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Thank you to Tiara Stephan of Qgiv for this spotlight blog.

When it comes to political campaigns, studies show that whoever spends the most money usually sees the most success. But to spend money, you need to make money, and online fundraising is one of the best ways to do that.

How does political fundraising work?

From individual grassroots donations to political action committee contributions, there are a variety of ways to raise money for political purposes. If you are fundraising for a political organization like a political party, special interest group, or non-governmental organization, it’s important to stick to the Federal Election Commission’s rules and regulations for raising money.

Why do campaigns have to raise money?

When you raise money for your campaign, you’re also raising awareness of your message and gaining exposure. From paying for traditional marketing advertisements to creating merchandise, raising money can help you rally support and increase your likelihood of political success. Campaigns are also powered by people, and fundraising helps you hire vital staff members and consultants that can help you take your campaign to new heights.

Overall, raising money is a vital part of the success of every political organization, and online fundraising has made it easier than ever to solicit donations and connect with your donors. Here is our list of tips for online fundraising for your political organization.

Identify a fundraising goal

Before you start any sort of online fundraising campaign, it’s essential to establish a fundraising goal. If you’re raising money on behalf of a federal candidate, research how much successful political candidates and organizations have raised in the past to win similar campaigns. Use that information as a guideline when you’re determining what is realistic for your campaign.

It’s also vital to understand your donor base as you raise money. You represent a community of people, so while you may understand what they need from an elected representative or advocacy group, it’s also important to know what their preferred giving and communication methods are for fundraising. For example, Baby Boomers prefer to give offline, Generation X is more likely to be moved by social media appeals to donate, and about 29% of Generation Z most like to donate via text message. By keeping track of these trends, you’ll quickly learn how to best reach out to your supporters for donation appeals.

Make your website easy to navigate

Your website will often be the main resource for people trying to learn more about your campaign and what you stand for. If your donors can’t easily navigate your website, they won’t know why they should donate to your campaign and will likely leave without donating. To avoid losing out on that valuable support, make sure you have a well-designed website.

A big part of having a well-designed website is making sure that it’s optimized for online visitors who are coming to your site via their mobile devices. Mobile-responsive donation pages yield 34% more donations, and about 26% of all online giving is processed on mobile devices. So if your website is difficult to explore on a phone, you could be missing out on a lot of potential donations.

You also want to ensure that any website visitors can easily find your donation form so they can support your mission. Place your “Donate” button somewhere obvious like the top right-hand corner of your website. Use a bold accent color to draw people’s attention to it without detracting from the cohesiveness of your website’s design.

Choose the right online fundraising platform

Your online fundraising platform will power your fundraising efforts whether you’re hosting an event or simply collecting online donations, making it one of your most important fundraising tools. When it comes to choosing the right platform for your campaign, there are a few considerations to keep in mind.

If you currently use a customer relationship management software, it can be extremely helpful to have a fundraising platform with integration features for your CRM database. With integrations, your database can be automatically updated with information every time one of your supporters donates. You’ll be able to keep track of giving histories, event attendance, and essential communication information without needing to complete manual updates.

Some fundraising platforms also offer tandem fundraising support. If you’re closely aligned with another organization’s mission, you can conduct tandem fundraising campaigns where donations can be split between you and your fellow changemakers. Tandem fundraising campaigns are a great option for gaining more exposure and expanding your reach.

Above all, the online fundraising platform you choose should benefit both you and your donors. Your platform should provide your supporters with a great user experience and make it easy for your campaign to raise money and keep organized. With the right online fundraising platform, you’ll see a boost in your donations and the support you receive.

Design an effective online donation form

Your online donation form is one of the most important tools to have for online fundraising. With an effective online donation form, you can collect donations quickly and easily from anyone who visits your website.

A great feature to have for your online donation form is recurring donation prompts. These prompts will pop up whenever someone donates and ask donors if they’d like to upgrade their one-time donation into a recurring donation. With recurring donations, you’ll end up spending less time on fundraising and can focus more on campaigning.

However, when you’re building out your donation form, it’s best to steer clear of manipulative patterns like using pre-checked recurring donation options on your form. Misleading your donors into making recurring donations when they’re not even aware of what they’re agreeing to will lead to a breakdown in trust between you and your supporters.

