THE NEW RULES OF ATTRACTION FOR THE NEXT GENERATION

Recently, we’ve heard a lot about how we should be using social media to appeal to the younger generation.

However, much of the focus has been about the tools and how they work, but little about how and why they appeal to the younger generation.

First, Gen X, Gen Y, and Gen Z are all quite different from their parents. They respond differently. This generation demands closeness with the cause they support.

Charities that utilize Web 2.0 will be more successful because they offer this group what they really need: control, interactivity, networking and community-building opportunities.

Also because this generation donates in a public common forum, the majority also appreciates being thanked in the public commons forum.

They definitely don’t want or expect a thank you note from the cause they support for the $5 or $10 donation they gave on a social networking site.

They would rather be thanked and complimented for their effort online in a public commons media like Facebook Causes or Change.org for all their networking friends to see.

They do give smaller amounts but they tend to give to many causes that they may never have heard of before they saw them on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Change.org, etc.

In short, if your organization isn’t on these sites, then your organization is not on their radar screens.

Finally, when they donate they only provide their e-mail address and opt out of providing your organization their mailing address. They are smart enough to know that their contact info could be bought, sold, or traded many times over.