Really? You're Interested in ME?

04:00 PM Jul 19, 2006

Taking an interest in your partner has long been sound practice in matters of the heart (and the flesh).  Mandate Media's Politics & Technology has a great post underscoring how powerful it is in the less pheromonal sphere of supporter engagement.

For the mileage available from the very simplest level of interactivity -- asking a few questions, and showing some evidence of noticing the answers -- it's another way of saying that it's the strategy that counts most, not the tools.  It's easy to get caught up thinking that the "web activism" tools with a lot of moving parts are the heart of an online presence and forget that plenty of people would rather have a relationship with a cause they care about than write to Congress or send an e-postcard.

Polling supporters is just a more structured way of conversing with a community of concern, which is the essence of most nonprofits' missions -- and one that demonstrates transparency and builds the community's sense of ownership, if an organization executes the (implicit or explicit) promise to evolve in response to the answers. 

(DemocracyInAction users can conduct online surveys using custom fields and/or groups in either a regular Signup Page or by using Questionnaires, which allow additional questions that won't populate the Supporter table.  And since it's not about the widgets but the way you wield them, we also offer strategy sessions.)

Add a comment