Impaq.me: Combining Social Sharing with Fundraising for News Organizations

Impaq.me

Combines social sharing with fundraising

The INN Nonprofit 100

Why Impaq.Me?

There are really only two kinds of online businesses

Most media organizations are not, and should not be in the pageviews arms race…

…but they have no strategy, and no technology to support a conversion strategy.

How do you convert people from being consumers of your work to being supporters of your work?

What part of your work do visitors care about the most? What are they doing just before they give?

Who’s more likely to support your work – users of Facebook or Twitter?

Impaq.me can tell you all these things.

User segments

•  Independent news organizations –  “Level up” in social media –  Provide advertisers/underwriters an attractive alternative to banner

advertising •  Public media organizations

–  Digital fundraiser in a box –  Supports fundraising mechanisms they already know and use (matching) –  Combines with a “social push” to raise awareness

•  Foundations –  Provides an unprecedented level of data and transparency –  No more funding content nobody sees –  Allows foundation to target training and programs

Impaq.me is not just an idea

We tested Impaq.me

We gathered data on 75,000 share events across the websites of 21 newsrooms

Gathering unprecedented data on what makes people click, share, and give

Numbers I thought could not be right

Test  

4.8 5.2

9.2

17.7

11.0

12.0

6.0

6.8

5.8

2.1

9.9

12.0

14.6

3.1

6.2 7.3 6.1

0.0  

2.0  

4.0  

6.0  

8.0  

10.0  

12.0  

14.0  

16.0  

18.0  

20.0  

The Lens!Oklahoma Watch!IowaWatch!C-HIT!Raleigh Public Record!Pine Tree Watchdog!SIRF!Midwest Center!Aspen Journalism!

Makes sharing more effective

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$1 10%

$2-5 22%

$6-10 32%

$11-25 33%

$26-50 3%

Consumers are choosing to give -- and more than $1!

What do news consumers choose to share and click on? •  Consumers are overwhelmingly choosing to share

serious, in-depth pieces from our members –  Top 3 most shared pieces:

•  Research on ancient bayous in Louisiana •  A longform profile of an entrepreneur with a colorful past trying to make

a fortune with medical marijuana •  A 13,000 word profile of Maine’s current governor

•  Consumers are choosing to click on “affiliation opportunities” in large numbers. 3 out of the top 10 most clicked pieces are opportunities to support a news organization through donating or attending an event

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Leadership candidates

•  Former donation software exec/Silicon Valley Bank •  Knight News Challenge winner •  YCombinator grad •  President’s Office of Technology

Powerful partnerships

•  Partnership with INN –  Opens up access to new customers in all three key segments –  Allows profitable education and training “wraparaound” services

•  Technology –  Existing codebase –  Parnership with TestDouble

•  Access to marketing and finance expertise

Lisa Williams

617 319 0557

[email protected] @lisawilliams