Other great donation form features to include are using suggested gift amounts with images, GiftAssist options, and conditional fields to collect relevant information from your donors. You should also brand your donation forms to link your donation form to your campaign. Prominently display your logo on your donation form and use your campaign colors on your form. This will increase trust with your donors and reassure them that they’re donating to your campaign.

When you’re soliciting donations on an online donation form, it’s important to place a legal disclaimer on your form in accordance with campaign finance laws. An example of contribution rules that your donors must acknowledge when making a donation may include the following:

1. I am a U.S. citizen or lawfully admitted permanent resident (i.e., green card holder).
2. This contribution is made from my own funds, and funds are not being provided to me by another person or entity for the purpose of making this contribution.
3. I am at least eighteen years old.
4. I am not a federal contractor.
5. I am making this contribution with my own personal credit card and not with a corporate or business credit card or a card issued to another person.

As your donation form is considered public communication, it should also include a legal disclaimer stating who authorized and financed the donation form (e.g., “Paid for by the XYZ Committee and authorized by the John Smith for Congress Committee.”).

Create a marketing plan

Marketing is essential to a campaign’s success. It’s best to start by getting to know your donors and using a multi-channel marketing approach to expand your reach across all demographics. From direct mail, email, social media, and text donation appeals, you should aim to reach out to a variety of potential supporters to increase awareness of your campaign and your message. Then, segment your donors to deliver personalized appeals and better connect with them. With social sharing buttons you can make it easy for your supporters to share their own support with their personal networks and help you expand your reach.

Visual storytelling is one of your best tools when connecting with your donors. Share pictures of your organization in action in emails and highlight staff members and volunteers on your social media channels, asking them to share why they support your campaign.

Plan a variety of fundraisers

When you fundraise, it’s best to plan a variety of fundraisers to keep your supporters engaged. When you’re in your planning process, look at your donor base and your supporters’ event attendance history to determine what your contributors would be interested in participating in.

From text-to-give drives to virtual campaign events, you can encourage your donors to support your campaign with fundraisers they can get excited about. Selling campaign merchandise in an online store is also a great way to raise money and give your donors the opportunity to express their support and raise awareness of your platform. However you choose to fundraise, just make sure you’re engaging your donors with campaigns and events they’ll enjoy.

Thank your supporters

After you receive a donation from a supporter or finish an event, always remember to express your gratitude. Send thank-you emails after every donation and event to all your donors and volunteers. Explain the impact of their support by describing how their donation was used and how many people your volunteers were able to reach because of their work. Adding personal touches by handwriting your letters can make a supporter feel extra special, helping you to retain support from your donors. Continue with follow-up communications to strengthen your connections with your supporters and cultivate long-term relationships.

Final thoughts

Fundraising for your political organization takes hard work and effort, but online fundraising has made it easier than ever to connect with your donors and raise money no matter where your donors are and when they want to donate. If you’re searching for more help with fundraising, download this annual fundraising plan template to start setting goals and raising money!

Tiara is a Content Marketing Specialist at Qgiv, a company that’s dedicated to building powerful fundraising tools that empower nonprofits to achieve their mission. She’s a writer by trade and a passionate supporter of nonprofits by nature. When she’s not typing away at her keyboard for hours, you can find her dancing (if you can call it that) at concerts, drinking copious amounts of English Breakfast Tea, and daydreaming about traveling the world.

Welcome to part three in our running blog series about digital advertising. So far, we’ve discussed what digital advertising is and the pros and cons of each type of digital ad. If you’ve made it this far, we hope you’re putting some serious thought into how paid search and other forms of digital advertising could positively impact your business.

No discussion on digital advertising is complete without talking about the largest driver of paid search campaigns in the U.S.: Google Ads (formerly Google AdWords). While there are many types of ad campaigns you can run on Google Ads – display, video, app, shopping, etc. – this article will focus on pay-per-click (PPC) search engine advertising.

You likely see a paid search ad every time you run a query through Google – paid ads occupy the prime, top-of-page real estate on search engine results pages (SERPs). In the world of digital advertising, Google Ads boasts an impressive ROI, promotes top-of-page brand awareness, and puts your products/services directly in front of your target audience.

