Hello Merge Tag: Where Social Media and Politics Intersect

A while back, a conservative organization acquired our email address and started spamming us with one of the worst email marketing programs we've ever seen. This was next-level bad. So bad in fact that we just had to write up some takeaways we could learn about writing better emails from their no-good-very-bad-what-is-even-happening-here email program. We covered 9 key takeaways: 1) Don’t Buy Email Lists 2) Onboard New Signups To Your List 3) Subject Lines Matter 4) Preview Text Also Matters 5) Spell Check Is Your Friend 6) Formatting Is Also Your Friend 7) Keep Your Calls To Action Clear 8) Preview Your Draft Before Sending 9) Write For Mobile… Or At Least For The Internet! This episode of Hello Merge Tag was adapted from a blog post published in March. You can find that blog post - along with loads of screenshots - here. We also mentioned a blog post that shared the story of a political campaign selling their email to a group that went on to open support one of their opponents. You can find that post here. This episode also references an episode of our other podcast Step Up Your Social where we talked about using customized bitly links. You can find that episode here. Have anything to add to our key takeaways? Share them with us at hellomergetag.com or with our host on Twitter.

Kyle Tharp is the managing editor of FWIW, a newsletter and media company that tracks the internet’s influence on our politics. Every week they break down digital spending, strategy, tactics, and trends in our elections. They highlight whose spending is up, whose is non-existent, and how campaigns, PACs and advocacy groups are leveraging online platforms to effect social + political change. He also runs Campaigner, an interview series that explores the tactics that drive winning campaigns and highlights the players pushing the buttons. We checked in with Kyle and throughout our conversation, we covered a ton of ground. How his media company FWIW News came to beHis process for social listeningThe tools he can’t live withoutThings he’s reading, watching, and paying attention toHis thoughts on the future of TikTok The Twitter/Substack battle and how it’s hurting newsletter creators like himAnd so much more According to Kyle:  “I saw a gap in traditional political press coverage. There’s kind of a lack of knowledge of how the digital space works among the traditional DC political press core. I’m really trying to help fill that gap there by educating readers and journalists alike on different forces that impact our politics.” As avid readers of FWIW, we can attest that Kyle does a phenomenal job of filling that gap. Tune in to our conversation today and learn more. If you haven’t already, subscribe to his newsletter today at FWIW.news and then follow Kyle on Twitter @kylewilsontharp and @fwiwnews. Find all episodes of Hello Merge Tag at HelloMergeTag.com or wherever you stream podcasts.

Join the discussion with Candy Phelps, a web design expert, as she shares insights on creating effective campaign websites. From budget considerations to SEO strategies, learn how a well-optimized website can help win an election. Discover essential elements, branding tips, and key questions to ask when building your campaign site.

In this episode of Hello Merge Tag, we checked in with Myles Bugbee, a digital strategist with decades of experience in the field. He’s worked with numerous campaigns, agencies and advocacy organizations, including a stint as the National Digital Director at For Our Future and as the Digital Director for Senator Jon Tester’s 2018 reelection campaign. He now has his own boutique digital firm called Persuasion and Pixels that helps campaigns and causes run more effective and efficient digital programs. In our overly fragmented world, Myles lays out the importance of trusted messengers and talks about how to use digital to cultivate a group, not of supporters, but of advocates for your campaign or cause. “[I started] recognizing the value of moving past that transactional context, and moving to really building a two-way relationship with your supporters.” Throughout the conversation, we talked about How to build and manage vibrant digital communitiesThings to consider before getting startedThe importance of seeing community as larger than just a group of people you can treat as an ATMCampaigns doing interesting and innovative things with digital community buildingThe power of relational persuasionWhy testimonials and user-generated content (UGC) mattersHow to approach digital communities differently if you’re a downballot candidate, compared to running a statewide race And much more! Connect with Myles on Twitter or LinkedIn and find his firm Persuasion and Pixels. Stream all episodes at hellomergetag.com or wherever you stream podcasts.

In the inaugural episode of Hello Merge Tag, we checked in with Jacob Malinowski, a digital fundraiser with Goodman Campaigns, a firm dedicated to helping downballot, pro-choice candidates raise money through email, text and direct to donate ads. He was recently involved in the Janet For Justice race, as Janet Protasiewicz ran a successful race for Wisconsin State Supreme Court. Jacob and his team helped raise $1.1 million for the campaign. We checked in with him to find out how they did it, and what they learned along the way. Jacob shared loads of tips and specific takeaways, including some “magic words” he uses (or rather avoids), the benefits and dangers of starting with templates, how to write downballot emails that feel genuine and authentic and so much more. Listen to all episodes at HelloMergeTag.com or wherever you stream podcasts.