Followup: reaching those NOT reached by social media
09:38, 21 December 2009
.. Posted in Communication, Outreach and General Mngmt.. Link
Thanks to everyone who joined in the online discussion over on LinkedIn on how nonprofits reach people NOT reached by social media (you must be a member of LinkedIn to view the the online discussion).
My original post said:
So-called "social media" is a great way to reach very tech savvy audiences. But the reality is that millions and millions of people are not reached by online tools like MySpace, FaceBook, Twitter, YouTube and the like. How is your nonprofit reaching those who are not reached by social media, whether that's people locally in your geographic area or audiences on a larger scale? How are you recruiting volunteers, reaching new clients, and reaching potential new donors who are not reached by MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, etc.?
Some people took issue with me calling it "so-called" social media. I used "so-called" because those of us who have been using the Internet since the mid 1990s or earlier know there's nothing new about "so-called" social media -- it's a new name for practices that have been around from day one with the Internet (the Internet, by its very nature, is "social media"). Before the World Wide Web made much of the Internet experience one-way, online discussion groups and shared file spaces were the dominate Internet tools, doing all things that FaceBook, MySpace, blogs and other so-called social media of today are doing: building networks of people and organizations, sharing documents, photos and other information, collaborating on documents, "crowd-sourcing" (putting a question out on the Net to be answered by anyone who sees it and feels inclined to respond), and on and on. (and, for the record, I still find YahooGroups a much more valuable networking tool than anything that's come along since).
And some people are in complete denial that using only Internet tools leaves people out. Some stood firm that there's no need for nonprofits to use anything but the Internet to reach potential donors, volunteers and other supporters, as well as clients. Hence the clarification I had to add to my LinkedIn question: ...the reality is that a nonprofit makes a huge mistake in limiting its outreach to FaceBook, MySpace, Twitter, etc., just as it makes a huge mistake *not* using such.
Andrea Hamblin, whose answer I chose as the best to the question (and who I know through our volunteering with Knowbility, said,
The other way I am reaching this audience is by calling individuals via the telephone. Our executive board has a membership phone list that we divide amongst us to call. When we call, we verify contact information (snail mail and phone) and notify the members of upcoming events and other pertinent information.
Yes, the telephone! And maybe that includes Skype or iVisit as well. The point is that it's a one-on-one conversation that does more than gather information; it creates a sense of connection between the organization and the supporter that will add value to future communications sent via the Internet.
Another responder, Dan Farkas, offered this excellent insight:
While new media has achieved great things and has even greater potential, I was floored by the measurable results of good old-fashioned airtime. I did a 3:00 segment on a local news broadcast and saw a 300% spike in web visits from that area that day, with a residual boost I still see months later.
I’ve also seen instantly local coverage work. A friend of mine did an add in a church bulletin and was pleasantly floored with the response. When you find where communities congregate, that path will create results.
If you want to reach a diversity of potential donors, volunteers and other supporters, as well as a diversity of clients, and if you want to target certain demographics not reached by the Internet (and, yes, whether you want to admit it or not, there are people not reached by the Internet), you must use some traditional tools. The good news is that you can use many of these traditional tools via the Internet: you can email your announcement or press release or photo to print media, radio stations, TV stations, communities of faith (churches, temples, mosques, etc.) and various civic clubs, and they will, in turn, get that message into their printed materials (or announced on radio or TV).
Also see this earlier blog, Could social networking sites eliminate diversity at nonprofits?
