FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Talance Report Shows Massachusetts Non-Profits Interested, but Slow to Use Social Media

Burlington, Mass., March 19, 2009 ¬- The recession has added pressure on non-profits to deliver measurable results on their interactive marketing programs and fund-raising strategies. According to the Massachusetts Non-Profit Social Media Report (download FREE through July August 2009! Use code TALJULY2009 when checking out), a new publication from Burlington-based Talance, Inc., Massachusetts non-profits are looking to social media to address increased needs with tightened budgets. But the report shows most are unsure of how they can use social technologies for their permanent fund-development, volunteer-engagement and marketing strategies.

Social media has the potential to be useful to non-profit budgets. A small investment can yield a big return, both in terms of financial gain and awareness among constituencies. These tools, which are frequently free or at most inexpensive, have the power to distribute messages fast and wide.

Social technologies in the local non-profit sector remains limited, especially compared to corporations. Talance’s Massachusetts Non-Profit Social Media Report shows that 80 percent of respondents, who were surveyed in November 2008, consider social networking important for peer-to-peer networking. Yet, 85 percent say they do not consider social media important to activities such as donor engagement.

“It’s clear our non-profits are missing out on a good opportunity here,” says Monique Cuvelier, author of the report and also CEO of Talance. “I think it’s because they’re eager to use social media, but they don’t know how to work it into marketing or communications plans.”

The survey data reflects this. The great majority of those surveyed - 79 percent - say they don’t have a marketing plan at all.

“This report should help non-profits think about how they might use social media and give them some data to put into grant requests,” Cuvelier says. “I’ll be interested to see how the landscape changes after a year has passed.”

Report Availability

FREE through July August 2009! Use code TALJULY2009 when checking out. The full 13-page report can be downloaded from http://www.talance.com/social-media-report-2009.

About Talance, Inc.

Talance (www.talance.com) is a Burlington, Mass.-based company founded in 2000 has helped non-profits and small organizations better understand how to use technology through website development and design, usability research, education and published information. Visit their website to learn more.

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