Why Council Communications ≠ Community Building

Many councils struggle to engage their business communities effectively. A common mistake? Treating business engagement as a one-way marketing function rather than a relationship-building process.

Take the case of a large suburban council that sent a survey to 18,000 businesses—only to receive fewer than 30 responses. Why? Because for over a year, there had been no direct engagement, no newsletters tailored to businesses, no events, and no proactive support. The business community had been left in the dark.

Another council saw a sharp drop in engagement when all business communications were centralized under the marketing team. Their once-engaging business newsletter became a generic council bulletin, losing its relevance and impact.

The key takeaway? Economic development is about relationships, not just broadcasting information. Councils that succeed in business engagement:

✅ Invest in direct, two-way communication

✅ Provide real value through workshops, networking, and introductions

✅ Segment and personalize outreach for relevance

✅ Maintain control over business community engagement, separate from generic council comms