Community Outreach Channel Selector
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Choose who you're trying to reach. The most effective channels vary by audience segment.
Running a community program without an outreach plan is like throwing a party and not telling anyone. You might have the best food, music, and volunteers-but if no one shows up, what’s the point? An outreach plan isn’t just a fancy document you file away. It’s your roadmap to connecting with the people who need your help, the partners who can support you, and the volunteers who will make it all work.
Start with who you’re trying to reach
Before you design flyers, send emails, or knock on doors, ask yourself: who exactly are you trying to reach? Not just ‘the community’-that’s too vague. Are you targeting low-income families with young kids? Seniors living alone? New immigrants learning English? Teens without after-school programs? The more specific you are, the more effective your outreach becomes.For example, if you’re running a free meal program in Leith, you’re not just reaching ‘hungry people.’ You’re reaching single parents working two jobs, elderly residents on fixed incomes, and people recovering from hospital stays who can’t cook. Each group has different needs, different ways they get information, and different barriers to participation.
Go out and talk to them. Visit local laundromats, community centers, GP waiting rooms, or even bus stops. Ask: ‘Where do you usually hear about events like this?’ Most people won’t check a website. They’ll hear about it from a neighbor, a church bulletin, a text from a friend, or a flyer posted outside the corner shop.
Know where your audience gets their information
In 2025, you can’t assume everyone uses Facebook or Instagram. In many neighborhoods across Edinburgh, WhatsApp groups are the main source of local news. Older adults rely on printed newsletters from libraries or church bulletins. Some families only trust information delivered in person by someone they know.Here’s what works in real life, based on what we’ve seen in communities around the city:
- For younger families: WhatsApp groups, local Facebook groups, and school newsletters
- For older adults: Printed flyers at pharmacies, GP surgeries, and community halls
- For immigrants and non-English speakers: Flyers in multiple languages, trusted community leaders, and radio ads on local stations like Radio Edinburgh
- For teens: Instagram reels, TikTok, and posters in youth centers or libraries
Don’t just pick the platform you like. Pick the one your audience actually uses. One group we worked with spent months building a slick website-only to find out 90% of their target audience had never visited it. They switched to posting in three WhatsApp groups and saw attendance jump by 150% in six weeks.
Build relationships before you ask for help
Outreach isn’t about asking people to show up. It’s about earning trust. People don’t respond to demands-they respond to connections.Before you launch your program, meet with local leaders: church pastors, school counselors, housing association managers, shop owners, and neighborhood watch volunteers. Don’t ask them to promote your event yet. Ask: ‘What’s the biggest challenge people in this area face right now?’ Listen. Take notes. Follow up a week later with a simple: ‘I remembered you said people are struggling with transport to the clinic. We’re starting a free shuttle on Tuesdays. Would you be open to telling folks about it?’
This is how real partnerships form. The local corner shop owner who lets you leave flyers by the till? The teacher who texts parents about your after-school program? They didn’t say yes because you asked nicely. They said yes because you showed up, listened, and made their job easier.
Use simple, clear messages
Your outreach materials shouldn’t read like a grant application. People don’t have time to decode jargon. If your flyer says, ‘We are facilitating holistic wellness interventions for underserved populations,’ no one will read it.Instead, say: ‘Free hot meals every Tuesday at 5pm. No questions asked. Bring your kids.’
Use big fonts. Short sentences. Photos of real people from the community-not stock images. Include:
- What’s happening
- When and where
- Who it’s for
- What they need to bring (if anything)
- Who to ask if they have questions
And always include a phone number or a person’s name. ‘Call Sarah at 07890 123456’ feels human. ‘Contact our office’ feels cold.
