June 18, 2009
Nonprofit Groups Outpace Businesses in Adopting Social-Networking Tools
Nonprofit organizations have long been labeled Luddites when it comes to adopting new technology.
But a forthcoming study by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Center for Marketing Research shows nonprofit groups are actually well ahead of businesses in their use of social-media tools such as Twitter, Facebook, and blogs.
The soon-to-be-released study found that 89 percent of nonprofit organizations are using some form of social media, reports the Herald News in Fall River, Mass. Fifty-seven percent reported that they use blogs.
“Social media is an important part of the marketing strategy for U.S. charities and nonprofits. They are outpacing businesses and even academic institutions in their familiarity, use and monitoring activity,” Nora Ganim Barnes told the newspaper. “These organizations have found a new and exciting way to win the hearts, and maybe the dollars, of potential donors.”
Ms. Barnes is the center’s director and co-author of the study.
That trend might surprise many observers, especially as nonprofit groups are struggling to raise money during the recession.
But Blake Bowyer, who writes for the marketing consulting company EyeTraffic Media’s Insight Blog, says the lean nature of charities makes it easier for them to begin experimenting with tools like Twitter and Facebook to connect with supporters.
In fact, the low cost of these tools gives nonprofit leaders an incentive — since they can reach out to potential donors and volunteers without having to pay for direct mailings, advertising, or phone calls.
“It’s no wonder that, in a sector where organizations are dropping like flies in the current economic climate, nonprofits are among the leaders in adopting of social media,” Mr. Bowyer writes. “(Nonprofit groups) benefit since they are lean by nature when for-profits trim the fat only when revenues drop, which might account for the early-adopter role nonprofits have assumed in the social media milieu.”
What do you think? Are nonprofit groups ahead of the curve in their use of social media?
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I think social media is optimal for non profits. It’s a cheaper alternative for increasing awareness and great for generating grassroots support for various nonprofit initiatives!
— adam ainbinder Jun 18, 01:56 PM #
I’d be interested to hear any success stories out there. How are you using social media? What results have you seen so far?
— austin merritt Jun 18, 05:40 PM #
Thanks for this article Peter. It sounds like the study is going to emphasize quantity over quality. Yes – I think there are more nonprofits experimenting with social media, and may be “ahead of the curve” in that way. And that IS important. Experimentation and innovation are key to getting through this time. BUT – I think we all have a long way to go before we can say that we’re EFFECTIVELY using social media. Having a blog, and having a blog that builds community, engages supporters, etc. are two entirely different things.
— Holly Ross Jun 19, 12:36 PM #
Well said, Holly. So many organizations—nonprofits and for-profits alike—jump too quickly into using social media tactics without pausing to think through the strategy. Merely having a presence on Twitter, Facebook, etc. is not enough. That being said, the smaller, leaner nature of many nonprofits may make it easier to experiment with things like this.
— Julie Jun 19, 02:02 PM #
This makes me very happy Peter! I encourage nonprofits to join Twitter and LinkedIn. Especially for Twitter, the emergency preparedness & response applications alone make it worth joining.
Here are some of the reasons I encourage nonprofits to join Twitter:
1) You can’t beat it for sheer speed and ease. I can send a perfectly valuable tweet in less than 90 seconds.
2) You can make your Twitter site a closed network for only staff and Board. Then you’d be able to send a simple text message and have it reach everyone almost instantly.
3) You could spend 15 minutes and create a complete Twitter profile, follow only your partners, vendors and funders — DO NOTHING ELSE — and you’d be findable in a rapidly growing, high-ranking site.
4) You could limit your Twitter time to 10 minutes a week. In that time you could send 2-3 tweets or more.
Sample tweets: recent agency accomplishments, requests for in-kind donation, thank yous to funders and supporters, links to specific pages on your website, brag about staff and volunteers, congratulate consumers & clients, bust myths about the people you serve, forward (retweet) information put out by partner agencies, etc.
Twitter is indexed by Google and some people have found us because of our tweets. We tweeted simple CAN DO tips to help nonprofits address the H1N1 (Swine) Flu.
Like Holly, I agree that experimentation has its place — but I’m a big fan of the sustainability, immediate benefits approach first.
Champions of the nonprofit sector are welcomed to contact me if you want to know more about using social media tools to build the emergency readiness and resilience of the nonprofit sector.
Thanks for this post!
Ana-Marie Jones, Executive Director
CARD-Collaborating Agencies Responding to Disasters
www.Twitter.com/CARDcanhelp
www.CARDcanhelp.org
Helping Nonprofits Prepare to Prosper!
— Ana-Marie Jones Jun 19, 09:34 PM #
True, nonprofits seem to be jumping onto social media platforms to conveniently and inexpensively spread programmatic information. And that’s a very good thing. On the other hand, NPOs have not yet fully embraced social media as a way of building audiences or revenue. One reason for that is the difficulty of harnessing the new media for fundraising. (For profit entities haven’t really figured out how to make money through Twitter either!) More importantly, however, NPOs need to integrate social media as a key component in their fundraising plans, with specific market and revenue goals. Yes, it’s good to spread the word. But it’s far better to retain and gain the support of those who have heard that message and then to empower these new friends to build their own communities to support organizational mission.
Jay Frost
Principal, Frost on Fundraising
jay@frostonfundraising.com
www.frostonfundraising.com
— Jay Frost Jun 22, 09:29 AM #