Whether you call it the participatory web, read/write web, Web 2.0, or ommunities cominating brands (my current favorite), there comes a point when all of us have looked up from the MySpace page or blog that we are reading and wondered if anyone outside of our geeky friends is actually looking at this stuff. And perhaps more to the point, many nonprofits are wondering if all this social networking and online participation is a good investment, or just a fun diversion.
Two new studies offer insights into this question by taking a look at who is using participatory technology. The ever-productive Pew Internet and American Life Project recent released a new report on the “Typology of Information and Communication Technology Users." They identified ten groups of IT users, ranging from ‘omnivores’ -- the 8% of the population who both use and participate in a wide variety of technology -- to the 15% of the population who are ‘off the network’. These ten groups are consolidated into three distinct types of technology users: Elite Technology users (31%), Middle-of-the-Road-Tech-Users (20%) and the Few Tech Assets group (49%).
Not surprisingly, younger people tended to fall into the more tech savvy group, while those over 40 were split into the other two groups.
For whatever reason, younger people are drawn to social media, like blogs. As more and more people start using the internet as their primary source of information, the impact of blogs will be even greater.
While there are some initial challenges to get a blog up and running, it's a great way to connect with a wider, younger audience, and expand the reach of a nonprofit's message.
This harkens back to a recent entry from the Michigan Nonprofit Association's blog:
Whether we know it or not, our organizations are constantly being marketed by the folks who answer the phone, our volunteers, our website, our newsletters, the list goes on and on. But how do we maximize all of that and put in our effort to get the most value? How do we make it worth it?
I think part of the answer lies in the audience. Who are we trying to reach? Taking the time to figure out where I want to go is the largest hurdle. If we’re looking to recruit youth volunteers, are we utilizing the tools that they are most comfortable with (websites, email, etc.)? If we’re trying to generate awareness of an issue, is it worth it to spend 25 hours creating a public service announcement that will only run at 3 a.m. on a station no one is watching? I evaluate my opportunities by asking a few questions. Does it really reach my intended audience? What will I get out of it? How will I measure whether or not it was “worth it”? Are there better uses of our resources?
As far as we can tell, there still aren't a lot of nonprofits in Michigan with an active blog. It's understandable... many nonprofits have a hard enough time keeping a website updated as it is, to say nothing about having the time, money, or resources to start a blog.
Like the folks over at the MNA said though, "Marketing doesn’t have to receive the biggest budget... it just needs to be effective."
Last month, we pointed out some helpful resources for nonprofits who might be interested in starting a blog. Many of these resources are free, and a lot of the how-to information you'll need to get started can be found on the web through simple Google searches.
The point we're trying to make here is that blogging has been a great way for the Trust Fund to reach out to a new audience, and we think some of our fellow nonprofits in the affordable housing industry would benefit from this new social medium.
If you have any thoughts, questions, or suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments section below.