Online Fundraising and Campaigning for 2012

Just weeks ago, former Governor Tim Pawlenty made history when he announced his campaign for the 2012 Presidential election via a Facebook message. He is the first to ever make this announcement on a social networking website. With half of the country on Facebook, how will social networking and online fundraising affect the race for 2012? How will candidates use this new technology to their advantage?

Announcing his Presidential run was only the beginning. Pawlenty has turned his Facebook page into his own version of Foursquare, allowing supporters to earn badges and points for recruiting friends and "liking" his page on Facebook. Only a few years ago, online campaigning was considered an extra step, something useful but not as important as other campaigning methods. Now it's just as important as making those trips to the swing-vote states. In 2008, "Facebook and Twitter were barely a factor," says Pawlenty's media adviser, Mindy Finn. "The big shift that's occurred since then is the growth of participation on social networking sites ... half of Americans are on Facebook."

Mobile giving and online fundraising are going to have a huge impact. With so many Americans already on Facebook, multiple times a day mind you, all they have to do is simply click on a candidate's page and donate to the campaign. If they're at work or walking down the street, they can donate through mobile apps on their smartphones - which a good portion of the country has too. However, online strategies will never replace traditional meet and greets, small events, and shaking supporters' hands. It's also not going to replace high-dollar fundraisers. But what it will do is keep supporters engaged. They'll be able to follow your every move on Twitter, stay active, provide feedback, and hopefully recruit friends. If you have online donation software setup on your Facebook page, supporters can easily share the link and all 200 of their friends can see it.

Not only do you want to setup online fundraising on all your social media sites, you need to keep supporters interested and engaged. Pawlenty is right on target by providing rewards for accomplishments. Everyone has a Facebook page, but what makes your page more interesting than the other candidate's? Why should I remain active on your page?

The internet is a great way to reach a large market. You can't visit every small town across the country, but you can reach those areas online. For those who do not have the large fundraising base that others do, online fundraising is the way to stay in the competition. We can expect a huge surge in the online presence next year as the candidates use the technology that is right at their fingertips.


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Nadanu offers non profit fundraising solutions for the digital world, including mobile giving, Facebook donations, and fundraising programs for your website.