By all mean keep sending press releases to TV stations and newspapers. But don’t expect the same response you’ve had in the past.
Use social media to overcome the limitations of traditional media.
The media world has been hit hard by the recession. As a result, a lot there have been a lot of layoffs. Fewer stories are being covered. And sometimes, coverage amounts to little more than the first three lines of your press release being printed verbatim. And the story might be buried in a section that no one reads.
In the past you may have worked with a reporter who only covered the nonprofit world. Their level of experience helped you get ongoing and accurate coverage. Now you’re likely dealing with someone who is fresh out of college, a product of “hire cheap” corporate mentalities. He or she may not fully understand how the nonprofit world works and that could result in some bad publicity.
These are reasons why, in this economy, it’s so important that you use social media to connect your nonprofit with the community. Tools like blogs, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter give you the ability to send out your message whenever you want. You also have complete control over the content.
Speed, accuracy, and inexpensive distribution are all present in social marketing. Don’t solely rely on coverage from industries that couldn’t or wouldn’t predict the impact of the Internet.
Additional Resources: Watch the two short video clips on the Think Differently page of this website.
