So, you’ve launched your Community Broadband Kit. Congrats! You’re on your way to the results you’ll need in order to understand unserved and underserved locations in your broadband grant proposal area, as well as the community survey data required for a broadband needs assessment.

But how exactly do you get people to… take your test? You’ve come to the right place to find out! Below are some of the ways broadband leaders like you get the word out about their community’s Broadband Kit.

Built-in Ways to Share Your Broadband Needs Assessment

Marketing your broadband needs assessment shouldn’t be complicated. Community Broadband Kit ships with built-in ways you can get the word out about your community broadband survey and free internet test.

You can:

1. Use Community Kit to understand areas of unserved / underserved concentration. Start building your plan for engaging those areas.
2. (Coming Soon) Use Community Broadband Kit to identify and message community anchor institutions in those areas.
3. (Coming Soon) Community Broadband Kit lets you add emails of your colleagues and friends who live in the area. You can tee up a message to take the test. It's all in the one package.
4. Use the built-in Share result to send your Community’s Kit to social media
   1. As test-takers complete your test, ask them to use the built-in sharing tools to publicize their results on social media to encourage others to take the test too.

External Community Engagement Ideas

The Community Broadband Kit itself is free, but you might want to find a small budget somewhere to help you get the word out. 
 

Non-profits working in your area might have access to digital inclusion grant funding. Co-ordinate with them to work collaboratively. Find more local partners to multiply the reach of your messaging …

Via Direct Message or Email

Once you’ve confirmed your web address (URL) is working, copy and paste it into the messages you send. If you share the URL itself, many messaging systems will display an image that explains the need to help your community win broadband grants.

Via Social Media

Many residents in your area have accounts with popular social media services such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Post about your Kit and don’t forget to share results using the built-in sharing tools periodically.

Via Schools

Engage schools in the area. Send a note home with students asking their parents to confirm that their kids are able to complete their homework with the internet access they currently have at home. Ask them to make sure that their kids can do remote learning, if needed. Sending a note home with a QR code and link to take the test is a powerful way to engage residents in your area.

Via Local Councils & Utilities

Your town council has a vested interested in ensuring better access for all constituents. You can educate both the council and the public at a town meeting about how they can easily use the kit to get funding for better broadband. Even better, the council might help you distribute the test via email or even traditional mail. Use QR Monkey to generate a QR code to your service to make it even easier for residents to take action.

Via Local Utilities

Local utilities send bills to customers on a regular basis. Urge them to include a reference to the area’s Community Broadband Kit on the next bill.

Via Local Newspapers

1. Talk to reporters at your local newspaper. Their beats includes issues that impact local matters. Potentially missing out on millions of dollars can be a powerful story.
2. Write an opinion piece for your local paper urging folks to take two minutes to help build their community’s case for better broadband. Help them understand that they need quality broadband to participate in the modern economy, get healthcare, and for kids to be able to learn.
3. Failing those, you could take out a small ad in your area’s paper

Area Online Advertisement

It’s easier than ever to get in front of people in a specific area through today’s geo-aware channels. You can geofence Google, Facebook, or Twitter ads around your area to help get the word out.

Creativity is 👑!

These are just a few of many ways you can get people to understand why they should take your free one-minute broadband test.

Thinking creatively can lead you to many people who might not otherwise hear about your test.

• Engage groups you might not otherwise relate to on a daily basis.
• What community anchors – churches, libraries, schools – do they engage with? Can you make the case to representatives of those anchors to help get the word out?

A Note on Inclusion

A cruel paradox in our nation’s broadband canyon is that it divides a group of folks who – because they’ve been left behind digitally – might not even have the basic means of engaging in your online survey. 

We urge you to remember them in your journey to mapping your community’s broadband reality, especially since there is a high correlation between areas historically underserved by communications providers and people who need extra help navigating today’s digital world. Don't forget the in-person outreach that's necessary for this constituency. 

For more information on the importance of inclusion, check out the National Digital Inclusion Alliance for a wealth of resources and guidance.