Why use the media?
Word of mouth is known to be the most effective form of volunteer recruitment. Nearly half of all volunteers are recruited because someone they know asked them to help.
There’s no doubt that using your network of friends and contacts is the best way to get volunteers through the door. But what if you've exhausted your network? To recruit more volunteers you'll need to cast your net wider and the most effective way to do this is to exploit the media.
- Effective use of the media can broadcast your volunteering message to large numbers of potential recruits in a short amount of time.
- Improving the media profile of your organisation can help increase volunteer recruitment, fundraising and public awareness in a particular issue.
- It doesn't have to cost you a fortune. Editorial coverage is free and can be one of the best ways to inspire people to volunteer.
- Clever use of the media allows smaller organisations to punch above their weight. They can achieve the same coverage and reach the same audiences as the largest charities with the largest budgets.
- Media work doesn't have to be time consuming if you're strategic. Be clear about who you want to reach then consider which media those people read, watch, listen to, receive.
- Targeted media campaigns can help you recruit the people you need, with the skills you need, where you need them.
- A good way to say thank you to your current volunteers and motivate them to keep going is to publicise positive stories about their work in the media.
- Using the media can be one of the most powerful ways to change people's attitudes towards an issue, your organisation and volunteering.
- Don't be afraid of the media. 99% of journalists are not trying to trip you up or discredit you. They need you for good stories and you need them to publicise your campaign and work. More on this in the section What journalists want.
Have a look at VAMU's research report, Working with the media: lessons for volunteer-involving organisations which followed the experiences of two charities as they embarked on media work for the first time. The report found that both the people who were responsible for their charity's media work found it really tough to persuade their colleagues about the worth of their media campaigns. Find out more about this in Getting your whole organisation on board.
Read the next article in this section... Aiming your campaign at your audience (market research)