Is Google Ads Really That Effective?

Google sites are the most visited among popular, multi-platform web properties in the U.S., with approximately 269 million unique visitors from mobile and desktop connections. Google processes 3.5 billion searches per day and 1.2 trillion searches per year worldwide.

• Internet visitors are four times more likely to click on a paid search ad on Google than on any other search engine (Amazon, YouTube, Bing)
• Google Ads convert 50% better than organic search results
• The average conversion rate for Google Ads is 75%
• On average, businesses make $2 in income for every $1 they spend in Google ads

In conclusion…..yes. Google Ads is quite effective.

How Much Does Google Ads Cost?

The truest (and most frustrating) answer to the question posed above: it depends. Advertising on Google isn’t cheap, but it doesn’t have to break the bank for small to medium sized businesses lacking thousands of ad dollars to spare.

One common misconception is that advertisers with the largest budgets score the highest rankings and exert more influence over paid search. But Google is not strictly pay-to-play. The platform wants to show visitors useful and relevant advertising to preserve its own credibility and trustworthiness as a search engine. That means ad quality and relevance matter when Google determines ad rankings, a factor that evens the playing field for advertisers of all budgets.

Ad quality and relevance matter when Google determines ad rankings, a factor that evens the playing field for advertisers of all budgets.

Google gives you complete control over setting an ad budget and determining how much money you’re willing to pay for ad performance. Sure, investing more money into Google Ads helps, but you can still run successful paid search campaigns on a smaller budget.

Google Ads pricing is different for every ad. To understand why, keep reading to learn how the ad auction works.

How Google Determines Ad Ranking

Welcome to the auction. Google uses a bidding system to select placement and ranking for ads competing for the same keyword. Google processes millions of split-second ad auctions a day – an auction occurs every time a visitor lands on a SERP where ads are displayed.

There are two primary factors that determine ad positioning on a SERP.

1. Maximum bid. The maximum bid is exactly what it sounds like – the maximum amount of money you’re willing to pay for a click on your ad. Your maximum bid doesn’t necessarily determine the actual amount you’ll end up spending per click – it only sets a limit on what you’re willing to spend. The actual cost-per-click (CPC) could end up being less than what you bid for it. While CPCs vary by industry, the average CPC on Google Ads is between $1-2.

But Google Ads isn’t a pay-to-play platform, and you don’t have to devote a huge ad budget to rank well on SERPs. Google wants to give its visitors a great experience, meaning they reward quality, relevant ads that are more likely to engage visitors and increase clicks. Their second ranking factor is heavily weighted to reward quality advertisements.

2. Quality Score. The Quality Score is determined by the overall quality and user relevance of your ad, keywords, and landing page. Google also turns a critical eye on the expected click-through-rate (CTR) as a scoring factor. The more people who see your ad and click on it, the more Google assumes the ad is relevant and helpful. You can also improve your Quality Score by including ad extensions that provide visitors with additional information (like site links, a phone number, a location, etc.) and drive more clicks.

Here’s what it boils down to: low-bid, high-quality advertisements will rank better than high-bid, low-quality advertisements. Along with higher rankings, Google rewards stellar ad quality with lower costs-per-click (CPC).

Let’s repeat that one more time: a higher Quality Score results in a higher ranking at lower costs.

5 Components of an Effective Ad Campaign

Let’s get into the meat of Google Ads: creating a successful ad campaign. Here are five important components to help guide the ad creation process.

1. A clear ad goal. Advertising without a goal in mind is a wasted effort – and a wasted budget, too. Google Ads offers several campaign goals to choose from, including generating leads, driving traffic to your website, making a sale, or spreading brand awareness. Having a well-defined goal helps your team target the right audience, choose an effective bidding strategy and budget, and create a compelling ad that drives interest. Additionally, having a results-oriented goal helps your team more effectively analyze success and ROI upon campaign completion.

2. Relevant, targeted keywords. Successful Google ad campaigns are built on targeting and bidding for the right keywords. There are several free and paid tools your business can use to conduct keyword research. Here are some factors to keep in mind during the research phase.

