How to Effectively Market Through Community Engagement

In business, a solid marketing strategy is essential to survival. Through marketing, you create a brand, reach customers, build a base, and more. All this can all contribute to making your company an experience — not just a business.

Virtually all companies use traditional methods of marketing, like signs and brochures, and many have kept up with the times by using digital marketing as well. However, one great way to market that too many companies fail to capitalize on is community engagement.
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Connect to Your Customers
Mass production and globalization have streamlined production and customer service. While these advancements have satisfied millions of people around the world in terms of convenience, customers are now asking for a more personal touch. Showing your customers your values through community engagement is an amazing and cost-effective way to improve awareness of your brand.

In fact, according to an article on the power of community engagement by Forbes:

Some of the world's strongest brands were originally built through low-cost community-based marketing. Nike, Starbucks, Google ... The list goes on. When companies focus first on meeting the needs of the people they serve, they don't have to spend big money to attract new customers. And when they stay close to their communities, they don't need market research to tell them what people want.

Some ways to connect to your community are easier than you might think. One easy way to do this is to listen to your customers. Fortunately, the internet and social media platforms make it incredibly easy to do just that. However, community engagement is not a passive form of marketing; it requires attention to detail.

For example, when you create engaging posts on social media, it’s not enough to simply have people liking and commenting about your products. You should be actively replying and interacting with your customers with every chance you get. Additionally, you can create engaging events that customers and potential customers can attend and get a chance to speak with you in person about your business. This way, you build relationships with potential customers, and your brand can earn a reputation of being friendly and relatable.

Additionally, customers are more likely to engage with companies that have more of a personal feel to them than other businesses. You can accomplish this through your events, getting to know your target demographics on a deeper level through engagement, and personalizing your interactions with potential customers.

Make a Positive Difference in Your Community
Thanks in part to the digital age, people are voicing their concerns on political issues and becoming involved in causes they care about. Businesses need to consider this when building a marketing strategy. Civic engagement in America has grown over the years; many people are becoming involved in their communities and fighting for causes they care about. For that reason, businesses should become involved in causes that relate to both their business/products and their customers. It’s important for businesses to contribute in valuable ways to their community.

Many businesses could learn a lot from nonprofit organizations and social enterprises. Nonprofit organizations make huge impacts across local and global communities in ways that earn them a lot of goodwill. According to experts, "understanding local communities and their needs allows nonprofits to help governments and other large international organizations better distribute essential services."

The positive image you can earn through such actions is invaluable. Doing so is essential for businesses in their community engagement marketing strategy, as it can be great for public relations and aligns your company with community values.

One way to both connect to your customers and make a positive difference in your community is to introduce sustainable and eco-friendly business practices in your company where you can. This will appeal to many people’s desire to help save the planet while simultaneously making a good change that will affect your community. Many customers support corporate activism, and they are inclined to buy from socially responsible companies.
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Participate in Local Events
Finally, a third great way to market through community engagement is to participate in local events as a company. By getting your name and brand out into the community, you may gain potential customers. Plus, you’ll get the chance to have a low-pressure conversation about your product, allowing you to tell people the great aspects of your business. Members of the local area can feel comfortable asking you questions about your services and your role in the community.

You can also combine participating in local events with doing good in your community. For example, you can get a team together to volunteer in the name of your company. This will help boost employee morale as well as associate your brand with positive engagement. Some volunteer options include charity runs, nights at local food banks, raking neighborhood leaves, and more.

Alternatively, your business can help sponsor a meaningful cause or nonprofit. Usually, a perk of sponsoring such an event is that it will give you the opportunity to create some brand recognition. This can range from a logo appearance to even having a few minutes to talk at the event, during which time you can speak to the good qualities of your business and what you are doing as a community steward.

Of course, there are more reasons to volunteer and help out good causes than just profit. However, you can’t ignore the significant effect that community engagement has on marketing. Next time you and your team are discussing marketing, think about community engagement. It may just save you some money and gain you a lot of positive recognition.

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