Introduction
Media Channel: The media channel is the place a donor first heard of a cause or campaign. Examples of types of media channels would be: a TV commercial, a piece of mail, an online advertisement, or an in-person interaction with someone advocating for a particular organization.
Response Channel: The response channel is the way the donor chose to donate to your organization. Examples of types of response channels would be: a donor calling a phone number shown on the screen during an ad on TV, a donor donating through on an online form, or a donor sending a check to an organization through the mail.
A helpful way to think about the difference between media channels and response channels is to think about the way people interact with television commercials. The media in which the audience learns about the product or campaign is the television—but the audience cannot directly interact with the television to purchase the product or donate to the organization. They have to respond by calling a phone number, visiting a website or sending something in through the mail. The television, then, is the media channel with which the audience learned about the product, and the phone number is the response channel with which they chose to interact with the product.
Why do these channels matter?
Keeping track of your response and media channels is important to stay updated on how your donors interact with your organization. Understanding where your donors come from and how they choose to respond to your cause is integral to marketing and increasing donor count. Tracking your response and media channels allows you to learn where to direct advertisement and spread awareness more efficiently.
