Using progressive tools to communicate with developing communities

Over the past decade, the communications industry has evolved significantly, as communication channels continue to expand beyond traditional media mediums. The growth of digital and social networking platforms has required the industry to reshape its strategies to incorporate an integrated approach, ensuring that the old ‘set and forget’ mindset doesn’t hinder their success and growth. 

I recently had the opportunity to travel to Port Vila in Vanuatu to support a client with a media and community outreach campaign, which reinforced how digital media plays such a pivotal role in what we do as communication experts.

In developing communities where traditional communication channels such as television and newspapers are not as widely accessible, other tools need to be considered in order to reach your target audience. It is apparent that despite some countries in the pacific where people are living in third-world conditions, the economy is still evolving and the demand to communicate efficiently and regularly is increasing.

With mobile accessibility and social connectivity being readily available across the globe; how can we leverage this opportunity to further our communication?

Doing some research, I was able to identify that 82,764 people living in Vanuatu have access to the internet, with 63,000 of them Facebook users. That’s a staggering 76% of the connected population. 

In Vanuatu, Facebook is a strong communication tool, with many small communities using the platform as their primary channel to connect with family and the general community. Taking these facts into consideration, we leveraged the channel to communicate with the public about key infrastructure developments that were going to affect the entire country. We used community event pages and groups to regularly communicate and engage with the community, giving the public a platform to keep informed and contribute to the conversation. 

This experience really emphasised the importance of understanding your audience, how they communicate and how they like to be communicated to. In this case, using Facebook as a primary communication tool was extremely successful and drove key outcomes for my client. 

I acknowledge that this approach isn’t the silver bullet for everyone, but understanding your audience is.

If this has made you rethink about the way you are communicating with your audience, get back to basics, understand your audience and develop a communication strategy that complements your customer journey and will achieve your business goals and objectives. 

If you want to learn more about how you can develop your communication strategy, talk to the Elevate team today!