Fundraising activities are becoming increasingly important for non-profit organizations. Their success literally depends on getting people to turn up to them. They are only going to do this if they’ve heard it’s on so here are some tips for putting the word on the street.
Word of Mouth is the Most Effective form of Advertising Ever
No matter what you are organizing, the golden rule is to get everyone you can think of to tell everyone they can think of. Basically this is a more sophisticated version of a blind person aiming at an archery target. If they fire enough arrows, some of them will hit the bulls’ eye. Just pass the word along and you will get some takers.
Contact the Local Media
There are two key points to understand when aiming for media coverage. The first point is that you need to let journalists know about your event well in advance and the second is that you will only get free publicity if you have a good story to share.
Journalists work to deadlines, however there are generally certain stories which they know they’re going to have to cover at certain times. By contacting them as far in advance as possible, you give them the opportunity to provide you with coverage at a time that suits you both. If you leave it too late, you may find yourself edged out due to a more important event.
Think about what makes your event special. First of all, the fact that you are holding it means that something important matters to you. What is it and why is it important? Secondly you’re hosting an event you assume people will enjoy. Why is that? Local media will often be perfectly happy to give you coverage as long as they can present it as an interesting story.
Get Online
Some people may be surprised that this is only tip number three, but even in this day and age word of mouth and local media are still very important publicity tools. The internet is not actually a particularly great place for actively advertising small events. What it is good for is giving information and keeping people interested.
If people want to get to your event, they’ll need to know standard details like when it is, where it is and how to get there. Putting this online makes life easier all round.
If people find out about your event long before it happens, they may simply forget about it when it does happen. Keep their attention by posting regular updates online.
Print up some Flyers
There’s still a lot to be said for flyer printing. Johannesburg and other urban areas are full of people who could be persuaded to attend your event, but you need to get their attention quickly and then make sure they get all the information they need to make a decision.
There are various ways of distributing flyers but one of the best and most straightforward is simply to approach people. Many people will say no, but usually enough will accept and come to make it worthwhile.
Kit is a full-time freelance writer and translator. She works extensively in the digital marketing sector but still appreciates the value of traditional marketing channels. When not working, she enjoys taking her dog for long walks and playing poker and backgammon. She is currently re-reading the Inspector Rebus series from the beginning.