When people tell me they are overwhelmed by the volume of information on Twitter, hashtags are the first thing I tell them about. As far as I can tell hashtags are the best feature on Twitter. Interested in a topic? Want to read tweets about it? Get out your # sign out! This post describes how you can use hashtags to promote your cause on Twitter.
Hey is that a Digital Strategy or a Digital Tactic in your pocket?
Last week I wrote a post about smart digital strategy built on strong partnership and common goals between online and offline programs. The post started off with a list of common requests made to digital teams that are “not digital strategy”.
Comments from friends and readers got me thinking about that “not digital strategy” list and wondering why those requests are so common. I started pondering the difference between effective ‘digital strategy’ versus ineffective ‘digital tactics’.
Case study: The most bang for the blast w/PAN
If you were given the choice of two presents of the same size – one wrapped in sparkling silver paper with a fancy bow, and the other covered in Sunday comics and topped with a bow made from duct tape – which would you choose?
Personally, I’d gravitate toward comics and duct tape, but I don’t assume that everyone shares my preference. Similarly, at PAN, we don’t assume we know which email subject line will most appeal to our online supporters.
This is the point of A/B testing nonprofit email blasts. Subject line testing not only helps you learn more about your list, it can make a big difference in how many viewers actually take action.
Smart digital strategy takes partnership
Smart digital strategy seeks to coordinate, amplify and extend the impact of the organizational or campaign goals. It is clearly not smart digital strategy to build a digital presence as part of a checklist of to-do’s.


