by Jazzmin Williams
What is Multimedia? Why do I need it? How do I use it well?
Although it could be said that it is common knowledge that the internet (including social media) has changed the landscape of communication, it is also a sad fact that there are still nonprofit organizations that are not harnessing the power of the web to its full advantage.
Multimedia, which for the purposes of this webinar will be defined as online media using different content forms (photo, video, animation, or other interactive content). In the last few years, character limits have gotten shorter, videos are being consumed in a matter of (7 or less!) seconds, and only the most provoking photos are being shared. Plain text is an anomaly, and to have it without an accompanying video, chart, or photo should be left to press releases and white papers.
As an important piece of the nonprofit communications and marketing plan, the advantages and disadvantages of multimedia are not often discussed. Neither is the need to create personalized content based on the medium your nonprofit is using to disseminate. That is what I will be discussing in the following webinar. Please see “The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use Social Media, Online Video, Mobile Applications, Blogs, News Releases & Viral Marketing to Reach Buyers Directly” (4th edition, 2013) by David Meerman Scott for a full scope of how multimedia can fit into your overarching communications plan.
Key takeaways:
- Different types of multimedia- photo, video, widgets, infographics, etc. used in the context of a nonprofit organization.
- Common applications that your nonprofit can use multimedia in to engage, inspire, or inform your audience- weblogs, podcasts, blogs, websites, and social media. This article in Nonprofit Quarterly discusses statistics on nonprofit social media use and engagement. Spoiler alert: websites and email still rule. Luckily, multimedia fits into those as well.
- Advantages and disadvantages of multimedia- will it be cost effective? Can your organization use all of this different content while keeping your message clear? (Follow this link for examples of great nonprofit websites that use multimedia)
- Why your nonprofit should use multimedia- do you host a number of events that should be broadcasted? Do you have intimate stories of volunteers in the field that are essential to retaining and attracting donors? (for more information, please see the Nonprofit Technology Network Blog post on how nonprofits can use social media to recruit donors and volunteers)
Conclusion
Photo, video, and audio are the norm for a well-rounded approach to online communication for any business or organization that cares about reaching its audience directly. Nonprofits depend on donors for their lifeblood, and using creative ways to get a message across, or reach someone directly through their smartphone or laptop is important to being noticed among the cacophony. Once you have evaluated your message, figure out how best multimedia will work for you, and harness it to your advantage.
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Jazzmin Williams is a graduate student at Georgetown University SCS studying Public Relations and Corporate Communications. She works as a communications specialist for an LGBT Entertainment company, Rainbow Noise Entertainment, whose bread and butter has been using high quality video and other multimedia to distinguish itself from the low budget competition