Archive for March 27th, 2007
John McCain’s MySpace page took an unexpected lurch to the left today, and TechCrunch has the details. The lesson — don’t annoy a guy who can wreck your online presence…in this case someone who has control over your site’s appearance because you’ve been “borrowing” images hosted on his server. Nice choice of improvements, too:
Today I announce that I have reversed my position and come out in full support of gay marriage…particularly marriage between two passionate females.
Now THERE’S a brave and sensible policy, um, position. Thanks to my friend Seth Horstmeyer for tipping me off. Update: the culprit comes clean.
– cpd
March 27th, 2007
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Interesting news in my inbox this morning — Yahoo is launching an ad network targeted at users of the mobile web (read coverage via MarketingVOX and the New York Times). A way for campaigns to snare new supporters and their cell phone numbers? From MarketingVOX:
Yahoo’s mobile ad network will focus on publishers and advertisers, groups essential to the success of the mobile internet. By summer, Yahoo will begin delivering text, display and video advertising on third-party mobile websites, according to Steve Boom, Yahoo SVP for broadband and mobile.
Hmmmm, I wonder which presidential campaign will try it first? Will big advocacy campaigns find this to be a useful tool for snagging supporters, younger ones in particular? What’ll work best, simple text ads, display or video? (My guess is text, with video more useful as an “educational” tool, but somebody try it and let’s find out).
– cpd
March 27th, 2007
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Completing the email activism trifecta of the last couple of days, Julia Rosen writes in with a brutal critique of a recent series of advocacy/fundraising messages sent to the old Phil Angelides list, which his campaign built while being crushed by Ah-nold in California this past Fall. How did they err? Let us count the ways:
The ask was dumb, the execution horrible and the response tepid. It was painful to watch, knowing that Phil was ruining a valuable list of California activists.
Ouch! Time to learn from someone else’s mistakes, kids — glad they weren’t mine this time.
– cpd
March 27th, 2007
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Want to know how your organization/campaign matches up to the other guys, at least as far as email list performance goes? M&R Strategic Services’ Eve Fox writes in with the company’s summary and comparison of three recent email list benchmarking studies. Some findings? Bigger lists work better, overall online fundraising is on the rise, and rapid response pays off. Also, online donors tend to be younger and to earn more money than direct-mail donors. A summary quote from the report:
The three recent benchmarks studies capture online program metrics from a variety of nonprofits that focus on a multitude of issue areas. Though the data differs (sic) somewhat among the studies, one point is perfectly clear: the Internet is the place for nonprofits to invest!
You can make those “investment” checks out to Colin Delany, c/o epolitics.com. Large-denomination unmarked bills are also welcome.
Next, Beaconfire Consulting takes a look at one of the oldest forms of online community, the email list/email group. The company spent months monitoring 64 environmental discussion groups and figuring out what makes them tick, and they’ve put together a list of seven secrets to list success along with an analysis of list dynamics. One interesting conclusion that Beaconfire’s Eric Eckl points out in an email:
Of particular note for nonprofit organizations, concerned citizens formed many of these groups on their own initiative without any assistance or participation from a formal organization, and participants on most of these lists pay little attention to the activities of the national environmental groups. Those national organizations that figure out how to overcome this gap and successfully engage with these outspoken citizens stand to reap some big rewards.
Happy reading.
– cpd
March 27th, 2007
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