You hosted the event. You sent the email. You posted on social media.
And still, it feels like you’re only reaching the same 12 people over and over again.
Welcome to one of the most frustrating and common challenges in energy outreach: breaking out of the echo chamber.
Too often, well-intentioned campaigns stay stuck in a cycle of speaking to those who are already bought in. The result? The community members who might benefit most from electrification efforts never hear about them. Or worse, assume they’re not meant for people like them.
At REACH, we believe that engagement and reach can’t be afterthoughts. They must be designed into the program from the start.
So, what works?
To truly expand reach and deepen engagement, we recommend a few core strategies:
- Start with lived experience. Before designing your outreach, ask: Who are we trying to serve, and how do they get information? Let community insights shape your tactics, not the other way around.
- Make room for messengers. Sometimes the most effective outreach doesn’t come from your organization—it comes from local partners, barbers, coaches, librarians, or PTA parents. Find and empower them.
- Diversify your channels. Not everyone is on your email list. That’s why we help our partners build layered communications plans that include digital outreach, in-person engagement, text messaging, earned media, and community pop-ups.
- Keep the invitation open. People aren’t waiting around to hear about your new program. It may take several tries—and several formats—to get their attention. Don’t stop at one touchpoint.
REACH works with CCAs, agencies, and mission-aligned organizations to build smarter engagement strategies that actually get people to show up, sign up, and share. That includes:
- Outreach templates co-designed with community input
- Branded toolkits for community partners
- Geo-targeted campaigns to drive event participation
- Interactive events with built-in feedback loops
- Social content designed to travel, and translate, beyond your bubble
If your engagement feels stagnant, it doesn’t mean your program isn’t working. It means your message hasn’t been heard yet.
Let’s change that.