• Who is your target audience and how are they searching for your products/services? What words and phrases are they using?
• What keywords are worth bidding on? For every potential keyword, analyze the search volume, average CPC, and competitiveness to decide which words and phrases are worth your money. Keyword research can become very tricky when you’re balancing a keyword’s value within your target industry against the likeliness of outbidding competitors and staying within budget.
• What is the user intent? Ads targeting customers in the decision stage of the buyer’s journey are more likely to drive direct conversions and sales. Research shows that 65% of Google Ads clicks are for ads that include buyer-intent keywords like “Buy,” “Shop,” “Get,” and “Purchase.”

3. A defined audience. Make sure your ad lands in front of the people most likely to take an action on it. Google Ads offers a plethora of targeting options for you to hand-select your ideal consumer base. Build an audience based on location, demographics (age, education level, marital status, etc.), interests, lifestyle, habits, routines, and behaviors. Bigger isn’t always better when it comes to audience building – the clearer and more defined your audience is, the more likely you are to reach action-ready consumers.

4. A compelling ad. Once you have the right keywords, incorporate them into compelling text ads that drive clicks and conversions. Persuasive and engaging ads that excite and entice consumers use dynamic, active language and speak to the user’s end goals and personal needs.

5. A clean landing page. Remember that an engaging user experience continues after an ad click – make sure you optimize your landing pages for speed, quality, and attractiveness to keep consumers moving through the conversion cycle.

Google Analytics

Hopefully, you’re already using Google Analytics to track and analyze your website traffic. Google’s powerful web analytics service helps you keep track of the audience demographics landing on your website, the actions they’re taking, and where they’re spending the most time. The metric and analyzation tools on Google Analytics can (and should) help guide your business’s digital marketing strategies.

It’s a simple task to link your Google Ads account to your Google Analytics account, and the resulting value is immeasurable. Ad analytics can (and should) help guide your paid ad strategies. Google Analytics allows you to follow ad clicks beyond the ads – you’ll be able to see the keywords and ad creatives that drive traffic to your website, the actions visitors take, and on-site engagement. You can use these valuable insights to improve future ad campaigns.

How Do I Get Started With Google Ads?

While you can set up a Google Ads account on your own, running successful paid search campaigns is a complex task to undertake if you’re new to the ad game. That’s why we highly recommend seeking help from an experienced digital advertising and PPC marketing services company like Ligon Marketing. From start to finish, our team will help you create and launch an ad strategy that helps you achieve your digital advertising and ROI goals. Call us today at 863-838-5475 or drop us a message online.

In the digital age, it’s easy to assume that the most effective marketing takes advantage of the newest technology. Digital marketing has exploded since the dot com boom. We see marketing content on websites, email, social networks, and online games. People can access that content with computers, mobile phones, tablets, and sometimes with wearables. The breadth of digital marketing possibilities can sometimes seem overwhelming. Should you focus your efforts on one type of digital medium, or spread your brand to as many as you can? What happens when technology becomes obsolete and forces you to abandon large parts of your marketing strategy?

It’s that final question which has the most interesting answer. Although it might seem counter intuitive, staying on the cutting edge of technology is not always the best idea for marketing, especially in the digital age. People care about tech and convenience, but no one wants to constantly upgrade just to see content they’re interested in. That’s why “old” technology retains a foothold in marketing, even as tech races ahead. Customers like to use what they’re familiar with, and those options sometimes aren’t “high-tech” at all.

Storytelling has been an effective marketing tool for the entirety of human history. People love interesting narratives because they feel authentic. The more someone can connect to a story, the better chance that they’ll be interested in your product. This is the basis for all forms of marketing — all marketing content is telling a story in some form. Whether it’s a video trumpeting how happy someone is with a new cleaning product, a white paper detailing a company’s accomplishments, or a press release for a new technology, an interesting story never fails to pull people in.

Print media means something a bit different than it did before the digital age, but paper ads, brochures, and direct mailings haven’t become obsolete just yet. Since they’re less common than they used to be, retro style print media may actually be more effective than in years past. Studies have shown that touching something and holding it in your hands makes you more likely to buy something, and a physical advertisement can serve that purpose. Digital print, on the other hand, refers to email marketing, funnel campaigns, and websites. Blogs are indispensable as marketing tools, and making your website easy to use is analogous to graphic design of older print media. The easier it is for people to get your message, the more likely they’ll end up buying your product.

