You’re leading a community outreach program. How can you use technology to get feedback from the community?

1 Use online surveys

Online surveys are a convenient and cost-effective way to gather feedback from a large number of people. You can use online platforms such as Google Forms, SurveyMonkey, or Typeform to create and distribute your surveys. You can also customize your surveys to suit your goals, audience, and branding. Online surveys allow you to collect quantitative and qualitative data, and generate reports and insights. However, you should also consider the potential drawbacks of online surveys, such as low response rates, biased samples, and technical issues.

2 Use social media

Social media is another powerful tool to get feedback from the community. You can use social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn to share your updates, ask questions, conduct polls, or host live events. Social media can help you reach a wider and more diverse audience, create engagement and interaction, and monitor sentiment and trends. However, you should also be aware of the challenges of social media, such as privacy and security risks, negative feedback, and misinformation.

3 Use mobile apps

Mobile apps are a great way to get feedback from the community on the go. You can use mobile apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram, or Signal to communicate with your community members, send reminders, collect feedback, or share resources. Mobile apps can help you increase accessibility and convenience, reduce costs and delays, and enhance security and privacy. However, you should also consider the limitations of mobile apps, such as compatibility issues, data usage, and battery life.

4 Use video conferencing

Video conferencing is a useful way to get feedback from the community in real time. You can use video conferencing tools such as Zoom, Skype, or Google Meet to conduct interviews, focus groups, or workshops. Video conferencing can help you establish rapport and trust, observe body language and facial expressions, and facilitate dialogue and collaboration. However, you should also take into account the drawbacks of video conferencing, such as technical glitches, bandwidth problems, and distraction and fatigue.

5 Use analytics tools

Analytics tools are a valuable way to get feedback from the community based on data. You can use analytics tools such as Google Analytics, Facebook Insights, or Twitter Analytics to measure and evaluate your community outreach program. Analytics tools can help you track and optimize your performance, identify and segment your audience, and test and improve your strategies. However, you should also be careful of the pitfalls of analytics tools, such as data quality, interpretation, and ethics.

6 Use feedback platforms

Feedback platforms are a dedicated way to get feedback from the community in an organized and structured manner. You can use feedback platforms such as UserVoice, SurveySparrow, or Feedbackify to collect and manage feedback from your community members. Feedback platforms can help you solicit and prioritize feedback, respond and follow up, and implement and report changes. However, you should also be mindful of the challenges of feedback platforms, such as integration, customization, and moderation.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?