Promoting your community group

We were recently asked for ideas to help raise the profile (and subsequently increase membership of), a small community organisation.

Because, like business, a community group is no good without members (customers).
But how do you reach potential members, particularly when you have limited, or no, budget?
This is also a problem that faces fledgling small business and there will be suggestions below of interest to them as well.

Not all the items listed here will be appropriate to all organisations but the purpose of this is to act as a starting point.

 So let’s start with the old school method of advertising :

Fliers/brochures/posters

Fliers in two sizes – a display one in A4 and a handout size one in A5 will help.
Call upon membership to distribute around their networks and regularly visited places.

Places to put up a flyer or to display handouts (ask permission first):

Libraries;
Community centres;
Supermarkets/shopping centres where there are noticeboards;
Cafes;
Medical centres / GP practices (if it’s relevant to a particular health condition such as a support group);
Retail space where there is an alignment between product and service (eg: an arts supply company may be happy to display information about community arts classes).

Your fliers should be attractive and have contact details, purpose and any other relevant info.
(There are resources in the library collections that can help with this).

Print media

If you are having a celebration or other event or promotion send through some copy to the local community newspaper or newsletter.  Invite them along to photograph the event or you could provide good quality photos with your copy.

Depending on your skill set (and type of community group you are) offer to write a monthly/quarterly column on a related topic.
Make it entertaining and informative – part education and part reality.

There are two free community newspapers within Wellington  :
The Independent Herald covers the western suburbs.
Regional news – Wellington

There are also community bulletins printed and distributed in Kilbirnie and Brooklyn.  Copies are usually located in libraries and other community spaces.

Social media/online 

For community groups and non-profits Wellington community centres have a facebook page and/or a newsletter.  Ask them to profile your group.  You can assist by providing them with copy.

Use Neighbourly to advertise upcoming meetings or new business offerings.

Community facebook pages (aka Find your tribe online)

Most suburban communities have a facebook page although you need to join a group to gain access.  Community groups and local businesses are often welcome to post on these pages (although remember your manners and don’t overdo it).

Search Facebook by relevant suburb.  For instance the Western suburbs have these groups and you can readily see how active they are and how many members participate in these pages :

Ngaio, Crofton Downs, Khandallah, Broadmeadows Community Group
Private group · 3K members · 4 posts a day
Community notices and events for the Northern Suburbs of Wellington

Johnsonville/Surrounding Suburbs, community and local business
Public group · 1.4K members · 3 posts a day
Working alone side the Johnsonville buy and sell page run by the same admins. We see the need for a community page for our local and small business …

Wadestown/Thorndon/Wilton Community Notice Board
Private group · 1.2K members · 2 posts a day
We welcome people living in the wider Wadestown, Thorndon and Wilton area to post any public community notices, events, lost pets, situations vacant etc

Other

Depending on what your group or business does, offer to speak to groups like Rotary, Probus, U3A.   They regularly seek speakers.  Make it interesting and informative, not an infomercial.

If you can tie it in with some relevant national event.  A community group with an interest in sustainability could offer to speak around Earth Day.  A health support group could tie it in with a national education week/day eg : Heart health week.

Utilise local street fairs and festivals particularly in the summer months.

Often run by community service groups there is often only a small charge for a community group distributing information.

Some in the Wellington region include :
Tawa spring festival (October)
Khandallah (Nov-Dec)
Thorndon (December)
Island Bay (Feb)
Karori festival (Feb)
Newtown (March

These events can be quite physically demanding though but it’s a way of communicating with the local community and raising your profile.

Library resources

Below are some books we have in our collection.  As all are a little older most will be held in storage at Te Pataka, Johnsonville.
If you go to the catalogue record, then the “copy locations’ at the left of the record, you can see where the item is held.
If it’s not at your local library you can click “reserve” then select the library you would like it delivered to and, at no charge, the item should be available for pick up within 24-48 hours.

Although these say ‘business’ the marketing of a community group is the same as promoting a business.

How to market, advertise, and promote your business or service in your own backyard / Egelhoff, Tom
“Create a successful and affordable marketing campaign for your local small business using the tips and detailed 10-point, step-by-step method in How to Market, Advertise and Promote Your Business or Service in Your Own Backyard.” (Catalogue)

 

Promote your business : how to write effective marketing material for your small business / Morel, Mary
“A practical book that brings together all the writing tools a small business needs. Learn how to write effective marketing brochures, newsletters, press releases and advertisements for your business.” (Catalogue)

 

 

101 ways to market your business / Griffiths, Andrew
“A collection of simple tried and tested marketing ideas that business owners can implement easily and cheaply.” (Catalogue)

 

 

 

Marketing for success : a practical, down-to-earth approach to marketing your small business in New Zealand on a limited budget / Senior, Glen
“Fire up your marketing using practical tips and the latest in marketing thinking. Find out how much you can achieve on a limited budget. Follow this simple step-by step guide that shows you what to do first to save you wasting money on expensive marketing and promotions that don’t work:?” (Adapted from Catalogue)

If you want to take it up a notch with social media, try this :

How to say it : marketing with new media : a guide to promoting your small business using websites, E-zines, blogs, and podcasts / Claxton, Lena
“Read Lena Claxton and Alison Woo’s posts on the Penguin Blog. The essential resource for building a global community of customers. How to Say It(R) Marketing with New Media provides business owners with the tools they need to effectively market their company to today’s ever-evolving online community. Packed with power words, content templates, practical steps for getting the word out, and the essentials of speaking to the right audience, this book is the key to building a community of loyal customers online. It also offers quick tips for generating website copy, articles, podcast scripts, and blog posts months in advance, so any small business owner can start an online marketing campaign regardless of limited schedules and budgets.” (Catalogue)

There are sections within these books about designing fliers and brochures, writing copy for the press etc but we can assist further with these things if you wish to pursue them.

If you need more information please contact the Prosearch team at the library.  We can help you find information across a range of perspectives and resources.  All enquiries are treated in confidence.