The Huge Mess That Facebook Created
I don’t work on political campaigns, but I’m still alarmed by this article in Politico. Here’s the background: starting Oct. 27, Facebook stopped allowing new political ads (their VERY broad definition of “political” includes issues like climate change and health care). Then, all those ads will pause when the polls close on Nov. 3. Google is doing something similar. Facebook’s policy got off to a rocky start this week when they incorrectly blocked some campaign ads while launching others early. As Facebook straightens that out, I’ve moved on to worrying about what’s next. When will “political issue” ads be back? I help clients raise money to fight climate change and address other “political” issues. Will my ads be back by Giving Tuesday? The platforms are now saying “who knows?”
What to Know About Google Analytics 4
While you may have already heard the news about the update to Google Analytics, you haven’t heard my take. I’m pretty excited! GA’s new version has many promising new features. I’ll definitely use the improved integration with Google Ads. It will now be easier to remove someone from your campaign (say, automatically stop running “Donate Now” ads to people who have already given). It’s also promising that Google Analytics 4 is taking into account the phase-out of cookies (something we covered back in March). This new version can — allegedly — use machine learning to fill in the gaps in data. I’m going to see how that pans out. Other improvements included in the update? Expanded AI-powered predictive insights, better cross-device measurement capabilities, codeless event tracking (no more writing Javascript to track website scrolling), and more granular data controls.
Should You Get on TikTok? Um, Maybe?
TikTok is still a relatively new medium for organizations, which means there’s a lot to learn. (On top of that are the privacy concerns surrounding the app. But the solution is not to ban the platform entirely). Amy Kelleher, director of Bully Pulpit Interactive, points out that while it may not be worth the time and energy to start a new TikTok account from scratch, partnerships with already-established influencers are a great alternative. This is great advice that can be used for your organization’s next fundraising or outreach campaign. Sometimes, it’s okay to hop on someone else’s bandwagon.
iOS 14: More Than a New Home Screen
My iPhone downloaded iOS 14 this week, and the new home screen is pretty snazzy. But that’s not the biggest change for digital ad folk. According to TechCrunch, for advertisers, the new iOS greatly limits the ability to accurately target and measure Facebook Audience Network campaigns (I’m not a super big fan of Facebook Audience network because I like more control over where my ads appear). But this is worrying to many organizations. If you can’t show that advertising works, it’s hard to make a case for it — especially in the nonprofit world.
Stats About Grants and 2020
I work on a lot of grant-funded projects, so I’ve been wondering how COVID and the general mess that is 2020 could impact that. If that’s you too, check out this new report from Foundation Space: 2020: The Year That Changed everything – How Private Foundations are Meeting this Moment. A stat that stood out to me was 86% of respondents plan to grant exclusively to nonprofits for the remainder of the year (rather than individuals, scholarships, or engaging in direct charitable activities). Also, about 40% of private foundations raised their grant amounts, citing the increased need of nonprofits and social justice concerns. If you are looking for funds to execute a program, perhaps a private foundation grant can help.