Videos are turning into stories of their own, and they work very much like commercials on syndicated TV stations. The difference is that effective marketing by video on the web tends to be very short. An argument can be made that internet video marketing is its own form of cinema, telling short stories and connecting with people just like movies. Social media marketing uses a similar concept, drawing people in with unique visuals and concepts. It can be challenging to create concise videos or social media posts, but the more you can communicate with fewer words and time spent, the higher chance that people will remain interested in your product.

Radio and audio are also experiencing a resurgence in the marketing world. The days of large radios, and of hardware specifically for radio itself, are mostly behind us. The modern world of radio involves satellite feeds and streaming services. Millions of people listen to satellite radio and customized streamable playlists every day, so creating a quick and affordable radio commercial can reach unprecedented numbers of people. Most people don’t pay for ad-fee music, so there are a lot of opportunities for growth in digital radio. Since streaming services often target specific demographics with different types of music, marketers can piggyback off that concept to target people who would be most interested in their products.

Customer service has not always been considered marketing, but today, with people’s ability to express their opinions worldwide through the internet, it’s become critical for a business’s success. When people leave reviews for a business, they’re much more likely to leave negative reviews about things they didn’t like. People don’t tend to leave positive reviews even if something went well, since we tend to remember negatives more strongly than positives. In digital marketing, good customer service is perhaps most important to avoid bad reviews. It’s not about individual customers anymore, but about projecting a positive image to protect your brand.

Ligon Marketing works with you to develop a marketing strategy that encompasses all of today’s marketing options. Whether this means embracing new technologies or using some old school storytelling, we give you the tools to make your marketing shine. We offer customer service training, and we have years of combined retail and sales experience to help you focus on what matters most for your target audience. Give us a call at 863-838-5475, or check out our complete website at LigonMarketing.com.

March is the month of renewal and refocus. It’s when we set our clocks ahead and the season of spring begins to emerge, but it’s also the time to celebrate Women’s History Month!

National Women’s History Month is an annual celebration of American women and their contributions, from entrepreneurs to CEOs to engineers and world-renowned thought leaders. National Women’s History Month is a chance to recognize and celebrate how far women have advanced in industry and innovation, as well as how we as a country value equality and the contributions of all our citizens.

Now is the perfect time to honor the female innovators and leaders of the past, celebrate the achievements of women today, and envision opportunities for future generations.

To understand the importance of Women’s History Month, let’s first take a look at how it all began…

A Little Bit of History

In 1987, after being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project, Congress passed Pub. L. 100-9 which designated the month of March 1987 as Women’s History Month. Between 1988 and 1994, Congress then passed additional resolutions requesting and authorizing the President to proclaim March of each year as Women’s History Month. Since 1988, U.S. presidents have issued annual proclamations designating the month of March as Women’s History Month.

Now, every March our nation celebrates the economic, cultural, and political achievements of women in our country. This month is a celebration of all women in all industries—women working in science and technology, women in the arts, and of course, women in business.

Women in Business

Over the past several decades, women have made great strides in business and entrepreneurship. There are countless women who now serve as CEOs and Board Directors of multi-million-dollar corporations like IBM, Amazon, and General Motors. However, along with the incredible advancements women have made in the corporate sector, more and more women are taking the lead and starting their own businesses.

Countless women entrepreneurs have broken barriers in their fields and faced daunting odds. Of course, there have been numerous failures and successes, but in more recent years, women are closing the gender gap in business ownership in the United States.

Did you know…? In 1972, there were only 402,000 women-owned businesses, presenting 4.6% of all firms. However, this number has dramatically increased over the past several decades. As of 2018, there are 12.3 million women-owned businesses in the U.S, which makes up approximately 40% of all businesses.

There are many ways to support local women-owned businesses. From social media promotion and investment opportunities to mentorships and collaboration, supporting local women-owned businesses builds relationships and fosters growth within the community.

