Recent surveys show that companies are shifting their marketing investment from print to digital efforts. On the nonprofit side, we have seen a similar dynamic in revenue, with offline fundraising taking a nosedive in the 4th quarter while digital fundraising continued to grow.
What does that mean for nonprofits? How is the digital landscape evolving and how can your organization capitalize to move your mission forward?
In an effort to bring ‘truth in advertising,’ I’m not going to talk about ‘NEW’ trends for 2017. Instead, let’s talk about four trends that have accelerated to the point where you just can’t ignore them anymore!
1. Micro-moments
A revealing Google Study affirmed what most of us already know – we spend A LOT of time of on our phones. According to the study, each of us checks our phone 150 times a day to the tune of 177 minutes of mini-screen time. That means that your constituents’ average interaction with their phone comes in 1 minute and 10 second “micro-moments.”
What’s a ‘micro-moment?’ You use an app to compare reviews (or prices) while shopping at the wine store. You click in Open Table to make reservations for dinner while at work. You sneak a peak at a text from your kid during that meeting. And printing out a boarding pass? That’s so 2015 when you can just flash your phone to the TSA representative.
So how can your program take advantage of micro-moments? Take a look at your website and emails. Can you donors take that survey, read that news story, or – most importantly – fill out that donation form in a minute and 10 seconds when they’re standing in the grocery check out line? If not, it’s time for UX (user experience) makeover!
2. Embracing Mobile First
If you’re like me, you’ve been feeling pretty smug about the fact that all your emails are now responsive – or at least ‘mobile-friendly.’ But we’ve reached a mobile ‘tipping point’ where mobile is now consistently exceeding desktop usage. That made me realize I hadn’t really committed to mobile fundraising. You see, I pored over the desktop mockups prepared by our amazing designers for clients’ emails but approved the mobile version after a cursory review. But you can bet that now I’m reviewing ‘mobile first’ since that’s what most of our donors will be looking at – and you should too!
Need more convincing? Check out these generational figures. 78% of Millennials read their emails on their phone. Gen Xers? This forgotten generation that we should be looking to cultivate, uses their phone to read emails 69% of the time. And a whopping 63% those ‘ancient’ Baby Boomers take out their reading glasses and peruse email on their phones. Yep mobile first!
3. Video + Live Streaming
It’s time to jump on the video bandwagon if your organization hasn’t already. Here’s why: In 2017 video will account for 69 percent of all consumer traffic. YouTube has 20 billion views in 2015, double its lifetime total through 2014! Facebook users watch 100 million hours of video each day and Snapchat users watch 8 billion videos per day.
Smart nonprofits are figuring out how to move away from expensive, produced videos to shorter, homemade videos – all you need is a smartphone and a few apps of your choice — and with live streaming tools like Facebook Live, your organization and your constituents can bring your events directly into your supporters living rooms (or grocery lines) as they happen.
4. Content Still King, But…
Everyone knows content is king when it comes to developing a loyal following. But more and more, your constituents are curating – or even creating — the content that will raise awareness about your cause.
Why? People want to read content from sources they trust, and that means friends and family. Our friends’ opinions influence the news we read, the products we buy, and the videos we watch. In response, Facebook, Google, and other platforms are tweaking their algorithms to prioritize family and friend content over business and nonprofit postings. So… how compelling – and shareable — is your content? (And is it consumable in under a minute and 10 seconds?) Because it’s all about sharing in the new digital landscape!