Advocacy Avenue

offline communications ~ traditional online advocacy ~ social media

How C-Span is Revolutionizing Video

by Elena Berger | October 21st, 2010

About 6 months ago, C-Span unveiled its long-awaited online video library, which includes all of their programming–ALL of it, 160,000 hours and all transcripts–since 1987. I had a chance to hear Howard Mortman, C-Span’s Communications Director, talk about this project and give a demo at a recent Media Future Now event, and he spoke about all the different groups who would benefit from a fully searchable video library. Among these beneficiaries, advocates and public affairs groups. So what exactly can a library do for us, and for the citizens of this country?

One of the most important things that libraries give to a modern democracy is the provision of information access to all people. Books in a library are categorized and cross-referenced so that anyone can find them. After all, a library without a database or a card catalog is just a pile of books.

Then the World Wide Web came along, and it was a revelation to information seekers. But as the Web grew to gargantuan proportions, effective search engines became more important than ever.

Maybe you see a theme forming here. The existence of information is important, yes. That’s the reason C-Span was founded in the first place 30 years ago. The documentation of the political process lends transparency and, theoretically, accountability to the government.

But combine this with the Internet and a great search engine, and you witness what gives information its true power. Anyone with Internet access can go there, see the videos, and most importantly, search by topic, speaker, tag, title, date, etc. And with a few exceptions, the content is considered public domain and can be used by everyone. This is what we mean when we talk about democratization.

Still wondering what this has to do with us? Watch Jon Stewart arrange video footage to document John McCain’s shifting positions:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c

Say Anything

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor

Rally to Restore Sanity

Email Elena Berger to find out how Amplify can help you with your next video project.

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Insert clever subject line here (no really, please do!).

by Dionna Humphrey | October 5th, 2010

Ahh, subject lines. A few words, or for some of you A LOT of words, can mean so much. This first introduction between you and your supporters can determine how your email performs, and could impact your overall objectives. And it’s not just what you say, it’s how long it takes you to say it.

I’ve been in the business of advocacy communications a long time. And like all methods of communications, there are some best practices that have been established by experts in the field that you may want to consider adopting.

Spam is not just for breakfast anymore. And spam laws are strict, and the company that provides your CRM is equally as strict about their whitelist status. Most importantly you should be too, since you don’t want your emails to land into a junk folder. “Free”, “Opportunity”, “Act now”, and other ambiguous words can sink your email before you even reach your subscriber. Many CRM providers may have a list of words they recommend you avoid, check with them as a good place to start.

K.I.S.S. (keep it short, silly). The standard for subject lines these days is 50 character max. Remember, this should be something that will make your member want to open your email, not be turned off, overwhelmed or completely bored and delete it before they even read what you have to say. Not to mention in today’s world, people are accessing your emails on their smart phone. And a long subject line will definitely get cut off.

Test, test, test! Part of a successful email marketing program is analyzing your data is a practice you should incorporate into your continual evaluation. If you’re unsure how a subject line will perform, test it. Do an A/B split test (we’ll be blogging on that subject too, stay tuned) on your subject lines, let it run for 24 hours and whatever the winner is, use that subject line for the remainder of your group. It’s always a good idea to see how previous subject lines performed as well. You can test short v. long, straightforward v. ambiguous, etc.

Localize it. If you’re inviting people to an event or you want people to take action on an issue that is close to them, add it to the subject line. Check out Organizing for America, the Humane Society & travel sites like Travelocity to see some good examples of using this information in subject lines.

There are a lot of things to remember when creating a successful email marketing campaign. But do not underestimate the power of a smart and savvy subject line- it can make all the difference. To find out how Amplify Public Affairs can help you create email marketing campaigns that deliver results, visit us online at www.amplifypublicaffairs.net.

