Engagement Management

The most effective campaigns are those which strategically use as many opportunities to interact with their targets as their budget and resources allow and are done in a way that they complement one another and reinforce your overall brand and message.

There are, of course, varying degrees of engagement, and identifying which level of engagement is right for a particular audience is the secret sauce that ultimately makes a public affairs campaign successful.

For instance, if you’re continually sending email blasts with your position on a topic, you’re engaging with them. But soliciting feedback, offering special opportunities or access to key individuals, and asking them to take a particular action will all ensure that your supporters feel like they are part of the effort.

Engagement is not about you. Engagement is the purposeful effort to stay focused on what your supporters will be most interested in, and not about your needs or your requests. Remember, the most effective supporter is one who wants to help you.

When engagement strategies succeed it is because those running them constantly put themselves in the shoes of their constituents and ask themselves “what does this communication do for me”? It is important that they feel that they are part of the solution, that their voices are being heard, and that they like being involved.

VShift has run engagement management campaigns built around three key ideas:  Always look for opportunities to make small gestures,  always take advantage of your big opportunities, and always show the results.

Smaller engagement opportunities are everywhere, and they’re often ignored by most campaigns. But small-scale outreach can help to build a sustained dialogue and give you cover for your eventual asks.  When the big events and the big pushes happen, make sure to take full advantage of your most dedicated supporters.  And when it's all done-- big or small-- make sure you acknowledge those who took the time to get involved.

Corporate campaigns do this incredibly well, and is almost a no-brainer when they are planning out their marketing and communication strategy.  Isn't it time you approached your supporters in the same way?

Click here to learn more about VShift's engagement management work.