Raise community awareness with print products and simple mailing campaigns
What is it about a stack of fliers or a personalized letter that draws people in? It might be the thrill of hearing the news first, getting access to an event in the neighborhood, or being able to help with a clothing drive. People are driven by a need to be in the community, help others, collaborate, and socialize.
Print-and-mail makes this possible in an equitable way that brings together people who may not have easy access to the internet or who work outside the home and don’t find themselves on social media as often as others.
If you run a nonprofit, government organization, or grassroots community group, get these things down on paper to spread the word about what you do.
Meetings and info sessions.
Neighborhood groups and grassroots organizations rely heavily on the support of people inside or in close proximity to their service areas. Printing fliers, postcards, and letters alerting people to upcoming meetings is a surefire way to bring in more support and people power. Always be clear about the purpose of your invitation—whether it’s general information, event planning, board elections, or goal setting—and follow through carefully so people feel they have used their time wisely and look forward to more information from you.
You can distribute meeting announcements through door-to-door fliering, direct mail postcards, posting at coffee shops, pubs, and other local gathering places, or by leaving stacks at retailers in the lobby of similar organizations.
Events and galas.
A planned event, such as an organization’s annual fundraiser, calls for a highly coordinated marketing plan. As you plan your event, consider printed marketing materials at each stage.
Preparing for a yearly event begins the previous year with personalized thank yous and surveys. Collect information on what your donor or attendee thought about the event while gathering information about the recipient herself.
Personalized direct mail yields a much higher response than general prospect lists. Point readers to your website using personalized URLs (purls) to collect information and add digital touchpoints.
Consider additional outreach points throughout the year, with holiday cards, general updates, and personal birthday greetings. As the event nears, remind your stakeholders how they participated the previous year, and ask if they can do the same or more. Finally, send invites including rsvp cards or purls. You can also add touchpoints (It can take up to 18-20 touchpoints to reach a customer for the first time!) by fliering, creating a newsletter, and collaborating with other organizations to use their outreach tools.
Community issues and raising awareness.
Often people need to become aware of a problem in the community so they can help solve it. There may be excessive litter at a nearby swimming hole or kids in need of extra clothing or supplies. You might bring awareness to violence in the neighborhood or rally people to protect a vulnerable population. Whatever the problem, you need people to help you solve it.
Start by creating a flier or newsletter and bring it to the doors of neighbors in the area. Be personable and engaging. Invite people to connect with you in all the ways you are comfortable with. If that will take too much time, use public records to help find people in the area who also might be interested in your cause, and send a targeted mailing.
EMCO can help you create a targeted mailing list and a reasonably priced campaign to grab attention. Digital print and mail cuts time and cost when issues are urgent and help you reach people quickly.
Coordinating your efforts with a social media campaign will increase the speed and impact of your outreach and solve the problem even faster.
Print and mail aren’t just for retail anymore. Call us at 503-770-0799 or click today to help solve problems, raise awareness, and positively impact your community.