Marketing is a vast and ever-changing field. And whilst there are some tricks and tactics that can be used across every industry, there are others that should be tailored accordingly. So if you’re looking to promote a big charity event, here are some of the top event marketing techniques you should be using to get the best out of your fundraiser.
Know your purpose
Although you might be tempted to just spread the word across as many channels as you can think of, you will get a lot further with a lot less effort if you first take a step back and really think about your objectives. What is your event and who is it catered for? What kind of attendees are you trying to attract?
Knowing exactly what you are trying to achieve will help you identify the best marketing techniques for your event. For example, a B2B event may employ different tactics to a B2C event. Is your event trying to raise overall awareness or are you trying to attract companies and businesses for larger donations?
Taking the time to evaluate exactly who you want to attend your charity will help streamline your marketing efforts and ensure you get the best outcomes for your time, effort and money.
Socialise with the right people
Social media has enormous potential when it comes to marketing. The right content shared at the right time has the potential to reach thousands if not millions of people. But when it comes to promoting your event on social media, you need to make sure you target the right audience.
Fortunately, social media channels like Facebook make it easy for you to target the audience you want to reach. In fact, you can promote your content and get it in front of people based on their age, location, relationship status, hobbies, browsing habits and a whole host of other things. So, when it comes to getting people to buy tickets to your charity fundraiser or to donate to your charity, you can focus your efforts (and budget) on people who are already interested in causes similar to yours.
You can also leverage the success (or lack thereof) of some of your competitors or organisations similar to yours by doing some competitor Facebook Ad auditing. You can do this at no extra cost from the Info and Ads” tool on your business page. From here you can see all active adverts on any other business page is running across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and Audience Network.
Video content is also a fantastic way to engage an audience on social media. Not only does it grab the users attention better than text, but users also retain more information by watching a video than they do by reading an article. Users are also more likely to share a video with their friends which will help spread the word about your charity and event. Some statistics also suggest that users are 64% more likely to buy something after watching a video rather than looking at an ad.
So when it comes to promoting your event on social media, take a step back and strategise before posting your content. The right content in the right format, shared with the right people at the right time could prove invaluable to your campaign!
Google Ad keywords
Google ads can be highly effective in helping you target your desired audience. But in order to be visible in the vast world of digital marketing, you need to get the right industry-specific keywords. Before spending money on ads, make sure you thoroughly research your keywords. Keywords based on location, industry, event theme and the cause behind your event are all important. Remember to consider negative keywords and check out some competitor keywords too.
Get professional help
To get the most out of your marketing efforts, you may wish to consider using a professional events company. By utilising a team that has extensive experience in non-profit event management, you can take advantage of their expertise and make sure you reach the right audience for your event. After all, these people promote charity events day in and day out. They’ve tried and tested the best methods and can help you get the most for your time and money.
Conclusion
There are many things you can do to promote a charity event. But for the best chance at success, make sure you first take a step back and really think about your marketing output. Rather than sharing a large volume of content across a number of different channels, think about who your audience is, and what channels they use (newspaper, e-mail, social media etc.) and target them accordingly.
For cost-effective results, target your audience on social media based on their interests, location and browsing habits. Target the people most likely to engage with your cause rather than wasting budget and effort on those who need a little more convincing. If possible, prioritise video content as it increases engagement and information retention. And finally, don’t be afraid to ask for outside help and call in the professionals to really drive your results.