Tod Defren, author of PR-Squared , recently mused over the differences between the PR and advertising guys when it comes to new media. He lingered over the fact that PR practitioners may be better suited to the medium as our role is sustain relationships with our audiences…interesting.
The post got me thinking about new media, particularly blogs, and nonprofit institutions. When it comes to securing a loyal donor base, a nonprofit organization must establish an ongoing relationship with their audiences. A blog, while slightly labor intensive, is a tactic to reach out to donors and create an online identity.
Grassroots International, based in Boston, MA, is a perfect example of an organization on the cusp of creating an online identity. The nonprofit spends 78% of their funds on program expenses and received a 4/4-star rating from charity navigator. These funds are mainly used for grants and partnerships with local organizations to sustainably (an issue close to my heart) bring change, particularly in resource rights.
Grassroots International has some fantastic blog posts attached to the site. Meaningful, poignant, though sometimes a bit long, they speak to the nonprofit’s projects and issues of human rights. Each post has a clear call to action at the end, whether it be “donate,” “voice your opinion,” or “spread the word .”
I see two ways that the blog medium could be more powerful for Grassroots International. Primarily, the blog should have its own link, and not be buried in the news tab. Written by many authors, blog readers could choose a post by category.
If you allow readers a simple and fast way to access the conversation, they should be permitted to join. Nowhere on the internal blog posts is there a way to contribute to the postings. With such progressive and sometimes controversial posts, this blog would be an excellent forum to foster dialogue.
What do you think? How can blogs be best used in the nonprofit sector?
sarahkassel
Blogs are a great way to communicate thoughts and establish NPO identity. However, as I’ve been revealing on my blog, Twitter gives NPOs an even greater advantage in these days of convergence.
Twitter is essentially micro-blogging. I have seen NPOs who twitter, but don’t have a blog. I’ve also seen NPOs who do both. I think doing both is important, as Twitter can be the hook that brings readers to the blog.
By: benjkraker on November 8, 2009
at 3:59 pm
As a blogger and a tweeter and NOT a PR soul, I can offer that Twitter’s micro-blogging platform is far more accessible to organizations looking to join the conversation about their work. It is far easier and quicker to create meaningful and interesting Tweets than blog posts. By encouraging your clients to create a conversation through Twitter, you can empower your clients to be involved in the process and create buy-in for the next steps in new/social media, i.e. blogs.
By: Amy on November 12, 2009
at 2:18 am
I see the value. While think it’s important for organizations to avoid clutter, Paul Gillin makes some interesting points about Twitter gems here:
http://gillin.com/blog/2009/10/going-totally-random-with-twitter/
By: sarahkassel on November 14, 2009
at 7:33 pm