How Publicinput Helps Expand Your Community Engagement

The PublicInput platform is designed to support state and local governments in their efforts to reach the right stakeholders.  Instead of spending time on unproductive outreach and engagement efforts, PublicInput helps governments hear from more residents – achieving representative input.  

According to a 2023 resident engagement study, 64% of respondents shared that they would be willing to get involved in community issues that impacted their neighborhood, but residents cited lack of awareness as the major barrier to whether or not they participated.  

Best Practice Note: When governments provide information or opportunities in accessible formats, such as easy-to-read language, multiple languages, audio formats, or other accommodations for different needs, they’re more likely to engage a broader range of residents. This inclusivity can improve participation and understanding across diverse communities.

One of the most effective ways governments hear from more residents is by bridging the communication gap using an equitable approach that encourages increased representation.  

How PublicInput Helps

With PublicInput, governments learn more about their community so that they can develop strategies to  meet residents where they are and move beyond the “same 10 people.” Let’s take a look at this in more detail.

Generate Immediate Insights to Representation

To truly understand and make well-informed decisions on behalf of the community, governments need an all-in approach: a balance of both equity and representation. That’s where PublicInput’s Equity Mapping feature comes in.  

Equity Mapping uses ArcGIS to incorporate powerful screening tools created by the EPA, Justice40 Initiative, and the Census Bureau to help you translate engagement data into community action. Once you identify the communities you want to prioritize for an engagement project, you can start to build a strategy designed to meet their needs for participation.

Bring Awareness to Your Initiatives

Once you’ve built a strategy, PublicInput’s communication tools help you turn engagement data into action.

• • • Use our integrated CRM to build custom segments for topics, demographics, or location.  
    • Reach out to your community with text alerts about initiatives, updates on current events, or use our email campaign builder to manage newsletters and email alerts.
    • With social media sync, you can even record and attribute comments made on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), or other social media sites.

Expand Your Outreach with Offline Engagement Efforts

In addition to online communication and attribution, PublicInput’s platform also supports offline engagement efforts. Scanned paper surveys can be uploaded into the system, and custom QR codes on local signage or flyers can help with organic or grassroots marketing efforts. Using custom QR codes for your project allows you to track how participants engage and learn more about how they prefer to interact.