‘Emphasize Humanity’: Tips for Nonprofits

Following are excerpts about how to reach people in their 20s from “Tipping the Culture,” a report by Patricia Martin, commissioned by the Steppenwolf Theatre and the Nonprofit Finance Fund, in Chicago:

Surprise and delight

Young people prefer to discover new things rather than being “told” what’s interesting. Spontaneity is pleasurable.

Suggestion: Invite them on the spur of the moment to be your guest, or give them a token of appreciation out of the blue for engaging with your brand.

Create a feedback loop

Young cultural consumers crave meaningful interactions. Attractive brands invite dialogue, and then show they are listening by being responsive.

Twitter, Facebook, and comment replies facilitate this.

Suggestion: If you ask for their input, make sure there is some kind of feedback loop. Post results of surveys, e-mail or direct tweet a follow-up “thank you,” or otherwise credit their contributions.

Invite people to share

Millennials like to team up. Host contests that require them to create content or collaborate in some way.

Offer tools or apps to self-organize. Facebook is a self-organizing platform.

Suggestion: Seed group events. Offer discounts to mavens to share with their inner circle.

Justify the purchase

Price is a consideration for this age group. They will spend, but the product alone may not be enough. It’s not just about offering a discount but providing a value-related benefit.

Suggestion: Offer a discount, special premium, sneak-peek experience.

Emphasize humanity

Millennials who consume culture also crave intimacy.

They embrace ideas and organizations that represent grander ideals. And they prefer that these ideals have spokespersons with whom they can relate or whom they admire. Speak as if you’re having a conversation with a friend.

Stay sticky with reusable content

Keeping up with the content demands of self-expression—blogging, tweeting, and maintaining fresh content on Facebook walls—makes this generation hungry for content they can reuse. They need fodder for their Facebook pages and tweets.

Suggestion: Stock your sites with pithy quotes, quick-hit ideas, photos, and videos that make people come back to you or your site for something: a download, application, comment, or vote. Then stand back and watch it go viral.

The full report can be downloaded free at http://tippingtheculture.com.