Learning From Political Digital
The NY Times recently reported on the sophisticated use of online media by the Romney campaign, specifically as a persuasion tool for reaching new, undecided voters (as opposed to milking the house file for contributions, which every serious candidate knows how to do).
As nonprofits look for new ways to generate leads amidst dwindling acquisition returns, there might be some targeting lessons here. The political guys say they’re looking for audiences (folks sharing some key online behaviors), as opposed to targeting sites. At the end of the day, does that beat Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) renting the Sierra Club’s direct mail list? Time will tell.
One stat from a Romney survey floored me: 31% of likely voters had not watched television “live” — that is, at the time it was being broadcast, as opposed to online or on a recording device — in the previous week. That’s a lot of time-shifting.
For a broader update on campaign and issue advocates’ use of digital media, check this latest report from ClickZ Politics, where you’ll find that the Obama campaign is on pace to spend $35 million on web ads.
Tom
Behavioral Science Q & A
Integrating an individual giving appeal with other communications from a charity can have both positive and negative effects, and the outcome largely depends on how it’s executed. Advantages of Integration Brand Consistency: Maintaining a consistent appearance and messaging across all communications can reinforce the org’s brand identity and strengthen brand recognition and trust among your […]
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I’m not aware of any in-market tests specifically comparing recurring vs. gift frequency language. I suspect the answer might not be the same with all gift frequencies, nor with all people. It sounds like a great opportunity for you to test and find out what works for your audience. Based on the literature, here’s a couple […]
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Based on what we know from existing data, those renewal notices can actually be pretty effective in getting people to donate. They tap into our psychology – creating a sense of urgency, reminding us of past support, and using personalization to make the message hit home. They’re playing on our natural tendencies to feel obligated […]
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Interesting question. I had a quick look at the testing done on this topic. On the positive side, in all cases, over half of donors decide to cover the fee. In some cases, it goes as high as 65%. Not a negligible percentage at all. Here’s another test from iRaiser showing consistent results (see point […]
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There’s just one thing to consider when designing a supporter journey: the supporter. More specifically, you need to take into account: Who the supporter is i.e. their identity, which is the reason they support this cause, and their personality, which describes the way they “see” and process the world. These will determine the kind of […]
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I’m not an expert in this but a quick search surfaced this article on the effect of tax reforms on 2019’s charitable giving. The researchers didn’t find a reduction. Actually, they observed an “increase in charitable contributions in 2019, even with the lower tax rates and the dramatically smaller number of taxpayers who itemize their […]
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