President Obama's use of the Internet to raise record-breaking campaign contributions was impressive, but now that those headlines have been replaced with the economic tsunamis hitting organizations worldwide, some are left with an agonizing question: How can we do what he did?
Well, beyond clever "Calls to Action," nice landing pages, strategic online ad buys, Bono and other effective fundraising tactics, organizations need to learn how to strategically leverage the right technology that resonates with their target audiences to tap into the long-tail - which almost goes without saying ... almost.
There are plenty of online applications - Paypal and Spare Change Payments to name a couple - and a few more on the horizon that efficiently collect and organize micropayments that could easily be integrated into a Web site, Weblog, social-network or other online property. However, it's important to remember that these applications are just pieces that should be used to enhance a larger campaign, not stand alone.
Creativity never goes out of style, and the more one understands their target, the more successful the campaign will be. These are pretty simple assertions, but all too often I see online fundraising initiatives without much substance, direction or clarity. The "if we build it, they will come" mentality has not, and will never, produce the ROI that a strategically-based campaign with clear goals can achieve.
So how can you do what the Obama campaign did? First, don't forget the fundamentals of fundraising: understand your target audience; engage people with content that moves them to take action; make it simple to donate; and don't forget to be creative. Second, don't limit yourself to the Internet. Some of the most effective campaigns I've come across are those that effectively balance their online tactics with traditional ones.
Are you going to raise over $750 million? Probably not, but by thinking strategically and creatively - not forgetting the fundamentals - you are more likely to grab hold of those dollars within the nooks and crannies of the Internet that would have otherwise been ignored.
Do you want to learn more? Here are a couple of books that really lay the groundwork for a successful Internet fundraising campaign: People to People Fundraising: Social Networking and Web 2.0 for Charities and Nonprofit Internet Strategies: Best Practices for Marketing, Communications, and Fundraising.
Chris Rottler, Digital Strategist & Account Executive
