a Shoestring Budget

In March 2026, we ran the full digital operation for a hyperlocal township race. The candidate had no digital presence, no website, no Facebook page, and 14 days until election day.

Here's exactly what we built, what it cost, and what happened.

The Numbers

What We Built in 14 Days

Week 1: Infrastructure

• 8-page campaign website with mobile-first design and SEO
• Google Analytics (GA4) + Google Search Console
• Google Ads account with Election Ads Verification
• Facebook Page with Meta Political Ad Authorization (4 compliance layers)
• YouTube Brand Account with channel branding
• Instagram profile with content strategy
• Google Business Profile

Week 2: Launch Everything

• Google Ads: Search ($12/day) + Display ($15/day) campaigns
• Meta Ads: Traffic campaign ($38/day, 15 ads)
• 63 Facebook posts scheduled through election day
• 46 Instagram posts published
• 7 campaign videos produced from existing photos (Ken Burns style)
• Auto-updating campaign dashboard (refreshed every 4 hours)

The Result That Matters

"The wife of a neighboring committeeman said she was getting tired of seeing the ads. I said that's awesome — tell Fitz it's obnoxious. He's going to be so happy to hear that." — The Candidate, 2 days before election

"I'm tired of seeing your ads" is the best feedback a hyperlocal campaign can get. It means ad saturation — the target audience can't scroll without seeing the candidate. On a $710 budget. In 14 days.

Why It Worked

Hyperlocal targeting. Township races cover a small geographic area. When you focus $710 on a few zip codes instead of spreading it across a county or state, every dollar hits a potential voter. The math works in your favor.

Multi-platform presence. Voters who saw the candidate on Google, then Facebook, then YouTube, then Instagram got the impression of a much larger campaign. Seven platforms create the perception of ubiquity.

AI-powered speed. Building a 7-platform digital operation in 14 days isn't possible with traditional agency timelines. AI automation handles the repetitive work — content scheduling, dashboard updates, performance reports — so the consultant focuses on strategy and creative.

What It Cost the Candidate

The consulting fee was a flat rate. The $710 in ad spend went directly to Google and Meta — billed to the candidate's campaign committee. No percentage-of-spend markup. No hidden fees.

Total investment for a full digital operation across 7 platforms: less than the cost of one direct mail piece to the same audience.