Community outreach: How to capture and keep the public’s attention
Engaging with the public on construction projects isn’t what it used to be. Traditional public meeting participation, for example, is down. Faced with a whole new set of challenges, construction company communicators are looking for more effective ways to capture and hold the attention of their intended audiences. “We have to over communicate what we’re […]

- Our human attention span is approximately 8 seconds long.
- The average American spends 5 hours a day on a mobile device.
- Americans today are significantly less engaged with their communities than they were a generation ago.
- Social activism is on the rise.
- Compelling content is a must. People want to understand how they’re going to be directly impacted by a project. To address this, provide information in a way that is helpful, easy to understand, and relevant to your audience.
- Video is the number one tool to engage your audience. In fact, 135% more people are reached with video on social or online platforms than photos, standard posts, or informational graphic. Videos are also more likely to be shared than any other content. Think about ways to use video—both in-person and online—to engage and inform your audience. Also check out stop motion video, a new edgy way to deliver content.
- Live streaming content can show a return on investment. Using video live streaming through Facebook and Instagram allows you to target a specific audience group and actively engage them in their mobile and social community.
- Transparency in the message is key. People want to know the facts. How much money is being spent? Is the project on schedule? Are commitments being fulfilled? How many sidewalks have been added? Providing a dashboard of project development helps keep people informed and engaged along the way.