Sometimes when you hear nonprofits discuss donors, you would think that people are one dimensional. They only read blogs. Or they only respond to mail solicitations.
This one dimensional approach towards donors belies the way people use media.
People aren’t so simple as to single track their media usage. In fact, if you consider the way most people watch TV these days they are doing so with a laptop, tablet or smartphone in hand. This has given rise to social TV, the back channel of conversation on social media during, before, and after programs.
Social TV is just one example of a very valid concept: people receive information across diverse media sources, such as ads on public transportation to the internet on their smartphones. The concept of multichannel marketing–or what used to be called integrated communications in the ’90s–holds weight now more than ever.
BlackBaud released an infographic last week that highlighted the importance of cultivating online donors with more than just social media or email. The data shows that online donors who give through multiple channels are worth up to 3x more than single channel donors (specifically, donors acquired by mail or email).
Strong social media based online fundraising programs integrate other traditional aspects of communication to achieve the desired result. This isn’t risky. Multichannel efforts simply match the reality of the way your cause’s potential investors interact with media.