Where you get your news is probably a good indicator of the media people consume most. For nonprofit fund raisers, the question is, "Am I where I need to be to reach potential donors?"
Would it surprise you that there are large age differences in where people get their news? According to a recent Pew Research Center study, the Internet far surpasses television for those younger than 30, but television is still the number one news media for older groups.
Those 65 and older – your core donor demographic – are the only group which cite newspapers more than the Internet as a main news source.
Main News Source (% of Respondents by Age Group) | |||||
| | Age Group | |||
News Type | Total | 18-29 | 30-49 | 50-64 | 65+ |
National/International news | | | | | |
Television | 66% | 51% | 61% | 75% | 81% |
Internet | 43 | 65 | 50 | 36 | 15 |
Newspapers | 31 | 24 | 25 | 33 | 49 |
Radio | 19 | 16 | 21 | 20 | 15 |
Source: Pew Research Center, July 2011 (Multiple response OK) |
Here is my take.
- Although not specifically mentioned directly in the study, targeting the 65+ demographic with direct mail is still the right way to reach this group. Half this group still read newspapers so they are used to reading long-form direct mail. But with 81% getting their news through television, maybe it would be wise to look again at DRTV. The price of DRTV has dropped in the last ten years.
- If you want to start reaching the demographics aged 18 to 49, you must be on the Internet . . . period!
-Mike
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