Reengaging the neighborhood, building community. Print? Digital?
January 9, 2024 11:20 AM   Subscribe

I'm on the neighborhood board in a mid-size (500,000+) U.S. city that, like many, has undergone major demographic shifts in recent years. Key among them, lots of large apartment buildings sprouting up, filled with childless folks age 20-35, many transplants to the city. I'm looking for suggestions on community engagement, w/ print vs. digital question within.

Do younger folks still consume print media, like the local alt weekly, promotional postcards, etc.? We're considering publishing a small (6-10 page) quarterly newsletter. Will a 25-year-old living in an apartment engage with it? And what about email newsletters?

Our communications will share information on:
* Upcoming events
* Neighborhood issues, i.e., trash, public safety, parking, city council candidates
* Community building, i.e., National Night Out, clean ups, blood drives, etc.

# Additional snowflake detail: part of our challenge is that people living in high-rise apartments may not feel like they are part of the community. I speculate that many of these folks are in the "device addicted, everything delivered, don't know my neighbors" demographic.

I'd love to hear from folks experienced with this kind of community building, and what best practices you have developed.
posted by falcon42 to Society & Culture (8 answers total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: never stop producing non-electronic communications, or you will leave vast tracts of people behind. by all means do an eblast, but always do at least a quarterly bulk mail newsletter and yearly calendar with contact info (these always go up on fridges), and make sure any in-person events are promoted with posters in shop windows and telephone poles. also email is like "see it once and forget it" but a physical sign reminds people every time they walk by.
posted by seanmpuckett at 11:27 AM on January 9, 2024 [9 favorites]


I’ve run a similar project in a bigger city. My advice is to also produce single-event collateral (like posters advertising a squash court, or a craft fair) as well. People in that demographic group may not think of themselves as part of the community, so might not read through a newsletter, but they do have interests and hobbies they’ll want to engage with if they see that specific thing advertised.

I would also add a small amount of budget for digital ads (again, for each event) if possible.
posted by third word on a random page at 12:01 PM on January 9, 2024 [2 favorites]


I'm a smidge older than this age range but not a lot, and a number of my friends are in their 30s.

* Local alt-weeklies: Sometimes but not always.
* Promotional postcards: Some folks will read these; they're definitely a good component of a larger campaign. Physical stuff is is still interesting and eye-catching. There's a reason vinyl and tapes thrive with younger folks.

Bonus advice: Snarky language like "Device addicted, everything delivered" is not going to serve you well when effectively engaging with people that you want to include in your community. In my own social circles, 40something parents are far more likely to have groceries, for example, delivered than the 20somethings with more schedule flexibility and less free cash to pay for delivery fees. You will struggle to effectively engage with a successful digital campaign if you think of your neighbors as 'Device addicted."
posted by Tomorrowful at 12:03 PM on January 9, 2024 [25 favorites]


Best answer: One of the very best things you can do is make events as welcoming as possible for everyone. No joking about “we don’t bite,” no snippy comments on social media about how young people these days never join anything, no exasperated “this is YOUR community, people!!” messages, just make it clear that everyone is welcome at whatever level of engagement they can manage. Be direct that you’re glad to see them without making cracks about people coming out of hiding.

I’m not saying you would do these things. (Just maybe be aware of any biases you have about “device-addicted” young people?) But a lot of people blow off community events in my neighborhood because of one bitter crank who rants on Facebook about how “the liberals” never want to help with trash pickup. Well, no, not with that attitude while you’re holding a spear, Bob. That hardly feels safe, let alone welcoming.

Social interaction is hugely draining for a lot of people and the youngsters nowadays are much better about setting boundaries and opting out of situations that make them uncomfortable than older folks, myself included, ever were. Make it easy for them to engage however they can, even if it’s just briefly or intermittently.

If you have an event, I recommend giving people something to do, rather than stand around making small talk. Get your most outgoing board member to greet people warmly at the door. Remind people in your written materials that everyone is welcome—renters, homeowners, everyone. And yeah, paper media are always appreciated.
posted by corey flood at 12:12 PM on January 9, 2024 [20 favorites]


In general, email lists work better nowadays than people believe/expect. More effective than social media often.

The reason most people don't do print newsletters is that the cost is difficult to justify. I suspect event-specific posters and flyers work better.
posted by plonkee at 1:46 PM on January 9, 2024


Make sure you have an actual website that is regularly updated with pertinent event information and easy to find via search, not just a Facebook page. And make sure you have a variety of ways to engage - online, in person, at different days and times, child friendly when possible. I'm not going to something if I can't tote my toddler along.

I'm in that demographic and I did a lot of random googling when we bought our current home to get a feel for the neighborhood. I found the website for the local community association, signed up for their email newsletter, and then kinda forgot about it, and the pandemic happened. A year later, I had ditched social media but still obviously used email, and they started hosting monthly litter pickups which solved the awkward small talk problem. They started having the mayor and council members come get litter with us as guests, and we get caught up on all the goings-on, governmental and otherwise. Now it's my favorite local resource and we brought our son to a litter pickup walk when I think he was about a week old. We don't attend the virtual or in person business meetings. Different things will work for different people and the more doors in you build, the more people will come in.
posted by bowtiesarecool at 1:47 PM on January 9, 2024 [9 favorites]


Ooh, also, your town probably has a subreddit. Join it. I found out about lots of stuff that way when I still used reddit.
posted by bowtiesarecool at 1:49 PM on January 9, 2024 [4 favorites]


Can you get monthly calendars into the high rise lobbies/mailrooms/elevators, possibly by schmoozing up the apartment managers?
posted by clew at 11:12 PM on January 9, 2024


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