Driving Civic Engagement Through Technology and Data | Kunal Goel from BallotReady

Ernesto Quezada: Pathmonk is the intelligent tool for website lead generation. With increasing online competition, over 98% of website visitors don’t convert. The ability to successfully show your value proposition and support visitors in their buying journey separates you from the competition online. Pathmonk qualifies and converts leads on your website by figuring out where they are in the buying journey and influencing them in key decision moments with relevant micro experiences like case studies, intro videos, and much more. Stay relevant to your visitors and increase conversions by 50%. Add Pathmonk to your website in seconds. Let the AI do all the work and get access to 50% more qualified leads while you keep doing marketing and sales as usual. Check us out at pathmonk.com. Welcome to today’s episode. Let’s talk about today’s guest. We have Kunal from BallotReady, growth lead with them. How are you doing today, Kunal?

Kunal Goel: Hey Ernesto, thanks so much for having me. I’m doing good.

Ernesto: It’s great to have you on today’s episode. Intriguing to learn more, and I’m sure our listeners are already curious. Let’s give them what they’re tuning in for. Kunal, in your own words, can you tell us a little bit more about what BallotReady is all about?

Kunal: Yeah, absolutely. Excited to share about it today. At BallotReady.org, we provide a free, user-friendly, nonpartisan platform where millions of people go every year to take a variety of civic actions. They can do things like register to vote, find out when their next election is, see who’s on the ballot, learn about candidates, and figure out where and how to vote. They can even discover how to run for office and understand the filing requirements.

On the B2B side, where we focus our traditional marketing, we license the platform and underlying data to a wide variety of organizations, including super PACs, for-profits, unions, and more. Our mission is simple: bringing democracy closer to people through technology and data.

Ernesto: Definitely. Technology is critical in this space, so it’s great that you’re doing this. For our listeners to get a clear understanding, what would you say is the key problem you solve for clients?

Kunal: Great question. Our clients are organizations looking to mobilize voters, inform them, or engage their members on civic issues. The beauty of this problem is twofold: first, it applies to a wide range of organizations, and second, the challenges evolve with every election cycle. For instance, in the 2020 election, we partnered with Snapchat to roll out a tool allowing users to see what local positions they were eligible to run for and how to file. This resulted in over 30,000 new candidates running for office. It’s one example of solving a unique challenge through partnerships and impactful programs.

Ernesto: Totally agree. The more candidates we get on those ballots, the better the options. Great work! Who are your clients, then? Is there a particular vertical you focus on?

Kunal: For-profits and brands are a key vertical for us, especially around election time. We also work with unions, helping them make endorsements and provide voter guides. Additionally, we partner with super PACs, libraries, and business alliances. Honestly, I believe every organization can play a role in civic engagement, whether it’s helping employees, members, or constituents. That’s both the challenge and the opportunity—narrowing it down to those who’ll take action.

Ernesto: Makes sense. How does someone typically find out about you? What’s your top client acquisition channel?

Kunal: Our top channel is email marketing—outbound efforts where we identify, prospect, and engage the right people. Secondary to that is our content marketing, which has grown significantly over the past year and a half. We’ve published valuable content that not only raises awareness but also generates leads. It’s been great to see outbound and inbound strategies working together.

Ernesto: Perfect. For our listeners, I’m on the website now. You can check them out at BallotReady.org. Would that be the correct site?

Kunal: That’s correct. From there, you can explore our products, read case studies, and see how other clients have used our platform.

Ernesto: Awesome. What role does the website play in lead acquisition?

Kunal: It plays a big role, especially as a SaaS company. The website helps facilitate and educate leads, but we focus on building relationships beyond the website—offering demos and tailoring our platform to client needs. The website is critical for generating leads and moving them into the funnel.

Ernesto: Definitely. Let’s switch gears a bit, Kunal, and talk about you as a leader. As the growth lead at BallotReady, what are some key tasks you focus on daily?

Kunal: I focus on two main things: hustling to generate leads and creating big-picture strategies to deliver value. I set personal goals for outreach—emails, LinkedIn touches—and ensure we’re using the right lead gen channels. I also spend time learning from clients and tailoring content and strategies based on their feedback.

Ernesto: Absolutely. Learning from customers is key. Let’s jump into our rapid-fire question round. Are you ready?

Kunal: Let’s do it!

Ernesto: First off, what’s the last book you read?

Kunal: Team of Rivals. It’s about Abraham Lincoln appointing political enemies to his cabinet. It was a bold, genius move, and I think there are lessons for marketing there, too.

Ernesto: Great read. What’s one thing your company is focused on most right now?

Kunal: The 2024 election. It’s critical not only for the country but also for us as a company. We’re focused on driving engagement and making a big impact.

Ernesto: If there were no boundaries in technology, what’s one thing you’d fix as a marketer?

Kunal: I’d want everyone to use our tool just once—it’s powerful enough to sell itself.

Ernesto: What’s one repetitive task you’d automate?

Kunal: The handoff between marketing-qualified and sales-qualified leads. Right now, it’s a manual process, and automating it would save a lot of time.

Ernesto: Lastly, what advice would you give yourself if you were restarting your marketing journey today?

Kunal: Persistence pays off. Be shameless in your follow-ups, especially when you believe in the value you’re offering.

Ernesto: Great advice. Thanks for joining us, Kunal. If someone forgets everything about this interview, what’s the one thing they should remember about BallotReady?

Kunal: There’s more access to civic engagement than people think. Visit BallotReady.org to see how you can make an impact, or if you’re an organization, explore digital solutions for your political goals.

Ernesto: You heard it here from Kunal. Check them out at BallotReady.org. Kunal, thanks so much for being on today’s episode. To our listeners, thank you for tuning in. See you next time on Pathmonk Presents.

Kunal: Thanks, Ernesto. This was fun.