The date and theme of your virtual fundraiser is set. You know what online platform you are going to use. Your sponsors, speakers, and volunteers are booked. Now it's time to get the word out! Here are some easy tips to help you market your virtual event.
Timing Is Key: One of the benefits of a virtual event is timing. You don't have to schedule as far in advance as you do with a person to person event. No venue, no catering, no contracts. You can start marketing sooner giving you plenty of time to create your marketing plan.
Tip: Some event experts recommend starting marketing and promotional efforts five weeks out.
Update Your Website: Before you begin any promotions, create a landing page for your website that includes everything about your fundraiser. Think the who, what, where, why, and when. Include the schedule, the speakers, the sponsors, photos, and videos from last year's event, the auction items, registration information, and other details. Your landing page is where all other marketing efforts will link back to.
Tip: A landing page for your virtual fundraiser will assist you to analyze your promotional efforts and review what worked and what didn't work.
Consistent, Creative Content: Content is king in our virtual world and consistent content will improve your marketing efforts. Develop content that is creative, sets you apart from others, and builds strong relationships with your followers.
Tip: Blogs are ideal for marketing on a regular basis, but especially for promoting a fundraiser. Write success stories, testimonials, include videos, and invite supporters to guest blog. Use a conversational tone and remember to include your landing page link.
Get Social: Social Media is instrumental in marketing your event and an opportunity to reach a broader audience. Generate excitement by posting creative content that folks will share. Be consistent, stick to your brand, and always add a call to action (CTA) link that takes them to your landing page.
Tip: Create a hashtag for all social media posts. Hashtags are words preceded by the # symbol to assist in online searches.
Send Engaging Emails: Email marketing remains one of the most effective marketing tools. Folks on your email list have already given you permission to email them. Create engaging, creative content that shares how much fun your virtual event will be, but also tell stories about how they can make a difference if they attend. Add a CTA that links to your landing page!
Tip: This is a perfect time to grow your email list for future communication with your audience. Ask for permission, for example, include a CTA on a social media post or your landing page.
