The Can’s and Cannot’s of digital marketing and fundraising
It was pointed out to me this week that I “know a lot of digital stuff” – and the stuff that I know, and sometimes assume is common knowledge, other people don’t know.
So I put together a short list of things that you may not know about digital marketing. I hope this is useful.
- You cannot send images in bulk SMS marketing messages
- You can track how many website conversions/ donations you get by digital channel (paid search, email, Facebook etc) but you need to put a tracking parameter on the end of the URL – it would look like this: https://parachuteagency.com.au/?utm_source=PDNewsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Canscannotsofdigital
- Email is an Opt In channel. You can’t just add people to your email database because you got their business card or because they attended an event. You need their express opt in permission “Yes, I want to receive email communications from X organisation”
- SMS marketing is an Opt Out channel. You can SMS any person you capture a mobile number for. When sending broadcast messages you must include “Reply STOP to Opt Out”
- You can target your Facebook ads to people in specific locations (such as Bondi Beach or Federation square)
- You can’t download the list of people or their email addresses for those who “like” your organisation on Facebook
- You can target your competitors brand terms in Google Adwords – for instance Oxfam can target they keyword “Red Cross donation”
- You can collect and create “audience pools” of people who visit your website or certain pages on your website, and send them specific messages to bring them back – it’s called Remarketing
- With the new Apple and Android pay, you cannot (yet) store your credit card details in your phone to pay on the Internet – it only works with a terminal to tap against
- You can pre-populate your website donation form fields when your donor clicks through from an email.
If there is any other digital stuff that you want to know – hit reply and ask.