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Changes in our lifestyle and advances in technology are forcing nonprofit organizations to communicate differently. Traditionally, many organizations have used a blast of letters and/or emails to regularly solicit support. I believe these methods will still be effective in the future, but only for a portion of the population that needs to be reached. Now and in the future it is going to be critical that nonprofit organizations use multiple channels of communication to reach their target audience.
The need to use multichannel communication was a topic addressed by many of the speakers at the Converging Campaigns panel discussion.
The following list discusses just a few of the things panelists mentioned during the event:
- E-mail has been the workhorse of the industry for some time according to Vinay Bhagat, Chief Strategy Officer and Founder at Convio. However, the trend is now "one size doesn’t fit all." Multiple methods of communication will be required In the future to be effective.
- Adam Conner, Associate for Privacy and Global Public Policy at Facebook, said organizations need to start repurposing their content.
Repurposing content is the practice of modifying and reformatting the same basic information to publish it in a variety of ways. For example, a nonprofit organization might write a story to distribute through email. That same story could be posted on social networking sites and used to create a video. - According to Nicco Mele, Progressive Online Strategist at EchoDitto, video technology is an area where the most innovation will happen in the near future. Vinay Bhagat made a point during this discussion that very few nonprofits have embraced the use of video as a means of communication.
Advances in technology have brought many communication channels within reach of even the smallest nonprofit organization. What are some of the communication channels that should be considered today? The following are just a few to consider:
- Letters
- Newsletters
- Brochures
- Books and reports
- Photos and slide shows
- Online video
- Social networking sites
- Forum discussions
- Corporate web sites
- Blogs/microblogs
- Text messages
- Podcasts
- eBooks
- Press releases
- Television/radio advertising and interviews
- Speaking engagements
There are many people who are not hearing about your cause and organization because the message is not reaching them. Consider expanding your marketing to include some additional channels of communication that you are not using today.
Can you think of additional communication channels that should be considered? Let me know by submitting it in a comment below.
Related post: Converging Campaigns: How the Internet is Changing Philanthropy, Advocacy and
Politics
Combination of online and off line strategies. For example, using postcards with the blog or static website very large. Always good to make an offer for a prize, etc to give folks an incentive to go to the site.
Great post thanks so much for your insights
Hi Rosie,
Great comment. I agree that a strategy of combining online and offline communication channels can be very powerful.
Great post Roger. I’m really excited about the future of giving. I think that when nonprofits start using technology to creatively talk to the donors amazing things can happen. I think it is particularly exciting for the small nonprofits who can’t afford a huge direct mail campaign but can afford to blog or have forum discussions with a large group of stakeholders. It kind of evens the playing ground a little bit.
Hi Jason,
Actually, I believe it won’t just even the playing field a little. It will allow the new and small nonprofits to excel and overtake the larger ones. Why? Because the smaller nonprofits will be more willing to adopt technology (now affordable to even the smallest nonprofit organization) and take appropriate risks.
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Could you return the favor at:
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Thanks,
SpEdLaw2
Great post and comments. The comments and post also reflect that in today’s world it is not just about using technology to talk with constituents, but empowering them and trusting them to be champions for your cause in ways and places that did not exist a few years ago.
Hi Tad,
Yes, technology can be a tremendous help but the relationship is still the key. People are going to be more likely to donate (and donate more) if they know you, like you and trust you.
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