How We’re Celebrating Women’s History Month

In honor of Women’s History Month, we would like to present a monthlong series of posts highlighting some of our favorite women entrepreneurs and leaders. We would like to promote and highlight influential women in business and share their message of empowerment and community vision.

This Women’s History Month, we have the honor of featuring 5 game-changing women business-owners who have incredible focus and passion for their communities.

Stay tuned for our list of inspiring entrepreneurs!

Marketing agencies come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from full-service to niche-specific. Some specialize in industries, such as health care, restaurants, or finance. Videographers create commercials and films, while graphic artists design logos, brochures, and billboards. Some agencies are known only for digital services, such as website design, which may or may not include on-going support. Some are equipped to handle all those needs.

Media outlets – newspapers, radio stations, billboard companies – offer a wide range of opportunities to share your message. As a business owner, you have to evaluate the cost/benefit ratio of these options, plus negotiate the best deals. (Experienced media buyers are a unique breed, typically with insider knowledge about how these outlets work.)

When you’re ready to up your marketing game with a professional agency, start by identifying your business’s critical needs.

• Do you need someone with expertise in your industry and its regulatory quirks?
• Do you need to focus on technology and the digital realm?
• Are you just looking for brochures and ads for a special promotion?
• Maybe, you need all the above.

When your car makes a weird sound, you want a qualified mechanic to take a look. And if you’re not quite sure about your marketing needs (or even if you are), you want someone who can tailor the right plan to achieve the right results. Developing a strategic marketing plan and positive results are the keys you need to drive your business.

Not all agencies are created equal, and Ligon Marketing provides a full spectrum of skills. Our team has diverse skill sets from a variety of backgrounds. Besides knowing a good mechanic, our services include:

• Strategy development
• Creative design and content development
• Logos and branding, with brand standards
• Print materials (publication ads, direct mail, collateral materials)
• Signage and billboards
• Radio/TV commercials
• Video production and photography
• Media buying
• Digital (website development, website design, search engine optimization (SE0), social media)
• Email campaigns and funnel marketing
• Public relations (media relations, crisis communications, internal communications)

Ligon Marketing likes to think outside the box. Contact us at 863-838-5475 or visit LigonMarketing.com to discuss your business needs. Maybe we’re just the right size and shape for you.

It’s the best time of the year…for joyful videos that tug the heartstrings. Remember your favorite tv commercials from childhood? Think Publix commercials and Budweiser Clydesdales. What makes them memorable is the universal story that warms our hearts. What makes us consumers is the pull to be included in the story.

Amidst the noise of television, radio, and social media, authenticity stands out. Today’s smart phones and video technology make it relatively easy and affordable to deliver a message that breaks through. Some basic guidelines and tips can help:

• Remember your audience: Moms, teens, senior citizens, animal lovers, other business professionals. Their warm-fuzzy buttons are different, and they respond to different appeals.
• Messaging: Do you want to build awareness, garner donations, or bring people to your door? Put a face to the message. What are the benefits or liabilities of responding/not responding?
• Scripting: Videos should be authentic but not rambling or rote. Will it be on-camera or voice-over? Find the balance before filming by developing a script outline. HOWEVER, don’t script individuals who are telling personal or emotional stories on camera!
• Noise factor: As much as possible, film speakers in quiet backgrounds. Some background noise can be edited out, but natural quiet is easier. B-roll may benefit from natural noise.
• Film horizontally: It’s counterintuitive but fills the screen better.
• Editing: A variety of apps (Magisto, VivaVideo, iMovie, etc.) are available for ios and android to edit smartphone video and add captioning.
• Length: Keep it brief, 3-4 minutes, or you’ll lose viewers.

The smartphone video format offers simple homemade-but-professional authenticity in telling your story. That can be particularly important for non-profit organizations that want to communicate without spending a lot of money.

A professional can easily help make adjustments and handle some of the more complicated edits, without charging a fortune. Also, objective watchers can identify elements that may miss the mark or unnecessarily lengthen the video…and you may be too close to see it.

Ligon Marketing is a champion for small businesses, and we can help you develop compelling video content — as well as a plan for sharing it — to pull consumers into your story. Remember, your video project is only as good as the people who watch.