For those who still don’t get it, this preso by Marta Kagan does an excellent job of making the case for social media as “a force to be reckoned with” with the potential to be something far more transformative and impactful than just another marketing channel.
While the for-profit world may have the resources and the motivation (read: potential sales revenues), I believe nonprofits have greater incentive to be the innovation leaders in the social media arena.
Unlike traditional marketing channels, social media offer us the tools to identify potential allies and supporters, learn what others think (or don’t think) of us, build relationships, organized and collaborate around common causes, and measure the success or failure of our efforts, all at a cost signficantly lower than in the past. Who has more to gain than nonprofits?
And as you fret over your next newsletter or year-end appeal, try naming one other communication or marketing tool that comes close to offering what social media can offer you. It’s not the print advertising you continue to run despite the evidence that no one’s reading your daily paper any more. Or the direct mail. TV and radio have certainly gotten more affordable, mainly because they’re losing their traditional buyers in droves. Even your old-school website doesn’t do half the work of a social media-focused site.
This isn’t about social media augmenting or replacing your current marketing efforts. Sooner than you might think, social media are going to be at the center of your program efforts. Operational efforts. External and internal communication efforts. Fund-raising efforts. Recruiting efforts. And yes, your marketing and promotional efforts.
So why are so many of us so slow to get on board? That’s the $64,000 question we all must ask ourselves. Better ask it quick.
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