Why are You Ignoring Social Media to Engage Supporters?

Right now, there are entire generations growing up knowing more about social media than they do radio and television. For those 50+, this might be an incredibly difficult concept. I regularly find myself having discussions with charities who want to reach potential funders, supporters and their community, but feel that people aren't using these services.

If you're finding that your charity's coffers are a little on the tight side, take a look at the up and coming generations and reach out for their support. And if you want to reach a demographic under the age of 30, online social media should be your first thought, not your last.

Like any advertising campaign, you must identify who you want to reach and then decide what channels will be the most effect for reaching them. Social media will benefit you the most with a younger audience, but not as young as you might think.

Take a look at the stats below. These are taken directly from Facebook.  When creating an ad on Facebook, they allow you to specify your demographic. Once you do, it gives you the estimated amount of users it has in that demographic already registered on Facebook.

Heck, look at how many people 50+ are using Facebook in Victoria alone:

If you want to take a look for yourself. Try creating an ad on Facebook

Yes, if your charity really runs with some social media ideas you will be likely to reach more young people than pensioners, but don't underestimate the power of social media to reach a wide audience. The stats speak for itself.

About the Author

Johnathan Foley

Durpal Master / Micromanger :)

For over 12 years Johnathan has been designing, developing and implementing software. He began his career at the beginning of the internet boom, and has focused on web-based development from the start. From large scale enterprise management software implementations to custom web application development, Johnathan has a wealth of experience using technology to improve business. In his role at Pixel Sweatshop, he employs this experience to bring together people, processes, and technology into practical, business-minded solutions.