Make it easy to join
Barriers kill participation. If people have to fill out a 5-page form, wait two weeks for an appointment, or take three buses to get there, they won’t come.Remove friction wherever you can:
- Offer drop-in sessions instead of requiring sign-ups
- Provide free transport or partner with local taxi services
- Have volunteers meet people at the bus stop
- Accept cash, vouchers, or nothing at all-no ID required
- Let people bring their pets, their kids, their friends
One food bank in Wester Hailes started letting people pick up meals without registration. Attendance tripled. Why? Because people were afraid of being judged. When you remove the red tape, you remove the fear.
Track what works-and change what doesn’t
You don’t need fancy software. Just keep a simple notebook. Every week, ask:- Who showed up? (Age, gender, if they came with kids)
- How did they hear about it?
- What did they say when they left?
After four weeks, you’ll see patterns. Maybe flyers in the library aren’t working, but the local mosque’s announcement board is. Maybe teens come when you post on Instagram, but only if you use videos of past events.
Don’t stick to a plan just because you wrote it. Adapt. Test. Try something new. One group in Leith switched from weekly flyers to weekly text messages-and got 40% more responses. It cost nothing. It just took courage to try.
Keep going-even when it’s slow
Outreach doesn’t work overnight. It takes weeks, sometimes months, before people start trusting you enough to show up. Don’t give up after one flyer, one Facebook post, or one meeting.Consistency builds credibility. If you show up every Tuesday at 5pm with hot food, people will start showing up too. They’ll bring their friends. They’ll tell their neighbors. They’ll start helping you set up chairs or hand out meals.
That’s when outreach becomes community. Not because you planned it perfectly. But because you kept showing up.
Real example: The Leith Community Kitchen
In early 2024, a small group in Leith wanted to start a free meal program. They had no budget, no volunteers, and no idea where to start.They didn’t make a fancy website. They didn’t send press releases. Instead, they:
- Walked into five local shops and asked if they could leave a flyer
- Met with the manager of the local housing association and asked for a list of families on low income
- Posted in three WhatsApp groups for parents and seniors
- Volunteered at the local food bank for a month just to build trust
- Started serving meals every Tuesday-no registration, no questions
Week one: 8 people came.
Week four: 32 people came.
By month six: 80 people came, and 15 of them were now helping serve meals. They didn’t need a big campaign. They just needed to show up, listen, and keep going.
Do I need a budget to start an outreach plan?
No. Many of the most successful outreach efforts cost almost nothing. Focus on relationships, not ads. Flyers printed on recycled paper, WhatsApp messages, and word-of-mouth cost less than a coffee but reach more people than expensive Facebook ads. Start with what you have: your time, your voice, and your willingness to show up.
How often should I update my outreach plan?
Update it every 4-6 weeks. Community needs change fast. What worked in January might not work in March. If you notice fewer people showing up, ask why. Did the bus route change? Did a new shop open that’s drawing people away? Stay flexible. Your plan should be a living document, not a fixed rulebook.
What if no one shows up at first?
It’s normal. Most outreach efforts take 6-8 weeks to gain traction. Don’t assume it’s your idea that’s bad. It’s probably your message, timing, or method. Ask the few people who did come: ‘What would make you tell a friend?’ Their answer will guide your next step.
Can I do outreach without volunteers?
You can start alone, but you won’t last long. Outreach is exhausting. You need help. Start small: ask one person you trust to join you for one event. That’s it. Once they see how meaningful it is, they’ll bring someone else. One volunteer becomes three, then ten. The key is making it easy for people to help-not asking them to take on a huge role.
How do I know if my outreach is working?
Look at three things: attendance, feedback, and repeat visitors. If more people come each week, if they’re telling you they’re glad you’re there, and if they’re coming back-you’re doing it right. Numbers matter, but relationships matter more. A quiet Tuesday with 12 regulars who now call you ‘family’ is more powerful than a crowded event with no follow-up.
Creating an outreach plan isn’t about perfection. It’s about presence. It’s about showing up, listening, and staying long enough for people to trust you. The best plan isn’t the one with the most pages-it’s the one that gets people to the table, one conversation at a time.