When looking to foster stronger connections within your community you’ve got to figure out how to create successful community engagement. It takes time, dedication, and consistency in order to do this and we’ve put together a list of 6 ways you can work towards creating more engagement within your community that will last.
Become familiar with the demographics
Familiarizing yourself with the demographics that are present in your community can help you refine your approach. No one needs to be targeted or excluded but becoming aware of the majority can give you a good place to start in building communal ties.
Encourage discussions to create relationships
One of the best ways to engage your community is by literally talking to them. Putting yourself out there and establishing a connection with others is a way for you to make them feel like they are a valuable part of the community and their presence and opinions are wanted.
Participate and host local events
Attend as well as host local events. By supporting other community efforts you will have more of an open floor to tell others about yours. This also makes room for potential collaborative efforts to create a bigger impact on the community.
Be a partner for your community
Become aware of the issues your community is facing and reach out to help them. Make them aware of the fact that their concerns mean something to you and get together to talk about addressing them.
Become aware of other community leaders
If you can build relationships with other community leaders you can promote each other’s efforts and even work together on particular projects. They also may have more exposure to the community than you do, and this can help to get your message out there and find those who it resonates with.
Start with your neighborhood
Do you know who your neighbors are and do they know you? Invite your neighbors over for potlucks, movie nights, or gatherings that talk about more serious issues in the community. Once you start having regular interactions with your neighbors they will more than likely start inviting their friends and family, further expanding the community.
Follow the tips on this list and watch at how the engagement within your community improves!