ST. LUKE'S SINGLE MOMS SUPPORT GROUP
Providing recommendations for enhancing the membership of a local support group for single mothers through the use of ethnographic research techniques.
DETAILS
TEAM: Olivia Bradford, Melody Wiener, Rachel Lucas, Breanna Coello, Jassarette Estrada, Eric Gomora, Bryce Foote
PROJECT DURATION: 10 - weeks
MY ROLE: Lead Researcher & Designer
METHODS: Survey, Literature Review, Competitive Analysis, Interview
PROBLEM
Our client was experiencing challenges in growing and sustaining membership in their single mothers support group, despite being affiliated with one of the largest churches in the community. There was a persistent issue with low awareness of the support group, despite offering services such as complimentary childcare, affordable meals, and financial aid.
How might we increase the visibility of a local support group while meeting the needs of current and prospective members?
PROJECT BRIEF
THE OBJECTIVE
We aimed to understand the challenges associated with growing and maintaining membership of a local support group. Our goal was to enhance visibility of the support group and engage with mothers in the community more effectively.
THE IMPORTANCE
Single mothers benefit greatly from support programs that offer financial assistance, childcare, and flexible educational opportunities. This can lead to improved mental health, increased social support, and better educational and career outcomes for both mothers and their children.
THE RESULT
Through conducting a local study, literature reviews, and interviews we provided our client with a web-based report of informed and practical recommendations on increasing and maintaining membership in the support group.
APPROACH
Considering our timeline and project constraints, our main focus was to dedicate enough time to building a strong foundational understanding of what makes for a successful support group at large. Additionally, we also wanted to dig deep into the assumptions and perceptions about support groups that single mothers in our community held.
01
Define Scope
02
Conduct Research
03
Analyze Findings
04
Develop Insights
05
Deliver Report
Initial client interview over Zoom
RESEARCH METHODS
Through conducting 100+ hours of literature reviews and competitive analysis we identified themes, tools, and best practices that guided our focus and influenced our recommendations going forward.
Additionally, we conducted numerous interviews with stakeholders and community members, as well as a local online survey. In doing so, we gained insights into external pressures single mothers in our community faced on a daily basis.
FINDINGS: Interview & Local Survey Interview: 1. Attendance historically decreased at the beginning of a new school year. --During a school year, member's time and energy were used helping with homework and taking children to and from school. --The more activities their children were in the less time members could devote to themselves. 2. Church affiliation worried prospective members. --Due to the support group being affiliated with a church, our client suspected moms weren't joining for fear of being judged. --Survey data found only 14.6% of respondents held this opinion. ​ 3. Online meetings introduced new challenges. --Zoom meetings were difficult as moms who were also looking after their children and often couldn't engage with the group. --Eventually, members left the group as juggling the two became impossible.​ Survey: 1. Attendance is highly related to availability and childcare. --40% of moms surveyed said they would attend meetings provided there was onsite childcare offered.​ --Similarly 41.6% of respondents said not having reliable childcare prevented them from attending meetings. 2. Forming new relationships heavily influenced interest in the support group. --48% of respondents said making new friends was the main reason they would join a support group. --32.3% of respondents wanted to make friends but felt too shy in new social situations. 3. Marketing with social media reaches a larger audience faster than word of mouth. --62% of the respondents used social media to search for support group resources. -- 91.9% of respondents reported that when looking for support groups, facebook is the social media they used.
FINDINGS: Literature Review & Competitive Analysis 1. Many caregivers feel they simply don't have time to devote to a support group. --Literature suggests often times caregivers put the needs and feelings of those in their care before their own. -- Attending support group meetings may feel like a luxury rather than to a necessity (Santulli, 2015). 2. Fear of judgement prevents prospective members from joining. --Single mothers may be hesitant to join for fear of judgement from family or community members. -- Prospective members may see joining a support group as a signal feelings of loneliness or defeat (Miller, 2019).​ 3. Planning events for new members creates interest. --“There is no better way to attract some new faces (and regain some old ones) than to have a single moms’ conference, night of beauty, night of worship, game night, or something similar…"(Maggio,2013).
Our findings highlighted insights further shaping our recommendations moving forward:
INSIGHTS
Enhance Value of Impact & Benefits
Valuable incentives alone are not sufficient to overcome other barriers potential members face, such as time constraints, awareness of the group, and perceived value of participation.
Leverage Social Media Marketing
Existing marketing strategies lack the broad reach that social media could achieve. Current social media owned by the group are not utilized to their fullest capability.
Employ Targeted Communication
Self-described social anxiety, preconceived opinions of "support groups" and individuals who joined them prevented prospective members from attending meetings
SOLUTION
We provided recommendations based on the insights gathered through our research phase. The following six recommendations can be used as a plan outline or as standalone recommendations.
Leverage Social Media Marketing
1. Enhance Social Platforms:
Enhance the group's current presence on Facebook to engage with community. Increase social media reach by creating an Instagram for marketing the group through storytelling and testimonials.
3. Make a Plan for Content:
Create a content plan and schedule to increase consistent posting. Highlight events and post current and relevant group activities.
Employ Targeted Communication
3. Know Your Audience:
Reference group data analytics to deepen understanding of what current and prospective members find interesting. Create interactive posts around these interests, values, and attitudes to increase engagement.
4. Foster Online Community:
Share testimonials or stories from current or past members to create an emotional connection. Sharing content created by current and prospective members builds a sense of community and trust.
Highlight Impact & Benefits
5. Not Just Another Church Group: Clearly define the mission and goals of the support group. Specifically highlight its goals of providing a sense of belonging, community, and resources.
6. Leverage Online Community & Trust:
Use testimonials to highlight the benefits of the groups various in-person incentives. Reduce the stigma of "support groups" by marketing in-person meetings as a safe space to connect with online group relationships.
