What Clout Do Bloggers Really Have?
“Why Bloggers Can't Win the White House” headlines Ad Age.
With the “netroots” taking credit for derailing, at least for phase one, Joe Lieberman's re-election bid, there's plenty of bravado these days amongst liberal bloggers. But this article throws some cold water on the netroots celebration.
Essentially two points of view.
From Michael Bassik (from John Kerry's 2004 online agency of record):
“Campaigns and advocacy groups still want to see the internet as a cash register. Most campaigns allocated about one-tenth of 1% of their budgets in 2004, and there are no indications that that trend is going to change in 2006.”
From Arianna Huffington (pundit & founder of Huffington Post.com):
“Netroots is not about a website or fundraising. It's an authentic and passionate conversation, and it has proven its ability to affect American politics.”
Sounds like an “old guard” versus “new guard” debate. The former add that the percentage of folks actually reading blogs with news/political content is still low. The latter argue it's the quality and intensity of engagement of the netroots that makes the difference. The former argue for message control. The latter say “the people” will set the agenda.
We're betting on the new guard!
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 […]
Read Full Answer
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 […]
Read Full Answer
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 […]
Read Full Answer
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 […]
Read Full Answer
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 […]
Read Full Answer
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 […]
Read Full Answer