For any range of topics, lighthearted to serious, hobbies and games to helping and engaging with community matters. Regarding reach, I mean what ways may be used alongside word of mouth, as I honestly don’t hear people talk about groups they’re in (besides sports/bands) all that much.
I think posters/flyers are one of the most powerful ways to reach people in a local area, you’ve got to be in the local area to see them, right?
Another way to spread the word can be via the internet, Facebook is god awful, but a lot of communities will have something akin to a noticeboard that is another effective way to get the word out.
For sure in terms of locality, but not sure how effective they are in areas with lower foot traffic due to infrastructure. In a city this may work well, but does it also work as well in more rural, spread-out areas?