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1. Biz-Tech-News: Headlines 25-Apr-06 at NevilleHobson.com
   

   April 25th, 2006 at 4:18 am

2. The Bivings Report » Using YouTube for Issue Advocacy
   

   April 26th, 2006 at 9:35 pm

3. Highlighting a Few Older Posts » The Bivings Report
   

   August 20th, 2006 at 1:48 pm

4. Library 2.0
   

   October 29th, 2006 at 3:45 pm

Comments

1. Alan Rosenblatt
   

   April 21st, 2006 at 12:38 pm

   I like your suggestions a lot, though I disagree that associations trail candidate campaigns in online strategy.

   Your suggestions for tapping into the power of the latest tools (RSS; Blogs; online communities for sharing videos, photos, etc.) are excellent. I am a big fan of turning an association’s email list into a strategic community, as well as reaching out into existing online communities (within and outside of the blogosphere).

   As for associations, they were out in front on internet strategy long before candidates ever entered the fray. When the Dean campaign launched all of those innovations in 2004, they were doing the same types of things associations and advocacy groups had been doing since the late 1990’s

   But with some candidates jumping in hard and fast since 2004, some are now sprinting past associations. That said, I think on whole, many candidates and many associations are still way behind the curve, while only some associations have been ahead of it for many years and only a small number of candidates have been ahead of it for a couple years.

   I still see candidates without a strategic vision for their website and online efforts. For every Pete Ashdown (http://pashdown.org) using the internet in very innovative ways as they run for Congress, there are several candidates that are launching their websites late; relying too heavily on website designers for strategy, instead of tech savvy political strategists; maintaining huge gaps between the online ad expenditures and the media consumption patterns of voters; failing to build big email lists; and employing almost no sense of strategy for engaging online communities.

   Among associations, most may still be behind the curve on the newest tech strategies you outline, but they are way ahead of candidates on using the internet for building email list, recruiting and mobilizing activists, and using the whole web for education the public about their issues.

   And as for this notion of Web 2.0, I find it a bit silly. I see Web 2.0 as a marketing ploy to draw attention to a repackaged and upgraded set of opportunities that have been available online for many years.

   For example, blogs have been around since the late 1990’s. I had a daily web log that I posted during the 2000 presidential conventions.

   As for podcasting, that is just the Kleenexification of downloadable audio and video files (remember, when you ask for a Kleenex, you mean tissue…Kleenex is a brand name, as is iPod). Media Bureau Networks (http://mbnstudios.com) started “podcasting” in 1997, many years before iPods were invented. By the year 2000, MBN had already produced over 1500 hours of downloadable concerts, DJ shows, and interviews with jazz and hip-hop bands. Though we don’t like to talk about it in public, the adult entertainment industry has been providing downloadable audio and video since the mid-90’s.

   And online communities have existed since before the days of the Web. Long before we had Web-based discussion forums, people were using USENET to share photos, ideas, and links to resources.

   This is why I look at Web 2.0 as one of those “new and improved” packages, rather than a real change in the online world. Now it is true that new technology and broadband has given the Web more impact, but it is an improvement on what we have long been doing, not something new.

   Well, that is my rant. Irrespective of it, I agree whole-heartedly with you that associations will be well served to adopt the strategies you have suggested. That said, before many will do it, they will have to transcend their old school thinking and abandon hope for maintaining strict control over their messages, they will have to embrace a world were their issues could easily swarm out of control at a moments notice. This is a cultural shift that will have to include the very highest leadership in associations before it will truly explode.

   I have written much about these and other issues related to internet politics on my own blog, http://DrDigiPol.com. I am always glad to see others writing about the topic, especially when they present a good strategic vision (as you do).

2. Todd Zeigler
   

   April 21st, 2006 at 4:13 pm

   Alan,

   First, thanks so much for your thoughtful response to my post. The feedback is very much appreciated. To respond to a few of your points:

   (1) I think you are right that my comment about trade associations being behind politicians in their use of the Internet is an inaccurate generalization. My experience with political campaigns (both in terms of work and sites I’ve visted) has been largely at the National Committee and Senate campaign level. My experience with trade associations is much more varied - I’ve dealt with small, medium and large organizations. So I’m probably comparing the best funded of political sites to a wide sample of trade association sites. Not really fair.

   (2) I agree completely with your point that many (or most) campaigns undervalue their web component. Too many campaigns think they need a back room tech/design guy, and don’t realize they really need a strategist.

   (3) I dislike the term Web 2.0 - as you mention, Web 2.0 is a marketing term invented by folks trying to hype a second Internet bubble. I sort of use it broadly (and lazily) to describe the rise of blogs/social networks/web based software. that we’ve been inching towards for years, as you mention. However, at some point in the two years I think we reacheda tipping point where a significant number of people started actually using blogs/social networks/ web aps like Flickr instead of just a small subset of folks. I’m not sure what to call that development.

   Regardless, I think both political campaigns and trade associations need to shift their thinking, and accept that the way people communicate with each other is changing.

   Thanks again for your comments.

   Todd

3. imparare
   

   April 15th, 2007 at 1:01 am

   Interesting comments..