8 Marketing Techniques for Reaching Residents and Encouraging Technology Usage

Many communities are intergenerational, but age segregation still exists. According to one study, more than half of respondents said that aside from family members, they don’t often spend time with people who are much older or younger than they are. In addition, 64% of young adults said they were uncertain about how to interact with people outside their age group.

The good news is, technology can help bring people together — and with the right software, government leaders can effectively engage with everyone, regardless of their age.

Why Digital Engagement Is Critical for Every Generation

It seems almost impossible to think about the energy it takes to maintain multiple in-person conversations. The quality of those conversations is poor, the main points can get messy, and the message or intent of the conversation can become lost. When you apply that logic to in-person resident services, it’s easy to see the value of a resident request management tool, especially given how diverse most communities are.

Naturally, people of various ages have their own priorities and concerns. Millennials and members of Gen Z might be interested in software that allows for instant issue reporting; members of Gen X might hope to easily access home improvement information; and Baby Boomers and seniors may want to access city services without having to visit city hall.

No matter what your residents are hoping to achieve, local government agencies must be able to streamline trackable interactions and offer efficient digital services.

While being online does help meet residents where they are (smartphones, tablets, mobile apps), encouraging adoption and engagement needs to go a step further.

Related Read: 8 Ways to Boost Community Engagement and Inclusion in Parks and Rec

How to Encourage Digital Services Use

If meeting residents where they are is step one, facilitating a trustworthy connection with them is step two. In a recent study about e-government service adoption, perceived service quality and trust in government were found to positively predict the intention of residents to use and recommend digital services.

Governments can take several initial steps to help build and maintain trust with their residents, including using specialty software. Hearing residents’ issues while providing a transparent and streamlined way to rectify their concerns is the social proof people need to know their government leaders care and are responsive.

Once trust has been established, it’s important to ensure that residents actually engage with their leaders.

Related Read: 5 Best Practices for a Successful Recreation Software Implementation

Tactics for Increasing Resident Adoption of Digital Services

Of course, people have to use new software for it to be successful, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to making that happen. Training sessions, video tutorials, and simple guides can help, as can these strategies:

1. Partner with Property Management and Real Estate Companies
Moving into a new space is exciting, and residents want to learn about their neighborhood and new surroundings. Ask apartment building managers, local realtors, and homeowners association representatives to include a flyer or pamphlet with information about your resident request and 311 mobile application. If your handout includes a QR code for digital-first users, even better.

2. Target Residents with Social Media Advertising
Social media advertising allows you to target specific community members with impactful and relevant messaging. For example, you can serve an engaging ad showing how to report a pothole or fallen tree to Facebook users who have recently indicated in their social profile that they are in your city, town, or county.

However, while most U.S. adults use social media, different generations prefer different platforms and content types. The CivicPlus® eBook, “How to Create a Multi-Channel Approach to Engage Your Multi-Generational Community,” has more on this topic.

3. Make an Announcement During a Community Group Meeting
Your community probably has groups of like-minded individuals. Identify local neighborhood associations, business councils, and religious organizations and ask to speak at a meeting. This will allow you to promote the usage of your resident request and 311 mobile app and share how it can benefit their members.

Tip: You can do this formally at board meetings or at popular events such as farmers’ markets or parades.

4. Optimize your Public Works Department Website
Search engine optimization (SEO) involves using common keywords in your website content to help improve the appearance and positioning of web pages in organic search results. When you understand what problems your residents are looking to solve, you can incorporate those terms into your website and point them in the direction of the resident request and 311 mobile app.

Tip: To make it easier for residents to download the app, create a QR code for your webpage that links directly to its listing in the app store.

5. Utilize SMS Text Messages and Automated Phone Messages to Share Information
The public steadily relies on mobile devices to gather information. Using a mass notification system to send promotional text and phone messages takes advantage of user habits, and allows you to reach your residents before they have a problem.

6. Set Up a Phone Tree System
While some residents prefer to use their mobile devices, others may want to speak with a representative. To reduce the number of calls staff receive and empower residents to self-serve their issues, set up an automated phone messaging system that directs users to download your mobile app.

7. Direct Mail (Yes, Really)
Sometimes, going back to the basics can help deliver a message effectively. Create a direct mail piece and send it to residents’ homes. Include information about what your resident request and 311 mobile app does and step-by-step instructions for how to download. You can also take the campaign a step further and share success stories and statistics annually to celebrate the great work being done in the community. This can further drive adoption.

Tip: Utilize a QR code that links directly to the app store for easy download.

8. Guerilla Marketing
Sometimes the best way to get peoples’ attention is to cause a scene. Work with your public works team to safely create an obvious community issue — something that residents would be quick to report.

For example, perhaps you could place a tree stump in the middle of a paved park pathway (as long as it does not impede the ability of individuals or persons with a disability from passing by it). At the scene, post a sign that directs passersby to download and report the problem using your community’s 311 app. Make it clear that it is a clever marketing tactic. Track how many reports come in to get a better understanding of how users are engaging with the app. Then create a public relations campaign about your guerilla effort to further amplify its impact.

Tip: Post flyers around town that direct people to download on the go.

Conclusion

Creating and maintaining digital resident services is the best path to modernization and one of the best ways to help establish trust and boost engagement. However, it’s important to ensure that residents of every age know how to use it.

By taking a multi-pronged approach to encouraging adoption, government leaders can help empower each generation to participate and contribute to their community.

Learn more about how the CivicPlus 311 CRM solution can transform your community, visit our website or give us a call today.