4 Successful Ways to Engage The Teenage Audience in todays world of instant updates, technology, and diminishing attention spans.
Seth Godin had an interesting article on his site entitled “The DoSomething Lessons“. Basically, it addresses how the massive non-profit organization DoSomething has shifted and learned how to maximize their communications to teenagers.
What is DoSomething?
[su_quote cite=”DoSomething.org”]DoSomething.org makes the world suck less. One of the largest orgs for young people and social change, our 3.4 million members tackle campaigns that impact every cause, from poverty to violence to the environment to literally everything else. Any cause, anytime, anywhere. *mic drop[/su_quote]
Some highlights from the article:
- With short attention spans, wide reach may be better than deep reach. DoSomething went from 30 projects a year to 200 by refining the engagement process.
- Being present in the moment is a great way to reach teens as they live in the moment via text. DoSomething communicates almost exclusively via text message.
- While they go “wide reach” with projects, the do go “deep reach” with their 24/7 Crisis Text Line and use text messaging as a way to remove the barrier for communicating a need for help for those teens that may need it, but who may not feel comfortable reaching out to someone in person.
- Change shouldn’t be made for change’s sake. Amen to that.
Love this quote from Seth:
[su_quote cite=”Seth Godin”][su_highlight background=”#f2f148″]The work non-profits do is too important to be afraid of failure, and their work is too urgent to honor every sacred cow. The same thing might be said for the work each of us do.[/su_highlight][/su_quote]
Is it time for a pivot in the way you engage your youth group, small group, sunday school class, etc to maximize the effectiveness of communicating to your teens? Matthew West reminds us in the lyrics to his song “Do Something” that we are never going to change the world by standing still.
I woke up this morning
Saw a world full of trouble now
Thought, how’d we ever get so far down
How’s it ever gonna turn around
So I turned my eyes to Heaven
I thought, God, why don’t You do something?
Well, I just couldn’t bear the thought of
People living in poverty
Children sold into slavery
The thought disgusted me
So, I shook my fist at Heaven
Said, God, why don’t You do something?
He said, I DID, I CREATED YOU
If not us, then who
If not me and you
Right now, its time for us to do something
If not now, then when
Will we see an end
To all this pain
Its not enough to do nothing
Its time for us to do something
I’m so tired of talking
About how we are Gods hands and feet
But its easier to say than to be
Live like angels of apathy who tell ourselves
Its alright, somebody else will do something
Well, I don’t know about you
But I’m sick and tired of life with no desire
I don’t want a flame, I WANT A FIRE
I wanna be the one who stands up and says,
I’m gonna do something
We are the salt of the earth
We are a city on a hill
But were never gonna change the world
By standing still
No we wont stand still
No we wont stand still
No we wont stand still
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