How to Create a Powerful Breadcrumb Trail: Engaging Your Audience Step by Step

Remember the story of Hanzel and Gretel and the Gingerbread house? As a kid, I had a very strong association with the crumb trail they had created to help them find their way back home. I’d imagine myself creating one on my own outdoor adventures. Well, clearly, that didn’t work out as they’d planned, but the visual of it creating a path was a concept that came full circle for me as a professional.

When I’m talking about the proverbial “breadcrumb trail” I’m referring to the idea that people will follow if you create a path that’s easy to get on and provides nourishment along the way.

So how do we apply this concept to the real world?

Here’s an example of one simple crumb trail I created that lead to a lot of followers hungry for more!

Step One: Meet People Where They Are

For this initial phase, consider where your target audience already exists. Where do they spend time and have fun? Where do they want to be?

In this example, I was building a young professionals program. The first event (or breadcrumb) was at a baseball game with our local Orioles. It was against a big time team so there was a solid chance they would already be going – with or without our organization. PERFECT! Let’s give them an opportunity to get to know us in an easy, nonthreatening, fun format.

Step Two: Lay out the crumb trail

You’ve figured out the perfect spot to physically meet your target audience where they are. Now how are you going to balance information, education and fun while they’re there?

A baseball game and happy hour had little to no connection to the nonprofit I worked for. So I started thinking about the time of the year: Back to school season (first crumb)! Attendees were asked to bring a backpack to support underserved students in Baltimore (second crumb). To give it a little extra oomph, anyone who brought a backpack automatically received a pair of Orange (go O’s!) branded sunglasses that they proudly donned at the game (third crumb). Think “I Voted” stickers and how much people like to show that they took action.

Right before we headed into the game, we proudly able to announce how many kids would be able to have a better back to school experience BECAUSE OF THEIR ACTION and succinctly spoke about the work we were doing to improve education outcomes in the community (fourth and biggest crumb yet).

Step Three: Feed Your Followers

They came, they got a taste and now you want them to dig in. This third step ensures your prospective followers have an experience that’s grounded in purpose and meaning.

Now how to do get them from bringing a backpack and enjoying a baseball game to having a personal connection to your work? A.K.A. the real reason why you’re doing this in the first place!

In the remarks we also announced that the very next experience they could sign up for was a volunteer event where they would distribute the backpacks to the families who needed them.

When you show your stakeholders what a difference they can make by doing something SLIGHTLY different than what they would have done anyway (in this case going to a baseball game), you start to show them how easy it can be to make a positive impact. When they pick up that breadcrumb and start to follow your path they are literally getting nourished by all the goodness they are feeling from it. It creates meaning and purpose for something as basic as a happy hour.

People thrive when you create a trail of experiences that are grounded in connection, education and appreciation. The nourishment you impart will continue to provide growth as long as you keep feeding and laying down the path.