Posted in Fundraising, Grassroots, Issue Advocacy, Marketing, Uncategorized | No Comments »

3 Fan-Busters Every Organization Should Avoid

by Elena Berger | September 15th, 2010

Mashable reported yesterday that John Mayer shut down his Twitter account, leaving 3.7 million followers high and dry. The reason? He was only using Twitter to promote his recent tour; otherwise, he mostly communicates through his blog.

I’m so glad to hear that Mayer is committed to blogging. However, the Mashable folks and I had a very similar reaction to his Twitter reneg: Seriously? You’re never going to have another tour again?

It seems insane to purposefully say goodbye to a fanbase of any size. But strangely enough, I’ve seen lots of advocacy folks doing basically the same thing. Maybe they’re not shutting their accounts down (though some of them are), but they might as well be.

So what’s the fan-busting equivalent of the delete button?

Creating Facebook and Twitter accounts for each individual advocacy campaign instead of using one organizational brand to promote multiple campaigns. There are times when this is not true, of course. For example, if the campaign is run by a coalition of organizations, or it’s a long-term project that is significantly different in theme and scope than your organization’s original mission. But what if your project basically boils down to a single action alert, well within bounds? Why not keep your brand–and your fanbase–intact?
Creating an account for a brief offshoot campaign before or instead of an organizational account. What happens when that campaign ends? Do you really think your fans will follow you to your website, a different Twitter handle or a more generic Facebook page? Brand as broadly as possible to get the most fans as you can, and then set about categorizing them by interest by which of your action alerts they take.
Creating an account for one purpose but then using it for another when you run out of things to say. This is pretty much like the previous example, except you’re taking the new topic to your fans instead of taking your fans to the new topic. Maybe people will stick around, maybe they won’t. I wouldn’t. I don’t like to get spammed on Facebook any more than I like it on email.

Again, there are exceptions to every rule. But advocates are by definition fan-getters. It’s important at least to start with a long-term mindset, trying not to go more specific than you need to so that you don’t wind up “eating your young.” (Sorry for the mental image, but now you’ll never forget my point, right?)

Let’s face it, John Mayer’s concerts will still sell out, so he can probably get away with some bad social media choices. You can’t.

Tags: advocacy, facebook, Twitter
Posted in Grassroots, Issue Advocacy, Social Media | No Comments »

Spawning New Windows is Bad! Bad! Bad!

by Kevin Reid | August 25th, 2010

It still amazes me every time we do user testing on a website. Sometimes it’s funny. Sometimes it’s sobering. But, for the most part, it’s educational and valuable. Watching someone use the site you’ve created is one of the most enlightening things you can do. The site either does its job, or it doesn’t. And, you can typically find the spot where everything falls apart.

One of the behaviors I have noticed over and over again is the confusion created for some people when a link opens up a new window. While the purpose of the new window is typically to make sure the site visitor can easily return to the site, for less savvy web users it does the complete opposite. Suddenly, the back button doesn’t work. They don’t know why. They have a really hard time finding the site again.

Bad! Bad! Bad!

Paraphrasing Steve Krug, don’t make them think.

If you want people to stay on your site, give them something to stick around for. Don’t open up new windows. Tech newbies will be confused by it and tech superstars will scoff at your attempt to keep their attention.

What do you think? Are you passionate about spawning new windows or eradicating them from the face of the earth?

Posted in Design, Websites | No Comments »

When is the best time to begin prepping for year-end fundraising? Here’s a hint: it’s now.

by Dionna Humphrey | August 4th, 2010

Last month my email box was overwhelmed by various stores advertising ‘Christmas in July’ sales. Believe it or not, this is an actual ‘holiday’. Look it up (after reading this post, of course), there’s a Wikipedia entry explaining the history behind Christmas in July. Retailers are using this event not only in an attempt to entice you with deals to spend your money now, but also to prep you for shopping for the holidays.

Should your fundraising program do the same? You bet.

Most organizations have different levels of supporters in their system: the never-give, the sometimes-give, the always-give, and the give-because-its-tax-deductible. But EACH of these people needs to be sold on what you’re offering. And if you wait until November to get your ducks in a row, you may fall short of your fundraising goals.

