The Effectiveness of In-Person Outreach in an Age of Digital Overload and Doomscrolling
We are currently living in an age where community outreach can be conducted from a desktop computer in the comfort of your home or office, or your smart phone in the palm of your hand. While these methods are both convenient and effective, they can often be lost in the shuffle of digital overload and doom scrolling experienced by individuals and organizations alike. That is why in-person outreach is such an important complimentary form of community engagement that adds its own unique set of benefits.
What is in-person outreach?
To put it simply, in-person outreach is engaging a designated demographic of people interpersonally. There are several ways this can be done. It can include public meetings, in-person surveys, pop-ups, conversation cafes, town halls, design sessions, and interviews. REVIVE strategies utilizes all of these methods, and they all produce much needed data required to make informed decisions on the next steps for a specific project.
What are the benefits of in-person outreach?
The bombardment of online content people receive on a daily basis can be overwhelming. This can lead to people either dismissing important surveys outright or completing them half-heartedly for the sole purpose of getting whatever incentive is offered. However, that indifference is greatly diminished when a survey is conducted in person, due to the personal interaction. Also, when completing a survey in person, the focus of the participant will be entirely on the survey itself, instead of the other half-dozen windows they might have opened on their laptop or phone if they were only doing it online. These factors lead to more honest and sincere responses, thus leading to more reliable results. Another benefit of in-person outreach is that it accommodates individuals with accessibility needs who may have mobility issues working in an online format, while also providing an opportunity for those who do not have access to technology – either by choice or circumstance – to participate.
What are some examples of REVIVE’s in-person outreach?
In November of 2023, the Downtown Yonge Business Improvement Area (DYBIA), a non-profit organization committed to enriching the daily experiences of its members, residents, customers, and stakeholders to bolster the culture and economy of Downtown Yonge, unveiled a new strategic plan that would introduce a fresh member engagement approach. Part of this new approach was to partner with REVIVE to proactively reach out to main-street businesses to better understand member needs, create a database of main-street businesses, assess the array of new businesses in the area, and determine suitable clustering and grouping of businesses to guide DYBIA’s decision-making process and improve how they serve their membership.
A total of 313 main street businesses were identified and invited to participate in a questionnaire conducted both online and in person over a designated period. By the end of this period, a response rate of 58% was achieved, with a significant number of businesses successfully surveyed. The mixed-method approach allowed for positive interactions and connections with various businesses, highlighting the value of direct engagement with the community. As a result of this success, the organization was invited to participate in upcoming events to conduct further in-person surveys.
REVIVE has collaborated with resident leaders in the Alexandra Park community to share knowledge and skills both online and in person. These hybrid discussion sessions were created to gather input from community members about the principles that are important to them, now and in the future. REVIVE staff also participated in community events at the center, allowing them to build relationships with local residents. This combination of in-person and online engagement helped foster trust through mutual respect, which enhanced the effectiveness of both the engagements and the overall project.
In its current partnership with the city of Brampton, REVIVE has conducted a great deal of in-person outreach to help the city revise its Youth Engagement Strategy. The project was created to coordinate and maximize the city’s opportunities, programs, and service offerings to its youth population within the ages of 14 – 29. A temporary Youth Advisory Circle was established and held regular online meetings. Additionally, online surveys and focus groups were conducted, along with in-person pop-up events. These pop-up events took place in community centers and at programs where young people congregated. This approach fostered the camaraderie needed to earn the trust of young individuals, whose opinions were vital. The in-person outreach complemented the online efforts, leading to an increase in the total number of completed surveys and broadening the project's reach. Ultimately, these initiatives aimed to encourage young people to express their opinions and concerns about Brampton.
Finally, REVIVE has worked with the Dundas-Sherbourne Community Advisory Circle (CAC) to gather insights about the existing challenges, strengths and resources within the area and its communities. By regular in person and online meetings, it was possible to build trust and gather information from CAC members about the issues and assets they believe are present in Dundas-Sherbourne. One key learning from this experience was that CAC members preferred in-person meetings, as they felt it was easier to connect and share their experiences this way.
It cannot be disputed that times have changed. Whether by choice or by need, people communicate with each other more online than ever before. As a result, in-person communication is not as popular as it used to be, but that has not diminished its value. REVIVE recognizes this. That is why, in all of its projects, they compliment their efficient and wide-reaching online outreach with personable and engaging in-person methods. This strategy has differentiated REVIVE strategies by allowing it to take advantage of both avenues in its passionate approach to community initiatives.