A year of the coronavirus pandemic is behind us, and community life seems to have ground to a halt in many communities. Digital video conferences instead of barbecues together have become the new normal. Staying home for the past two years was rightly considered a heroic act. Yes, this time has changed us. We are no longer used to taking the initiative and meeting in person. Do you know this from your community?
Analog events aren't as well-attended as before the pandemic, team meetings are still taking place digitally, and community life is sluggish? We'll explain how you can re-mobilize your community and rekindle enthusiasm for "old-fashioned gatherings." And ironically, how you can do this with a digital tool can help!
Do you know that?
Digital fatigue
As wonderful as today's technology is, and as much as it has helped us during the Corona pandemic, it doesn't even begin to replace real-life relationships. Enough is enough with video conferences, live-streamed church services, and online game nights. We need to return to the analog community life we had before the pandemic. Many people have become accustomed to this new digital everyday life.. As a community, it's not easy to lure people away from their screens. What we definitely don't need right now is another digital tool.
You're planning events again, but hardly anyone comes.
Summer is here, infection rates are low – finally we can meet again. So you organize an in-person team meeting. But… only a few people show up?
Diagnosis: Pandemic sleep. We're no longer used to getting into the car; after all, I can participate in the meeting from home.
4 tips to reactivate your community
1. An app for more shared activities
We don't want to create an alternative to analog networking with the Communi app, because that would be an impossible task. Our aim is to encourage analog networking, but with digital tools. Smartphones have enormous potential. According to Bitkom e.V., over 60 million Germans used a smartphone in 2020. Furthermore, we've become accustomed to this type of communication over the past year.
So why not use it? The Communi app is structured like a digital bulletin board. Every user can be active here, inviting people, selling items, or sharing recommendations. I can contact other people directly via chat or connect with them in groups. We don't want to limit new members; everyone has the opportunity to take the initiative.
2. Bring back the analog lifestyle
Actually, it's just about the To remind people of the feeling you get when you come together with other people.. I think we can all agree that it's much nicer to chat with people face-to-face than from picture to picture. But some people have forgotten that. So we need ways to bring back that memory. Next time you crack open a beer after work, just ask the people around you if anyone wants to join you. Even informal gatherings like this are usually enough to bring back that old feeling.
The app from tip 1 can also be a place where everyone in your community can come together. Anyone can start something here, arrange to go jogging or play games together, invite others to a barbecue, or recommend events. Because often we just lack the place to initiate such activities.
3. Inspire, then activate
Be a role model and invite someone to an analog activity, be it the next analog event, an evening together, a hike, or whatever else you feel like doing. This is how you inspire others to take action. Sometimes we just need a reminder, a source of inspiration, to show us what we can do with our time.
You might already suspect it – the app can also serve as a source of inspiration. Every user receives an immediate push notification on their phone as soon as you create an event in the app. This lowers the barrier to posting your own events. The more people take the initiative, the more in-person meetings will take place. And community life will return, even despite the pandemic.
4. Use interest groups to connect people.
Do you enjoy playing football? You're certainly not alone in the community. Use your interest to start a group. Why not ask around to see if anyone would like to play a game once a week? This way, you can mobilize other people from your community, help newcomers integrate quickly, and bring together people who might not otherwise have met.
The Communi app can also help you with this. Create a football group if you enjoy meeting up to play. New users will immediately see that people in your community are meeting up to play football when they open the app and can join your group. This way, everyone in your community is directly provided with the posts that interest them, without much effort.
Conclusion
The coronavirus pandemic has made us forget what it's like to meet people, build relationships, and simply do things together. Digital tools are keeping us from leaving our homes. But with the Communi app, we want to harness the advantages of digital technology to mobilize people and lure them out of their houses.
Sounds interesting, but perhaps utopian? Then create one under communiapp.de/testapp your own app and Try them for 30 days free of charge and without obligation.
We believe it's a good way to wake your community from its pandemic slumber.
You can find all information about Communi at communiapp.de/.
