In short, community engagement matters. First, it’s simply the right thing to do. Giving back strengthens bonds between members, deepens relationships, and creates loyalties.
But from a PR standpoint, it provides a good point of contact with your customers and prospects. Local media outlets love to tell stories about businesses engaging and doing good in their communities. Other businesses or people can reciprocate or even share those efforts.
Why It Matters
Community engagement can also help your bottom line. In a report by Forbes, 82% of consumers feel corporate social responsibility (CSR) is an important attribute to consider before buying a product or using a service. In this new era of corporate social responsibility, there is such a thing as negative publicity.
Even millennials — who now outnumber baby-boomers as the largest adult group in the United States and whose population surpasses 72.1 million — are 50% more likely to purchase from a company or brand that supports a cause, research suggests.
And it all makes sense: People want to buy from businesses who are doing good and stand for something other than their own profits. It makes consumers feel some of their money is going towards a good cause and that they are helping to support it.
How to Create a CSR Strategy
While there are obvious ways to support your local community (sponsoring a little league team, hosting a fundraiser, etc.), companies may lack an overall strategy for community engagement. Creating a plan not only helps you find a voice in your CSR strategy, but it also makes a greater impact on the community.
Consider these tips when you create a corporate social responsibility policy:
Be Authentic
Know your brand — more importantly, know your mission. Select organizations and tactics that complement your business and your values. For example, a video game startup company can support a local school’s arts, design, and writing programs.
Consumers want to see businesses care about more than just making money. They want to know that you set up shop in their communities for more than just cash or a tax break.
Forge Ties With Other Local Businesses
Business doesn’t have to involve competition. Community involvement will naturally bring you into contact with other local companies. Strengthen your fellow local businesses by forging partnerships with them.
There will come a time when a company won’t have what a client needs. But a referral to another local business that does is a powerful tool of positive PR. A pay-it-forward attitude often comes back around, and close-knit professional ties often feature prominently in local businesses. So, forging connections with them is a great way to show consumers you care about the community.
Independent businesses have an advantage in this regard as corporate distrust rises. This gives the small to medium-sized businesses a unique insight into the community, as consumers will be more ready to give them a chance.
Involve Your Employees
Use the skills of your employees in order to give back to the community that has been so gracious to you. Studies have shown that 70% of employees feel volunteer opportunities boost morale and a sense of belonging — more than happy hour ever could.
Encouraging employees to feel like they are a part of something bigger helps drive this statistic. But it’s also a good way to gauge the concerns that influence the lives of your staff. And considering many of them probably live in the community, it’s also a good way to know what the community needs for you to give back.
Broadcast Your Successes
Don’t be afraid to get the word out about your efforts. It’s a good way to garner positive publicity for your organization, as well as to bring awareness to your cause and, if you’ve been following the steps up until now, your partner businesses.
Interested in how GYC Vegas public relations agency can help build and spread awareness about your CSR strategy? Contact us today!