Community Engagement Marketing
Why It Matters and How to Do It
By Adi Bates, Director of Marketing
Recently, I was asked to give a marketing presentation on the value of engaging with local communities to a group of health center professionals. Before preparing for this, I knew absolutely nothing about health centers—their business model, revenue streams, target populations. Nothing!
I do know marketing, and I know people, so I took on the challenge. Along the way, I learned a lot about health centers, but I also identified some community engagement strategies that can apply to any organization. These practices can help deepen relationships and leverage connections for growth, visibility, and long-term sustainability.
So, why would this work no matter what field you’re in? Because, as I often say:
“People buy from people—even if you’re not selling anything.”
What this means is that even in business, people trust people. Whether you’re selling a product, a service, an experience, or sharing a mission-driven solution, our decisions are shaped as much (if not more) by how we feel and who we connect with, as they are by facts or data.
Before we dive into the steps, it’s important for you to know that nothing I share here is going to give you thousands of dollars or thousands of followers overnight (although hey, anything is possible!). Instead, think of this as a chess game—a series of smart, strategic moves that can add up to long-term wins. Some moves you’ll plan in advance, others you’ll make in response to the board as it changes. The key is to keep your eyes on the prize.
To shape this strategy, I drew inspiration from the World Health Organization’s (WHO) four approaches to community engagement. WHO applies these to health services, but they translate nicely into a marketing strategy. Here are the four steps:
1. Community-Oriented Marketing
This first stage is all about getting your name out there and building familiarity.
Share who you are, without selling. Introduce yourself, your team, and your organization. Inform and invite people into your story, but don’t make it transactional (meaning don’t sell or tell people to do something).
Show up in person, where appropriate. Be present at community activities, civic meetings, gathering spaces, etc. Represent your organization in a way that feels welcoming and solution-oriented, not “salesy”.
The goal is to build recognition and comfort. Think of it as a friendly “Hi, my name is…”
2. Community-Based Networking
Once you’ve introduced yourself, it’s time to start building real connections.
Ask questions and listen. Surveys, listening sessions, or even casual conversations are great ways to understand what your community needs.
Resist the urge to pitch or sell. Show that you’ve listened before offering answers or solutions.
Document everything. This data becomes valuable for collaboration, support, fundraising, and marketing content. Survey responses, questions, and comments can be used in social posts or newsletters. This networking info can also be used in grant applications or proposals to further your mission-driven work.
Think of this as asking questions to get to know a new person. Be genuine, warm, and receptive while trying to keep the conversation balanced. It’s about them right now.
In practice: Let’s say you’re launching a new service. Instead of just deciding what it will be, ask your community what they need. Their responses may be in line with your plans or give you ideas you hadn’t considered. Either way, when you do launch, the community will feel invested because their voices shaped the outcome.
>Tip: Pictures and videos are great tools for documenting, and they’re excellent to use for content. Ask people if it’s ok to take a photo or record a video of them talking. Keep track of their name and social links so you can credit or tag them on social media, in newsletters, or presentations. This can also help you gain followers, subscribers, and online engagement.
3. Community-Managed Events
This is where you shift from listening to doing things together. Think about it like this… Now that you’re friends, when you hear about the gathering, you say, “What can I bring, and what can I do to help?”
Be a part of what’s already happening. Bring your organization to festivals, sporting events, or community nights. Try to be a participant and not just an attendee.
Make it memorable. Volunteer, bring activities, or offer to support in some way. Branded games, activities, or giveaways that make people want to stop, talk, or engage will help them to remember your organization while also seeing you as participant in the community.
Collaborate or partner. Reach out to local businesses or organizations to create activities or events that can have a shared impact and community connection.
Real example: One health center rep at the conference shared that her team volunteers to run the concession stand at the school sports games. They wear branded shirts, hand out company merchandise, and connect with parents, all while selling snacks. Not only does this give them visibility, but it also builds trust with the schools and families. Those relationships can lead to increased business, partnerships, and other revenue-generating opportunities.
>Tip: Use the insights from Community-Based Networking to guide these efforts so your involvement feels relevant and meaningful.
4. Community-Owned Sponsorship
This is where trust and connection translate into larger, tangible, support.
Leverage your listening. Use community input and data in grant applications, business proposals, and other reports. Invite community leaders to weigh in or contribute to efforts that support the communty.
Seek partnerships to expand your mission-driven work. These should be longer-term business relationships that bring value and advancement to your mission.
Activate your community. Once people know, trust, and feel heard by you, they’re far more likely to support your campaigns, donate, volunteer, or advocate on your behalf.
At this stage, you’ve become a valued part of the community—but it’s important to complete the first three steps to build strong relationships before seeking larger investments.
Example in action: Going back to the health center rep, running the concession stand made their organization visible and built trust. Now, with that strong relationship, they’re in a position to approach the school, school district, or local organizations for deeper investments. That could mean becoming a referral partner, collaborating on a grant application, or co-hosting a community event, like a health fair, that brings in donors and sponsors, drives participation, raises awareness, and generates large-scale revenue. Either way, the community knows who they are, trusts them, and has a meaningful personal connection.
Last Tips
Community engagement marketing takes time, but it’s worth it. Use these steps along with other marketing, fundraising, and business strategies to further your organization’s goals. To stay on track, here are a few guiding principles:
Set clear goals: Tackle one step at a time with specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, timely (SMART) targets.
Be consistent: Don’t go all-in for a few weeks, then disappear. Show up regularly at a pace that works for you and your team.
Stay true to your values: Let your mission guide your actions.
Evaluate as you go: Track engagement, participation, and feedback.
Play to your strengths: Not every person on your team can do everything, divide and conquer.
Stay flexible: If something isn’t working, pivot.
This strategy isn’t just about marketing, it’s about relationships. Relationships are built on trust, presence, and reciprocity. If you start there, the rest will follow!
