Community outreach is a noble idea that tries to activate the community to solve its own problems. Sure, in the modern days of big government, people are lulled into the idea that they just have to perform their civic duties, live in agreement with the law, and pay their taxes, and someone else will come and solve the problems of their community.
The problem is that these huge government organizations have a lot of red tape holding them back, and they’re never as invested in the plights of the local community as people who actually live there.
So, if you’re dead set on doing something to make a difference, here’s a guide to building a successful community outreach campaign on your own.
Table of Contents
1. Define Clear Objectives
First, you need to identify community needs. No matter how great your organizational skills are, if you’re offering something your audience doesn’t want or doesn’t need, you’re not going to meet success. Moreover, even if it succeeds, it won’t matter, which will make it a waste of time and resources.
Once you know what you want to achieve, you need to learn how to measure success. The problem with community outreach campaigns is that they sometimes involve efforts in fields that will take years (even decades) to show results. So, try to find some metrics that will be immediately measured. Most importantly, set a timeline. This is the only way that the “measurability” will actually matter.
2. Understand Your Audience
Next, you need to research community demographics. This way, you’ll know who you’re actually talking to, which will allow you to adjust your talking points and the style of your presentation. The arguments you use for persuasion always depend on the recipient.
Even if you are a part of that community, you’re just one small part, which means that you can’t possibly see it all. This is why you need to conduct surveys or focus groups. This way, you’ll have the exact numbers, and your estimates of who actually makes your community will become a fact. This is also a way to define the objectives (that we’ve previously talked about). You can’t figure out what the community wants if you don’t understand who makes up the community.
3. Build a Strong Team
You can’t do it all on your own. The best way to conduct community outreach campaigns is to either get professionals on your side or recruit passionate volunteers. You can also partner with local organizations. When it comes to the community, local businesses and organizations are more invested than you think. Sometimes, you won’t even have to work that hard to win them over; just reach out.
When you have the team on your side, your work is just beginning. Raw willpower is like any raw resource; it means nothing unless you mold it into something specific. So, you need to assign roles and responsibilities. Delegating tasks is your most important responsibility here. Just telling people what they should do is also not enough. You also need to provide training and resources.
4. Develop a Comprehensive Plan
No matter how motivated people are and how just your cause is, you won’t get far until you create a detailed outreach strategy. You need to know who and when you’re contacting. You also need to have a good outreach message.
One of the things you should never forget to do is utilize various communication channels (social media, events, flyers). The more methods you use, the harder your message will be to ignore.
Outreach is not free (especially if you’re going for printed materials and sponsored content), which is why you need to establish a budget. Just keep in mind that you should settle on KPIs early on so that you can track the effectiveness of your messaging.
5. Leverage Social Media
The next thing you need to understand is the role of social media in your CTA. Think about a few previous events in your local community and how you’ve heard of them. Chances are that one of your neighbors talked about them.
However, you can’t just write a post. You can, but it won’t be as effective. Instead, you want to create shareable content.
As we’ve already mentioned, you also want to use targeted ads to reach specific groups. Most importantly, you should monitor and respond to feedback. This is the key part, seeing as how most people will have a question or two before deciding to join your effort.
6. Engage the Community
More than just stating your plans is required; you also want to host events and workshops where people can gather. Your impact on attendance is limited, but your overall organization of the event is where all the difference can be made. If people see that your organizational skills can be taken seriously, they’re more likely actually to care and attend.
In order to improve the effectiveness, incentives for participation should be offered. You need to provide people with opportunities to affect the event’s outcome, seeing as how most people stay apathetic when they believe their efforts won’t make a difference. Tell them that it isn’t so. Better yet, show them how and why.
7. Sustain the Momentum
Even after the event is done, you want to keep the communication ongoing. This is not the last event that you’re hosting, and no matter how simple the problem is, chances are that it won’t be “solved” after a single push. This is why you need to build long-term relationships with community members. This way, you can ensure that they attend the next time, that they bring in more people (WOM), and that they put in even more effort.
Next, you want to plan for future outreach initiatives. You can use the footage and the results from previous events as a hook for your next outreach campaign. In other words, you want to celebrate successes and learn from challenges. To make the long story short, just keep in mind that this is not a standalone event, and it’s not the last event you’ll host.
Wrap up
The specifics of the organization may depend on the cause and the event itself; however, the seven tips listed above are universally important. You always need to know what you’re trying to achieve and who your audience is, and you must always keep in mind that this is not the last event. Aside from that, you always need a plan, and you need to learn how to become more efficient at outreach.
