A community newsletter is the primary tool of communication between HOA board members and residents. If maximized, it can also be one of the most effective tools for increasing involvement during HOA sponsored activities and events. If your current attendance levels are low, it’s not an indication that residents don’t want to be involved. Most likely, there is a lack of awareness about what’s going on in the community. So, the first step to boosting community involvement during events is by getting residents excited about reading the HOA newsletter.
To do this, try implementing some or all of these ideas that our own Tampa HOA management professionals have come up with.
1. CREATE CONTESTS
Everybody loves a great contest. So, what better way to get residents excited about reading the community newsletter than by giving them an incentive to do so. There are many ways your community can do this. Determine your goals and develop contests around your community objectives. For example, if you are promoting a specific event, a great attendance motivator would be a contest that requires residents to attend the occasion in order to qualify for the prize. When developing your contest strategy, always remember, it is about getting homeowners excited about reading the newsletter and the events in the community. So, be creative and have fun with it.
2. PROMOTE COMMUNITY WIDE EVENTS & SOCIAL CLUBS
An easy way to highlight activities is by creating a calendar of monthly events. In addition to the calendar, you can include a roundup of the previous month’s events by featuring photos of community members along with short event recaps for people who were not able to attend. Also, consider creating group activities based on different interests. For example, appeal to sport’s fans by hosting nights where big games and championships are screened at the community clubhouse. Other possible groups to target are parents, young professionals, married couples, and singles.
3. KEEP MEMBERS INFORMED ABOUT BOARD DECISIONS
The HOA board and Tampa HOA management company makes decisions on behalf of all community members. If a change is made that will affect the community at large, share it with your residents and allow for their feedback. By dedicating an area of your newsletter to raising community awareness, you will find that residents will want to become more involved in the community because they’re able to play an active role in its growth and development.
4. INVOLVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN THE NEWSLETTER
Open communication builds an active community. Allow residents a voice in the newsletter by recognizing residents that are highly involved with neighborhood events, encouraging residents to share their ideas for the newsletter and future activities, and, within each issue, addressing both complaints and positive feedback about the HOA board with transparency. Another way to connect with other homeowners is by creating a team of residents who develop articles about the community from their inside perspective.
CONCLUSION
From our experience as a homeowners’ association management company in Tampa, we know what it takes to create an active community, and it starts by creating excitement and awareness not only about events and activities, but about the community as a whole.
For information about our association management services, please give us a call today at (813) 968-5665 or request a proposal.