As the world becomes more globalised, there seems to be a phenomenon developing in local communities across the UK that bends towards localised, community-based and grassroots activities that hope to re-engage people into society. Whether this takes the form of political activism, charity work, local businesses or campaigns to improve the local area, organisers must rely on various methods to get their message out to the widest audience possible. This article goes into some detail as to which methods to use and how to spread the word for your grassroots project.
Flyers and Posters
It might seem a little outdated in a time of Facebook shares and viral videos, but the good old-fashioned leafleteer still has a place in modern society, especially in localised cases where you’re also able to have a short chat with the person you stop on their walk. Posters, likewise, draw the eye in exactly the same way as they did in the pre-internet age. You might find yourself checking out local gigs or events from having spied a poster yourself, so print out some flyers and posters and get sticking up and handing out.
When it comes to where and when, you should only get your paperwork out to the masses once there is something they can do, be it donate, look up a website, or put a date into their diary for a march or an event. An attractive pamphlet is all well and good, but you want someone to be doing something with it when they get home. Posters and flyers should be displayed or distributed in prominent pedestrian areas in your village, town or city. Think about the likes of park notice boards and lamp posts by bus stops for a good hit rate, and remember to laminate your posters to protect them from the rain.
Heavier Literature
As well as the one-sheet materials you might want to spread; there’s also the scope for you to produce a slightly longer magazine, brochure or pamphlet that includes a larger amount of information about your project or movement. If you have a talented designer and writer on board in your project, get them onto various software to create a sleek brochure that’ll encompass all of your project in a well-designed and attractive piece of documentation. Think about the main points you need to work into whatever you end up creating.
When it comes to publishing and printing, lookup services such as the quality printers Glasgow who will be able to assist with design elements and will get your work printed for good prices and at top-quality in terms of colour saturation and paper texture. Depending on the size and scope of your movement or project, this can make all the difference in terms of both trustworthiness and reliability. People are more likely to pick up a well-made magazine, and more likely to take it seriously if it is put together in an attractive and easy-to-digest fashion.
Institutions
Whether you live in a hamlet with just a post office and a church, or a borough or ward in one of the UK’s largest cities, you’ll have local institutions who will be more than happy to help out those with aspirations to help the local community in some way. Everywhere from community centres to places of worship, supermarkets to pubs have some form of local bulletin and may well be happy to include you and your project in them. These hubs of the community are a great place to spread the word amongst people who are pre-disposed to be community-minded.
As well as being an excellent way of getting your movement or project out there, your local institutions may offer their premises as a future venue if your work inspires them, or offer up contacts in the local community and beyond that could prove invaluable in the road ahead. They’ll be important allies in your attempt to unite communities, and they may well be interested in collaborating, which can only be a plus for grassroots movements looking for some credibility and experience in events hosting.
Websites
Passing in the digital realm, these days it’s completely imperative for businesses, movements, projects, and sometimes even individuals to have a webpage. It’s where people follow up on the flyer they’ve been given or the poster that caught their eye through the bus window. It’s what will come up on Google when someone’s looking for somewhere to volunteer or some project to join with like-minded people. It’s how clients, suppliers and interested parties will find your contact details to arrange events and products. Clearly, as a grassroots project leader, you must ensure you have an incredible website.
There are two or three ways of going about this. Many people choose to either buy a domain name or to set up a free website through hosting platforms such as WordPress, from where it’s relatively straightforward to construct a site identity with pages that link visitors to the relevant information about whatever your work is aiming at. Alternatively, hire a web designer who will be able to do all this work for you, including (especially if you go through a larger web design company) features that should help your website climb up the Google rankings to be seen and discovered more.
Social Media
Another invaluable tool in getting your message out there that’s emerged since the ascension of the digital age, social media is seen as a hugely valuable tool for startup or small enterprises which have the most to gain from savvy social media use. If you can, get a number of accounts on the go, especially the principal three: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Each platform allows you to share slightly different material. Facebook allows event creation. Twitter allows the sharing of links and quick snippets of text. Instagram allows the publishing of photos of the work you’re doing.
Young people are especially keen to see social media posts from the organisations that they’re involved with and make for some of the most creative and inspired allies in grassroots movements. Even if you’re a little on the technophobe side of things, enlisting the help of a younger person to set up some social media channels for you will be a smart move. As well as being a mere presence for people to search and follow, astute social media use can often end in huge bursts of exposure from topical and exciting posts that are shared enough times to ‘go viral.’ If you hit this free goldmine of exposure, as charities have done in the past, you’ll get your message out to an incredible number of people.
Canvassing
Back into the real world from the digital, the fact that major political parties still rely heavily on traditional door-to-door canvassing is proof enough that it’s an excellent way to get your message to people directly. This time with the strength of your words, charisma, and enthusiasm when you’re talking about your project. You may get some door slams and rude words, but overall people are happy to chat on their doorstep for a little while, especially if you’re only seeking to enlighten people as to your movement. People appreciate a human touch, and your words will stay with them longer than words written on the internet.
The best way to canvass is in pairs, with one person taking the lead and the other offering support and extra information when it’s needed. Always carry with you some documentation to give to people if they are interested, you don’t want them rushing into the house to get a pen and paper. Always look smart and presentable and be kind, polite and understanding. With the right attitude and well-practiced social skills, having doorstep chats with people from the locale is a successful way or raising awareness, especially in cases such as the ‘repair the church roof’-type campaigns, which local people may feel a real affinity with.
A Strong Team
You may be the leader or one of a number of people in charge of your movement, campaign, project or enterprise. However, it’s key to have some people around you with whom to share ideas and strategies, pooling your creativity and ideas to come up with the most exciting and intriguing ways of involving people in your work who might ordinarily be disinterested in joining a grassroots movement.
Gathering a strong team of like-minded people willing to put their talents to you and their time into work for a communal good will give you confidence in the face of what can sometimes seem a daunting task – building a movement from the ground up. You’ll find that the more people you can get into the team, the more momentum you’ll build and the pace of uptake will grow exponentially as friends of friends begin to hear about the success of your project. Be aware of the value of the people around you in order to maximise it for the benefit of your work.
Grassroots movements often work towards a laudable goal; use these tips for getting your message out there to get all hands on deck to achieve whatever ambition you have set yourself.