5 Ways to Improve Communication in Your Community

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1. Plan All Kinds Of Community Events

There are two kinds of situations that tend to bring a community closer together: Crisis and enjoyment. You obviously don't want to create that first one, but you can definitely create a sense of shared enjoyment among members of your community. Local events give people a good excuse to meet and communicate with one another.

Obviously, it is important to plan a wide variety of events. Different events will appeal to different types of people and you want to cast a wide net. For instance, an agricultural festival will mainly appeal to those with an interest in agriculture. Some others will be disinterested by that, so you'll need something else in order to get them outside and interacting with others.

2. Mass Texting Services

Mass texts are an effective way to communicate with a large group of people. You only have to write the message once, and it will then be sent to everyone on the list. If you are attempting to bring your community together, this is obviously a potential tool that you can use.

One example would be the mass texting services that are often employed by churches, of which this is one example. Many churches will use mass texting for everything from event alerts to fundraising. In addition to all of this, church texting services provide all congregation members with an easy way to stay in touch.

3. Encourage And Participate In Neighborhood Watch Programs

Neighborhood watch programs are all about safeguarding the community, so this is a natural way to bring them together. Obviously, not everyone is well-suited for this kind of thing, but a lot of people are. Even someone who is elderly and infirm can act as a watchful set of eyes. The shared interest in the collective security of one's neighborhood is a natural way to encourage better communication. This is more of a neighborhood-level measure, but it can certainly be scaled up for larger communities.

4. Consider Starting A Local Newspaper Or Magazine

While it might take a little money to get something like this off the ground, it won't take all that much. Printing and copying are both easier than ever, requiring only a few essential pieces of equipment. When you are only trying to serve the local area, you certainly don't need to make hundreds and thousands of copies. That factor will help to keep your operating costs low.

A local newspaper or magazine can function like a community forum in which people can speak about the issues that concern them. It can also be a vehicle for healthy debate and the exchange of ideas. If you want an even cheaper method, you might consider making it an online-only publication. Then, you will just have to pay for monthly hosting costs (most free hosting services are not reliable enough).

5. Build A Series Of Local Phone Trees

A phone tree is an organized communication system. It is called a "tree" because of its structure. Each person in the network acts as a branching point, spreading the message to 5-10 other people. While this kind of thing can be done with mass texting services, a phone tree is still a good emergency measure.

You can incorporate this idea with your neighborhood watch or other community action groups. The leader of the group acts as the first node in the tree, communicating with key people who will then relay the message to others. For instance, this kind of thing can be used in cases where children or pets have gone missing. It's a little old-fashioned, but a phone tree is still an effective way to mobilize lots of people when needed.

Conclusion

A healthy community should always maintain good communication for a variety of reasons. Not only does it make the entire community better informed and better prepared, but it also makes for a more enjoyable place to live. There is a certain peace of mind in knowing that you are surrounded by friends, and good communication is the best way to achieve that. We thank you for reading and we wish you the best of luck in your organizing endeavors.