10 best practices for community engagement to boost participation

Best practices for driving participation

The landscape of community engagement is changing. While traditional town halls and surveys remain essential tools, successful local governments are discovering that meaningful engagement requires a more nuanced, long-term approach. Effective community engagement isn't about individual events or initiatives — it's about building and maintaining trust through consistent, accessible, and responsive interaction with residents.

1. Build a foundation of trust and understanding

Residents are less likely to feel motivated to engage if you only reach out when you need something. Establishing a foundation of trust and understanding is essential. One of the most effective ways to foster a strong relationship with your community is through consistent and proactive engagement.

Establish a regular cadence of smaller-scale interactions rather than waiting for major projects.

While we always encourage local governments to run meaningful engagement projects, that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for fun and lighthearted activities. This can involve:

Neighborhood beautification contests: Encourage residents to decorate their homes or yards for a festive occasion like Christmas or Halloween. Offer prizes for the most creative and festive displays.

The Belgian city of Ostend, for instance, has a yearly competition where they let residents discover and vote for their favorite festive light displays. This initiative sees 175 locals, including entrepreneurs and associations, light up the city with beautifully decorated facades, gardens, balconies, and shop windows.

The competition offers enticing prizes, spurring as many people as possible to participate, including shopping vouchers from local stores for residents and a cash prize for businesses and organizations.

Community garden sharing circle: Set up an online space where gardeners can share tips and learn from each other. This can foster a sense of community and encourage collaboration.
Community cookbook project: Create a community cookbook featuring recipes from residents. This can be a great way to preserve local culinary traditions and promote community pride.

2. Make engagement relatable

Proximity to an issue can significantly influence resident engagement. People are more likely to participate in discussions that directly affect their neighborhood or daily lives. For instance, instead of conceptualizing a citywide comprehensive plan as a broad, overarching initiative, consider framing it as a way to improve specific neighborhood qualities, such as connectivity, health, and livability. By emphasizing the local impact of projects, you can encourage more meaningful involvement from those most affected.

3. Incentivize and recognize participation

Sometimes, a small incentive can motivate people to get involved. We already mentioned you can organize contests, but you could also consider offering rewards or recognizing community members who actively contribute to projects. This creates a culture of participation where involvement is celebrated and valued. Additionally, offering training on civic engagement can help residents feel more confident, informed, and ready to participate effectively.

In the German city of Chemnitz, for example, a photo competition called "Chimney Perspectives" invited locals to capture unique views of the city’s iconic brown coal power plant chimney.

The best photo wins a special prize: a trip for two to Paris, celebrating the artistic roots of the chimney's designer.

4. Embrace digital platforms for broader and sustained engagement

Digital platforms have revolutionized the way we connect and engage. For local governments, they offer a powerful tool to reach a wider audience, gather diverse perspectives, and foster ongoing dialogue.By using a digital community engagement platform, you can attract younger demographics or those who may be less likely to participate in traditional, in-person events. Moreover, you can easily re-engage past participants, inviting them to contribute to ongoing initiatives and providing opportunities for continued involvement.

5. Offer inclusive and accessible opportunities to engage

For engagement to be truly successful, it must be accessible to all. This means accommodating people with disabilities, addressing economic and time barriers, and offering options like translation services and multiple meeting times. Additionally, providing online and virtual engagement options allows those unable to attend in person to participate. Inclusivity strengthens the engagement process by giving a voice to diverse perspectives.

6. Close the feedback loop

Feedback should be a two-way street. Governments can use surveys, focus groups, and community data to improve services, but they should also demonstrate how past feedback led to real change. Showing residents the tangible impact of their contributions reinforces that their input matters, fostering trust and encouraging ongoing participation.

7. Partner with community groups for deeper connections

People are more likely to engage when called to action by groups they trust. Partnering with faith-based organizations, nonprofits, neighborhood associations, or civic groups can help you reach underrepresented residents. These groups often have established connections within the community, which can help bridge the trust gap and create a more receptive environment for engagement.

8. Develop targeted outreach strategies

Residents often want to get involved but are simply unaware of opportunities. Typical outreach methods like posting on a website or social media page are sometimes ineffective. Consider using direct mail, text campaigns, or even targeted social media ads to reach residents affected by specific issues. Targeted outreach is essential in today’s crowded digital landscape and helps ensure that correct information reaches the right people.

9. Embrace hybrid engagement strategies

Hybrid engagement — combining digital and in-person methods — offers flexibility that’s just as effective in small towns as it is in large cities. Smaller communities can take advantage of local familiarity by attending events like farmer’s markets or community fairs, where officials can gather feedback naturally. With a tablet or pen and paper, officials can document resident opinions on the spot, later adding them to digital platforms to ensure all voices are heard.

10. Assess the process and outcomes

Finally, assessing the impact of community engagement efforts is crucial for understanding their effectiveness. By quantitatively and qualitatively evaluating the actions you took to get residents involved, you can make informed decisions on future projects and ensure that they meet your community's diverse needs. Moreover, we always advise our clients to share the results of these assessments with the community. This builds transparency and encourages ongoing dialogue about engagement practices.

Sustaining engagement: a long-term commitment

Effective community engagement is a marathon, not a sprint. To ensure sustained participation, it's essential to prioritize applying best practices consistently, such as those outlined in this blog post. Keeping up with the latest trends and strategies in community engagement is equally important, as is learning from the approaches of your peers.

Luckily, Go Vocal's blog and case studies repository are the ideal resources for this. Using these principles, you can cultivate a thriving community where residents feel empowered and invested in the future.