As a proud member of the human race (and a card-carrying member of the Norwex Movement), you’ve decided to jump in and make a difference in this world. You see a need, and you have a few ideas that might help, so you’ve determined to get out there and take it on!
Members like you are at the very heart of what the Norwex Movement is all about—making small, conscious choices that will have a positive and hopefully long-lasting impact!
No matter how big or small it is, your community outreach project will be amazing! You’re doing the groundwork to make sure of that!
Now it’s time to think about who it is exactly that you want to reach.
Who is it that you want to become more aware of the problem or issue that you feel passionately about? Who is it that you want to join you in making a change for the better?
Your target audience includes not only your own team of volunteers, it also includes the people who will be impacted by your efforts.
Why is it important to think about your target audience and try to define who they are?
It’s important because the better you know them, the better you’ll know how best to reach them. In other words: by knowing your audience, you’ll know what makes them tick—and what they will respond to.
And getting someone to respond is the key to successful outreach.
Of course, determining who makes up your target audience depends largely on the goal you have in mind. If your goal is to “teach your family about the dangers of harmful chemicals in your home,” then your target audience is your family. That one is kind of a no-brainer.
But say your goal is to “clean up a city park.” Your target audience is likely to be the neighbors who live in the area surrounding the park. Or perhaps the owners of businesses near the park. Or maybe it’s the parents of the kids who use the playground equipment—or the kids themselves. It could even be the city government. Or maybe it’s all of the above.
And what if you want to not just clean up the park, but to keep it clean? How might that affect the makeup of your audience? The point is to 1) Make your goal as specific and achievable as possible and 2) Think about who will be receiving your message and the best way to talk to them.
Once you have a pretty good idea of who’s in your target audience, you can “aim” your message specifically at that group of people. (Or, in situations like the park cleanup example above, you could create versions of a message to aim at the various target audiences.)
When determining whom your target audience will be, try to stay as specific as possible. The more your audience has in common, the more effectively you can speak directly to them—and the more likely they’ll be to respond!
Take our Home Office Community Outreach Project, for example. Our target audience is “local business leaders.” This closely aligns with our goal of creating a forum for local businesses to talk about sustainability and help each other make positive changes. Now that we know who our audience is, we will do a bit of research to discover the best ways of reaching and connecting with them!
Now it’s your turn. Below are some examples of target audiences. Try to think of a few ways you could motivate each group. What tools would you use? What emotions would you appeal to?
Our outreach projects are beginning to take shape! Use these hashtags on your social media to keep the Movement going:
Have you ever spoken in front of an audience before? What advice do you have for connecting with them? We’d love to hear from you—just leave us a note in the comment section below.Resources
Quicksprout: The Complete Guide to Building Your Personal Brand
Yes, I have spoken in front of a crowd. The best way to connect is research in advance if you can and appeal to what the majority are interested in. A joke is always good, but not essential, to create a relaxed atmosphere. Audience participation is certain to garner interest, particularly if you can pinpoint on a central person in the group. Finally, stay alert and be aware of interest lagging or overrunning the point you are trying to make, in order to adjust the tempo and content of your discourse accordingly.
Great advice, Anne. Thanks for sharing!
With the Pokémon Go craze right now is a perfect time to enlist kids and teens in taking along a bag and picking up trash along their way!!!
Great idea Sarah!! I’m totally doing that with my kids and their friends!
I am not a fan of public speaking, but love to share my passion. I am nervous but excited for my first party.
Passion is the key, Jennifer! We’re excited for you too! And thanks for being a part of the Movement!!
As someone who is (and has been) politically active, these are GREAT tips!! Keep them coming! <3
This is a worthwhile article. More of this please.