In the past few weeks I’ve received several annual reports for organizations I support via digital format. One came on a CD and included a screen saver of Colorado. The other was a link to a website with a presentation of their report. The report was divided into sections, had one main image per section and facts/figures scrolled in to the center. Once the “intro” was over the next window had greater detail about the program(s).
You might be wondering why I’m not posting a link to the report. I want to see what your initial reaction is to the format change, not the way it was created. If you are a donor (and I hope you are) do you prefer printed or digital?
I see the digital format opening so many opportunities for interaction:
Offer comments from your donors
Respond to questions that are posted
Distribute via social media
Track clicks/open, time per page (which programs are receiving the most traffic)
Encourage those you serve to get involved and share how your organization has helped them
I see a few cons as well:
Opening up the lines of communication can bring unwelcome criticism
Not all donors are into digitial docs. Heck, many don’t have a computer (hard to believe but true)
What are the pros and cons as you see?
As much as I can understand right now, I think you’re right!