Getting Involved: How to Engage Your Community
Whether you’re in a new town, city or country, getting involved with local government can be a great way to build community and give back. You can serve on community committees or even volunteer with local charities.
In addition to getting hands-on experience and helping the community, volunteering can also boost morale and contribute to your company culture.
1. Share Your Story
One of the best ways to connect with your community is to share your own story. Whether it’s the story of your personal life or a community project you’re involved with, telling your own story is a great way to inspire others.
When sharing your story, make sure you’re not afraid to be vulnerable or transparent. This is especially important if you’re dealing with something sensitive, like a mental health condition or addiction. If you’re not comfortable talking about your experiences, try talking to a close friend or family member first.
Another good way to share your story is by sharing it with your community on social media. This is an easy and effective way to reach new audiences, and it’s a great way to get your audience engaged in the work you’re doing.
In order to engage your audience on social media, you need to post engaging and relevant content that they can relate to. It’s also helpful to share content that has a purpose, or an intent, behind it.
For example, if your institution is working on an initiative to help students prepare for career success, you can create a social media story about the initiative that includes the community’s perspective and how it will benefit them. This will help convince the community to support your initiative and be involved with its implementation.
This can be done by using the hashtags #StorytellingEngagement and #TellYourStory, and it’s a great way for you to connect with your community in a real-life way. Depending on your institution, you may be able to schedule an event where people can meet in person and share their stories with each other.
Regardless of how you choose to share your story, it’s always a good idea to ask the people in your story for permission before posting them. This will help you avoid any possible conflicts or misunderstandings and ensure that you’re not violating any privacy laws.
If you have a Facebook page, you can share stories with your fans directly through the Facebook app. However, this feature is not available on all pages. For example, Facebook pages restrict who you can tag in a post, so you may have to ask for permission from the people you’re tagging before you share their stories with your followers.
2. Ask Questions
One of the most effective ways to drive engagement in a community is to ask questions. Not only are these questions an easy way to spark discussion among members, but they also give them a chance to share their opinion.
You should start by establishing what type of questions are best for your audience. These can include lifestyle-related questions, questions about what they think about a specific topic, and other questions that will allow you to get to know your community.
Getting to know your community will help you determine what they care about, what their challenges are, and what their hopes are for the future. It will also let you tailor your strategy to your community’s needs and priorities.
Question asking is a key skill for both team members and managers. It helps them effectively communicate with their colleagues and superiors, which increases employee satisfaction by nearly 50%.
In addition, it can help them solve problems and perform their tasks efficiently. It’s also a great opportunity to build relationships with coworkers and show them that you value their opinions and input.
While it’s important to keep your tone professional, you should always remember that people have different personalities and that they respond differently to certain types of questions. So be flexible and change your tone accordingly.
Lastly, don’t be afraid to ask difficult or controversial questions in your social media posts. They can often spark engagement with your audience and you can even reply to the comments on your posts to increase the visibility of your content.
For example, Ryan Mason of Jville Auto Mart found that posting a semi-controversial question on his personal account could generate lots of engagement. In his post, he said, “When people comment on your social media, it can often spark conversation and give you an opportunity to hear the views of others.”
Research shows that question asking can increase the amount of information shared in a natural conversation, improve impression management, and boost confidence. While question asking has been studied and used in scientific and academic circles, it’s only recently that social scientists have begun to understand how it works and why some people ask more questions than others.
3. Participate in Events
There are many ways to engage your community, but one of the best and most cost-effective is through events. Whether in-person or online, events can strengthen member bonds and encourage them to share ideas.
Organizing events in your community is a great way to bring people together and create a unique experience that will keep them coming back for more. The most effective events are ones that involve group discussions, leadership roles and a clear, tangible goal.
To maximize your event’s impact, use a participatory methodology that includes questions that get participants out of their seats and involved with each other. This will make for a more memorable experience and ensure that attendees leave your event with a better understanding of the topic at hand.
You can use polls as a way to ask your community members questions about their experiences and how they feel about certain topics. This will help you gather insights and understand what is most important to them in your community.
Another way to increase engagement is by adding gamification to your community events. Using platforms like Drimify and Engamio with Goldcast, you can integrate customized games into your community event to encourage participants to remain engaged. This helps you stave off burnout and prevent drop-offs.
These games can be used for a variety of things, such as asking a series of short questions or running a fun quiz. They also make it easy to capture valuable information about your audience’s needs and interests.
If you want to get the most out of your events, it is essential to take the time to plan them well. Identify what you want to achieve from the event and create a timeline for the different phases of planning.
Lastly, it is crucial to send reminders to registrants so they can prepare for the event. This could be by email, SMS text messages, pings on Slack or calendar invites.
Remember that you are building a community to foster relationships and provide support. You don’t want to overwhelm your members with too much communication. Taking a little time to thoughtfully plan your events can help you build an engaged community that will have an impact on your business and your success.
4. Volunteer
Whether you’re looking for an altruistic cause to support or simply want to expand your social network, volunteering is an excellent way to make an impact on your community. It also helps build strong, lasting friendships that will last a lifetime!
Volunteering can also help you gain skills that you may not have previously learned. For example, you can learn a new language or learn about new cultures and ways of life that you wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to. It’s also a great way to boost your confidence and self-esteem!
People who volunteer often report feeling happier and more content with their lives. They also report having fewer mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and stress.
If you’re a beginner in the world of volunteering, it can be helpful to start out small. Choose a project that’s close to your home and doesn’t require a great deal of travel or time commitment.
Many volunteer opportunities have perks and special benefits, depending on the organization. For instance, some organizations offer free tickets to events or museums. Others even have special “behind-the-scenes” access to large companies.
You can also use your volunteer experience to develop skills and explore a career that you never would have imagined. For example, you might be able to use your knowledge of computers and technology to help an organization with their online marketing.
When you’re ready to begin your search for a volunteer opportunity, it’s important to take some time and consider your personal goals and interests. This will ensure that you find an experience that matches your strengths and abilities, and that you get the most out of your volunteering efforts.
For example, if you’re a professional with a love for animals, you might want to volunteer with an animal shelter or group that works closely with animals. You could also consider a non-profit organization that deals with environmental issues, such as ocean conservation.
When you’re ready to sign up, make sure to check out the requirements and qualifications for each position you apply for. If you don’t meet those standards, you should consider switching to a different volunteer role.
