Twitter introduced a feature last week which makes it easier and quicker for political candidates and advocacy groups to harvest small donations from their followers. The tool is getting popular among presidential candidates, and many of them have already used.
Many candidates find it effective
The campaigns have already used Twitter to spread their messages, especially during live political events such as the Republican presidential debates on CNN in the last week. The micro-blogging firm said there were 1 billion views of tweets on the Aug. 6 debate on Fox News. However, the costs of running for office are rising, so it is wise to look for cash in every possible place. In 2012, the cost of such campaigns was $2 billion, and now it is expected to cost more, says a report from The Columbus Dispatch.
Jenna Golden, director of political ad sales at Twitter, said the new fundraising tool will be used by a dozen presidential candidates at least. On Tuesday morning, several candidates used Twitter’s new tool, including Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders, Republican Scott Walker, governor of Wisconsin, and former Senator Rick Santorum. Walker’s Twitter campaign requested people make a donation of $2 for showing their support.
Twitter’s fundraising service was first adopted by candidates aiming for the Oval Office, but it is also available to local and state-level candidates, Golden informed readers. “We think about donating to a campaign as an old-fashioned, traditional process, a cumbersome process. This was an incredible opportunity for us to simplify and streamline,” she said.
Twitter makes it easier and fun
Political candidates have already been able to raise money through Twitter by linking to web-based online donation forms. But for mobile users, which represent 80% of Twitter’s audience, it is difficult to click through different applications and web pages.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is also interested in the new tool. According to the group’s digital director, Matt Compton, the new tool will offer people an opportunity to show their support without requiring them to leave the platform from which they got the information.
For this tool, Twitter is working with Square, a digital payment company, to collect the donations and the information about the political donors needed by the Federal Election Commission. Only a few clicks are required from the user to make a donation. He/she can even share the news of their financial support with their Twitter followers.