In an ideal world, you are asking for donations throughout the year. But it’s year-end fundraising where organizations get the biggest bang for their online fundraising buck. And planning a successful year-end fundraising campaign takes, well, planning. Have you analyzed the data to determine how are your members responding to your messages throughout the year? What’s your open rate like these days? What issues are your members responding to in a way that generates donations? It’s important to begin evaluating these, and other variables over the next few weeks. The more you understand your current and potential donors, the better your outcome will be…not just this year but in years to come.

Don’t reach for your stress ball just yet! You still have time to have an incredible year-end giving campaign. Here are some things to add to your fundraising to-do list:

• If you don’t have a clear and easy way on your website to give, do it and do it now! If supporters can’t find an easy way to give money, they will likely bail.
• Remember to say ‘thank you’. How you thank your supporters makes a difference. And be sure to customize your auto response thank you’s so that your autoresponse doesn’t sound like an autoresponse.
• Make sure your website reflects why people should give. If you don’t make the case, people won’t respond to your ask.
• Shape up your donation form. Keep it short and make sure you are asking relevant information.
• Keep your supporters up to date. You don’t always have to ask them for something. Use your email marketing tools to keep them up to date on what the organization is working on. Have a victory? Shout it to the rooftops. A set back? Let them know its not over. This will help not only reinforce that they are a part of this movement you are creating, but it will also let them know their donations are being put to good use.

Don’t be intimidated by the prospect of fundraising. With the right tools and message you can have a great fundraising year. Stay tuned for next month’s post when I’ll tackle some quick fixes to your website to help maximize your effectiveness. To find out more about how Amplify Public Affairs can help you with your fundraising needs, please call us at 202.263.2900

Posted in Fundraising | No Comments »

Why I believe in documentation

by Jennifer Berk | July 30th, 2010

Today is my last day at Amplify, after almost three years of being the Internet team’s programmer, the company’s marketing point person, and a client/project manager. I’ve worked on exciting projects, with thoughtful and engaged clients, about issues I believe should get as much attention as we can possibly bring to them. My amazing colleagues are now continuing that work.

My last job is to make sure all those projects continue as smoothly as possible.

I believe in documentation because me-six-months-from-now doesn’t know what I know. And now, all the documentation I’ve written over the last three years can be useful to my colleagues. The team can back each other up, because I’ve made spaces for others to create documentation as well. That increase in our collective capability is the thing I’m most proud of at Amplify.

Last week, Debbie Weil’s Sweets and Tweets (one of the many great after-work DC politics/technology/social media events – the only one with cupcakes) featured several of us talking about the idea of linchpins, people who can make an enormous difference in their organizations: I talked about not waiting for assignments, about documentation, and about growing into new roles. I’m deeply grateful Amplify gave me the chance to grow and learn as I have.

I hope you’ll keep in touch, and I’ll be trying to blog regularly from business school at my personal blog, Information Squid. Schools are starting to think about social media and brand evangelism and all the areas Amplify works in (NYTimes, BusinessWeek), and I’m looking forward to connecting more traditional areas with that mindset.

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Why popularity matters…in Facebook ads, that is

by Elena Berger | July 23rd, 2010

In a recent post on e.politics, Colin Delaney outlines a potential pitfall in Facebook’s ad model that some advertisers may not know about: namely that Facebook charges more per click if an ad is underperforming, and skews cheaper if an ad is doing well.

Though you might cry foul (or FAIL!), this cost-per-click model is really nothing new. Google Adwords works the same way. The lower your ad quality is calculated to be, the more you’ll see your investment affected by higher costs per click. Ad quality may be determined by several factors, including whether users view your ad as relevent to their search. In this way, the system pretty much punishes you for not thinking about and A/B testing for variables like audience, keywords and copy.

