Archive for September, 2006
PoliticsTV has a quick but good interview with a couple of speakers from last month’s New Organizing Institute training in DC. For one thing, it looks at nurturing “supervolunteers” — the 5% of your activist list that can turn around and produce more than half of your total volunteer work if you support and guide them properly. Also, it talks about the importance of integrating online strategy and field strategy and discusses tools such as downloadable “walk kits” customized for each volunteer’s own neighborhood that will become available over the next couple of years. It’s definitely worth the five minutes of watching time.
– cpd
September 18th, 2006
Trackback
Bookmark on del.icio.us
I’ve just finished the first new section of Online Politics 101 since e.politics launched two months ago — how to use online video and animation for political organizing. It covers the basics of using video on your own site, using YouTube and other video-sharing sites to reach new supporters, and video as a social media tool. Next up: online advertising. Coming soon: take the 101 content with you when you leave.
– cpd
September 17th, 2006
Trackback
Bookmark on del.icio.us
You can now buy your own copy of Person-to-Person-to-Person: Harnessing the Political Power of Social Networks and User-Generated Content. It costs $25 (with shipping), and all proceeds go to cover the cost of design and printing and to support the work of the IPDI (I need a better agent — I ain’t seein’ a dime).
I got my copy last night and have only skimmed through it, but the case studies look great so far. I’ll have a longer review soon.
– cpd
September 15th, 2006
Trackback
Bookmark on del.icio.us
At the risk of beating a dead horse clean into the ground, behind-the-scenes, database-driven microtargeting gives the Republicans a massive advantage in turning out their voters and picking off persuadable independents. Jim VandeHei and Chris Cillizza’s article in today’s Post on turnout-boosting operations in the Rhode Island Republican Senate primary is a must-read for campaign operatives. Is the DNC is paying very, very close attention? All the favorable polls in the world won’t help if the other guy’s supporters show up to vote and yours don’t.
– cpd
September 14th, 2006
Trackback
Bookmark on del.icio.us
Hey kids! Don’t forget tomorrow’s panel discussion at the Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet on using social networking sites and social media/user-generated content for political organizing. It’s tied to the release of IPDI’s latest publication, Person-to-Person-to-Person: Harnessing the Political Power of Social Networks and User-Generated Content. Rumor has it that they chose my chapter to lead off the book…my mom is very proud.
– cpd
September 14th, 2006
Trackback
Bookmark on del.icio.us
According to the On The Download column at Hotline On Call, incumbent Texas Governor Rick Perry is buying full-length ad spots at the beginning of downloadable news video clips, normally more of a corporate ad strategy. Online news would seem to be well-targeted at opinion leaders, but since the ads can’t be skipped-through, OTD wonders about the potential for backlash. e.politics wonders if Perry feels mystery writer and former Texas Jewboys frontman Kinky Friedman breathing down his neck. Freak power in my homeland, the Lone Star State?
– cpd
September 13th, 2006
Trackback
Bookmark on del.icio.us
Two interesting pieces from vendors in the last few days. First, Pam Fielding at E-Advocates has an article about integrating print and online materials into an activist-building campaign, and takes the opportunity to hawk a new print-on-demand product that the company is offering.
Next, Karen Matheson and Eve Fox at M&R Strategic Services have prepared a report about the apparent declines many organizations have seen in the rates at which their activist and fundraising emails are opened by recipients. Many of us have feared community-wide list exhaustion (and I still do), but they argue that image-blocking by email programs is skewing the stats.
– cpd
September 13th, 2006
Trackback
Bookmark on del.icio.us
This week’s Carnival of Nonprofit Consultants over at Kivi Leroux Miller’s Blog on Nonprofit Communications has some great resources, and I ain’t just sayin’ that ’cause they picked up my story on the Post and social media. Let’s look at what you can learn today:
(more…)
September 12th, 2006
Trackback
Bookmark on del.icio.us
Tonight is Hank Dearden’s Second Tuesday New Media Cocktails and Networking happy hour. Make valuable contacts! Meet charming vendors! Eat tasty appetizers! Get ripped and risk utter humiliation in front of your peers (mmmm, my favorite). Details below:
(more…)
September 12th, 2006
Trackback
Bookmark on del.icio.us
PoliticsOnline and the World E-Gov Forum have posted their nominations for the Top 10 Who Are Changing the World of Internet and Politics. Cast your vote today! Two friends of e.politics are nominated — Care2 and Alan Rosenblatt’s Internet Advocacy Roundtable. Vote early! Vote often!
When they put together a Top 10 Who Are Sniping Snidely About the Internet and Politics from the Sidelines, will e.politics have your vote?
– cpd
September 11th, 2006
Trackback
Bookmark on del.icio.us
Is targeted direct mail the best way to tar an opponent while minimizing backlash? Today’s much-blogged-about Post article on GOP plans for negative campaigning in the Fall contains this nugget, which I’ll expand on:
Direct-mail appeals often carry the most negative and potentially damaging messages. Dan Hazelwood, a leading GOP direct mail consultant, said that if a hypothetical Democratic candidate favors the establishment of a garbage dump in a section of the district, for instance, it makes more sense to “narrow-cast” this message by mail to the people most affected rather than buying an expensive, districtwide television ad.
A little behind-the-scenes database work can put a negative message in front of a carefully chosen group, keeping it away from other voters who might be offended by the its tone and also saving the campaign money. Geo-targeting is just the beginning.
– cpd
September 10th, 2006
Trackback
Bookmark on del.icio.us
A lot of Democrats are up in arms about ABC’s upcoming miniseries, “The Path to 9/11″ — an email I got from the Democratic Party described it as “a bald-faced attempt to slander Democrats and revise history right before Americans vote in a major election.” (Note to Ken Mehlman: don’t worry, I get your messages, too).
As part of the campaign, the party and allied groups are (naturally) trying to bombard the network with citizen emails, which gives me a lovely chance to make a couple of points about viral campaigns and influencing decision-makers.
(more…)
September 7th, 2006
Trackback
Bookmark on del.icio.us
They sound like something out of a B-grade science fiction movie, but splogs are a serious danger to the use of blogs as a communications tool for politics or any other subject. What are they? Spam blogs, set up automatically and by the thousands, filled with stolen text, and designed to take advantage of the interconnected nature of the blogosphere to make money.
(more…)
September 6th, 2006
Trackback
Bookmark on del.icio.us
Next Friday, September 15th, the Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet is hosting a half-day seminar tied to the release of their latest publication, Person-to-Person-to-Person: Harnessing the Political Power of Online Social Networks and User-Generated Content. One of the authors’ names may sound a bit familiar….
The event is free, so how can you possibly pass it up? I’ll see you there.
– cpd
September 5th, 2006
Trackback
Bookmark on del.icio.us
Next Posts
Previous Posts
