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Silas Notes

Link Friday

Posted by Jacob on September 28, 2007

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a bunch of links without much comment, but over the past few days a bunch of new things came across my “desk.” Looking over them I realized I could weave these four disparate links into a narative.

Google has cemented it trend of giving away services to nonprofits by announcing, free payment processing from Google Checkout. Speaking of free stuff and Google YouTube is letting nonprofits setup video channels free of charge. This means your nonprofit can extend your brand onto YouTube.

And if you thought online video was just fun and games, the Will it Blend videos increased sales of blenders five times.

Now as I’ve mentioned Web 2.0 isn’t a build it and they will come venture. So you need to think more about what exactly your organization is trying to accomplish, Michael Brooke calls this being a ball bearing not a beach ball.

Worry less about your subject lines

How familiarity affects open rates
Posted by Jacob on September 24, 2007

Silverpop, an email marketing firm, recently did a study of subject lines and open rates. The research didn’t get off the ground, because initial data showed the subject line didn’t affect the open rate. What Silverpop did find was that the “from” email did materially affect open rates.
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Navigating Web 2.0

You need a map, not a heading and a prayer
Posted by Jacob on September 18, 2007

There was some good news for companies like mine and some bad news for nonprofits today.

NTEN is reporting a new study about Web 2.0 adoption by nonprofits published by the Overbrook Foundation.

The line that will grabbed my attention: “I’m in a perpetual state of anxiety about which tools I’m supposed to be paying attention to.”
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