There are two key reasons why the media remains relevant to non-profits. Firstly, its reach. The media (and individual journalists) are primarily focused on readership stats. Many media brands have existed for generations. Over that time, they’ve built loyal followings, which have translated into more eyes in the digital world. Journalists work the same way. They are savvy social media users simply because their profiles are what keep them employable.
The second reason the media remains an essential source of increased participation is that the media remains one of the most trusted sources of information. ‘Yes’, their reputations have been sullied by those who don’t always follow the journalist’s code; however, most people still consider them an independent and trusted source of information.
Your non-profit probably has a growing and loyal following on social media; however, at some point, you’re going to need to reach out to those who are not naturally aligned with your mission, either to seek their support, or change their entrenched beliefs. The Media is where these conversations happen.
The media was always a hungry beast. The 24/7 news cycle has only amplified its hunger for new sources of stories. Today the media are seeking more than just stories. They also need access to thought leaders. Most importantly, they also need access to your libraries of images and videos to illustrate their stories. That’s why you need a newsroom built for the modern media environment.
Several years ago, I was asked to solve what at the time seemed an intractable communication problem. A foster care non-profit was trying to solve the problem of diminishing interest in foster parenting at the very time when there was an increased demand for this support. The campaign I created increased enquiries by over 300% within days of launch. This interest was sustained for the length of the campaign, which ran for more than 12 months. If we had an online newsroom solution like Lookatmedia™ at the time, I believe we could achieve an even more stellar outcome with a much lower investment. I also believe that we could have sustained this strategy much longer and increased the donations that were also received from those who wanted to provide support but were unable to foster a child. If this campaign was delivered to the media via a Lookatmedia™ online newsroom, we would have been able to sustain this conversation with the media for the long term, increasing awareness and participation.
