All organisations live in a community. Increasingly there is a social expectation that businesses will engage with their local community, to ensure they bring benefit to it.

But community engagement brings business benefits that are worth the investment, even if the community is not a customer.

What your local community thinks of you can be a powerful factor in determining your image in your marketplace. Community opinion affects government attitudes - and actions.

Solid community engagement makes it easier to hire and keep good workers and local contractors. A strong community is itself an attraction to workers at all levels.

Planning and other approvals are smoother when the community shares and supports your goals.

Idea to action; engagement steps

Community engagement is always a slow build, long-term investment. Common steps are:

• Information. Keep the community full informed, all the time. Newsletters, advertising, media management and community meetings all have a role. Information dispels rumour and assumed negatives.
• Outreach is important: go to them, meet the community on its own terms and you will win respect.
• Identify the decision makers and influencers; go to them and build a relationship. Local government, business leaders, sport and social group organisers, fund-raising and support groups; in a community, all of these are important – and the real lines of influence may not follow the formal structure.
• Keep it personal. People build relationships over time, so try keep the people who are managing your community engagement program for the long term.

The bottom line is, community engagement makes good business sense.

Glide Strategic is experienced in developing and in delivering community engagement programs, including managing communications, meetings and direct relationships. Call us to discuss what you want to achieve.