It is critical that nonprofits spend ample time and resources communicating with the public – it is a matter of absolute fact that if they don’t know who you are and what you do, they can’t support you and the cause you serve.
One vital aspect of communication is selecting the right medium. Lately, there is a lot of emphasis being placed on social media – the growing array of digital and internet media which reach unique audiences – and while social media is increasingly important to nonprofit communication, it is by no means the only source. In many cases, it may be less effective than it first appears.
A recent survey, a poll conducted by SSRS early this year among more than a thousand adults, is quite revealing. It found that older adults – those 50 and older – much prefer traditional media: 42% read a newspaper every day. Younger people (18-49) do not turn to papers very often; only 20% of younger consumers read a daily paper and nearly 40% don’t read a paper at all.
Those findings do not automatically lead to the conclusion that digital media is the answer, however.

A majority of both younger and older folks rely on television for news – 52% in the 18-49 group and an amazing 69% of older folks turn to TV for news. Only a third of young people rely on the internet and less than 20% of older people go digital for news. Among the younger audience, radio is more preferable as a news source than newspapers.
These are critical numbers for those who seek to deliver messages about their nonprofits.

While the internet is an excellent tool for communicating with those who already know about and support your cause – the “captured” audience who are already with you – it does not, yet, reach strangers.
This means that nonprofit communicators need to pay very careful attention to the process of disseminating news. Here are some obvious conclusions:
If television reaches the largest segment of strangers, your communications strategy must be visual – talking heads and dry, static news conferences are not suitable to TV. Lively, energetic, highly visual events are the first and only choice if TV news is the target.
If the audience you need to reach is older – if you provide services to seniors or if your cause requires the support of those with more financial resources – print is still a potent option. If you seek an audience with younger people, the internet is a helpful tool, but it still isn’t their prime source for news.
So, social media has valuable but limited reach. If they already know who you are and what you do, digital media is a great option – websites, Facebook pages, twitters and tweets, listserv postings and digital newsletters can all preach to the converted. If you’re trying to reach a specific affinity audience – those who are dedicated to social justice or the environment or healthcare issues, for example – internet communication can reach them when they surf those issues.
But if your goal is to tell a broad and inclusive audience who you are and what you do, the internet is not the most logical choice. Like it or not, TV and radio have more power and, depending on the audience, print media is still a powerful resource.
Before you communicate, think about the audience you’re trying to reach – the media you select will make the difference between success and failure.