Back to Facebook. In Colin’s example of a recent ad campaign, he saw the most clever and creative ads do badly and therefore cost more, while the more generic ads skyrocketed. This is another bizarre and often frustrating fact about advertising. What YOU think is a good ad may not actually translate to the average user. Why this is true we may never know. But this is why we always say TEST, TEST, TEST. Create a spectrum of ad copy running from bland to snarky. Choose a variety of images – including ones you wouldn’t click on yourself…because the people you want to reach are not you.

And here’s my most important advice for someone about to test Facebook ads: separate your ads into individual campaigns. Why? If you have one ad in particular that is doing terribly, it will bring your campaign’s average click-through rate down, and your high-performing ads may suffer the consequences. So different ads and different target settings get split into different campaigns, to save your good ads the embarrassment of being seen with their less popular counterparts.

It’s a harsh truth, but in this case, popularity wins every time. Is it so far off-base to call your most winning ads your “cheerleaders”?

Tags: Advertising, epolitics.com, facebook, Google Adwords, pay-per-click
Posted in Advertising, Marketing, Social Media | No Comments »

Facebook By The Numbers: The Congressional Leadership

by Kevin Reid | July 20th, 2010

After doing a quick tally of Facebook stats for the top Congressional leaders, I have two things to say: #1) someone at Congressman Boehner’s office is doing something right (although keep reading… there is room for improvement) and #2) WTF? Is this really the best Congress can do?

While the Facebook pages of political superstars like Obama and Palin have larger followings than most major newspapers in this country, the other household names within the political universe barely register on the scale. The lone wolf is Rep. John Boehner, the Republican Leader, who is way ahead of the pack with over 100,000 followers compared to Pelosi’s 20,000. Reid, Hoyer and McConnell are left in the dust.

Facebook Counts for Congressional Leaders

Scratching a little further, the numbers change things around. While there is nothing wrong with a lot of followers, another key metric – engagement – tells a slightly different story.

Reid has posted 54 updates to his page this month. McConnell has posted 24 updates. Boehner has posted five. Hoyer has posted three. The Speaker has only posted one! So, Reid is updating his followers about 3 times a day on average while Pelosi is updating her followers once every two weeks. Everyone else is somewhere in between.

Ha! But, Reid is being sneaky… he has hired someone who knows what an RSS feed is and is actually just having blog posts from his campaign site reposted on his Facebook page. “Cheater!” you say. Not so fast. By using technology to distribute his posts beyond his campaign website, he is being smart. He is simply using one of his networks to get his message out. He is sharing. He is being social.

But guess what? Boehner has a blog. Pelosi has a blog. Hoyer has a blog. Why aren’t they republishing their blog posts on Facebook? (And, yes… I did check and those blogs are official blogs, not campaign blogs.) Somebody get on the phone and give them a call!

And, what about McConnell? It looks like he had an active blog for the 2008 election, but hasn’t updated it since. That’s OK. He’s on YouTube and posts his videos to his Facebook page. In fact, he has posted something to his Facebook page 24 times so far this month. And, these are not RSS generated re-posts of content. These are real status updates and comments. So, of all of them, McConnell’s Facebook page is probably the most genuine.

In my opinion, Boehner and Reid are performing the best out of the bunch even though there is room for improvement. But, with a little effort, Pelosi, Hoyer and McConnell could easily jump to the front of the line. I will check back in a month and let everyone know. But, in the meantime, I will start looking at the Twitter accounts.

For more on this, see also “Capitol Hill Democrats and Social Media: The Sky is Not Falling,” on epolitics.com

[Note: Steny Hoyer has a personal page, a politician page and a “government official” page. I used the government official page (which has the lowest number of followers) because it seems to be the most active (his politician page hasn’t been updated since February).]

Tags: Boehner, Congress, facebook, Hoyer, McConnell, Pelosi, Reid, RSS, senate, US House of Representatives
Posted in Politics, Recent Trends, Social Media | No Comments »