How Do We Get Residents to Share Neighboring Stories (Q&A)

 


Missouri Good Neighbor Week is a few months away as I write this article. One of the challenges for that statewide effort is getting participants to tell us their stories.

And when it comes to neighboring, getting people to share their stories is a big challenge.

Perhaps the best effective method is going door to door and handing out fliers and encouraging people to do so, face to face. The Neighboring Movement in Wichita, Kansas has had some success with this model. And I know in other settings, that door delivery (and possible face to face conversation) works best.

For Missouri. Good neighbor Week, every year weeks and months after the event I hear from people about things they did but they never went to the website to record it. 

A few years ago I hosted a citywide effort in Republic I had an online link created through asking people to give feedback and share what they did. Even though we reached every house we only had a handful of responses  

Honestly, we only had one story worth sharing. But I've used the story over and over! 

These days people just seem very hesitant to fill out something online and share things. 

It seems to help when it is a personal request. 

It also helps when you offer an incentive. 

Now, for Missouri Good Neighbor Week, we do offer prizes as part of a random prize drawing. She are selected from those that do share and that seems to have helped some. 

So if you are trying to collect stories from your neighborhood, try getting prize basket representing some businesses in the neighborhood and do a drawing from those individuals who submit a story.

I know the goal is not to have a certain volume or number of stories the goal is to have one or two worth being shared. Providing an incentive can help you reach that goal instead of ending the effort with the frustration of no responses.

MORE INFORMATION

Does this article make you interested in taking the Engaged Neighbor pledge? Five categories and 20 principles to guide you toward becoming an engaged neighbor. Sign the pledge online at http://engagedneighbor.com.

Contact the blog author, David L. Burton at dburton541@yahoo.com.

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