Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Regarding advertising

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

In many areas of the country, the UU churches are the best sources of contact 
with people who would be very open to cohousing. It’s exactly the kind of thing 
that UU communities support. Years ago they experimented with an extended 
family program in which members volunteered to be part of a family. A 
coordinator then rather randomly created diverse age groups of singles, 
doubles, and multiples who began having social events together. All kinds of 
shared activities. Just like unplanned families, some worked and some didn’t. 
Some disbanded and reformed with new members or parts of the original families. 
In my church, families went on for years even though the original coordinator 
left and no new families were formed officially.

Also don’t forget the bulletin boards of coops, daycare centers, alternative 
medicine sites, home schooling groups, etc.

It also seems to be true everywhere that money and the usual marketing methods 
will bring you either no response or incredible response but no takers. Years 
ago a group in Florida bought one ad in the latest smart new age living 
magazine and received thousands and thousands of queries. No takers.

The most important thing is to be sure you can be found. "Put out your sign" — 
a website — with all your contact information including a working email address 
and telephone number. Choose a name of some kind. It’s hard for someone 
interested in something like cohousing to find a group that is a rumor. “I 
don’t remember a name or what town it was.” 

Websites must look alive to be taken seriously. Daily updates are easy and do 
not go to waste. Every person who Googles and finds you is one more brick in 
your foundation. 

I had been studying and planning communities for years before I read the name 
“cohousing” in the NYTimes. It was exactly what I had been looking for but I 
needed the name to find it.

If you don’t have land, be clear about a geographic area even if it is as large 
as a whole state or mountain range. Location is the most important factor for 
people deciding where to live.

Some people will watch for a long time before they contact you. Busy people are 
busy people and those are the people you want. They won’t all be able to get 
involved in the early stages because they can’t waste their time on another 
pilot project that isn’t viable.

I once asked an experienced organizer how she managed to stay calm watching 
groups with young and inexperienced people waffling all over the place wasting 
time and energy — who wouldn’t even read a book to figure out how to do 
something effectively. 

She said, "I get involved much later in the process when I know my energy and 
knowledge will be used well." Those people are out there—watching—or will be if 
you have a reliable living presence. You don’t have to be big, just findable.

Sharon
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Sharon Villines
Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
http://www.takomavillage.org