Meeting your fundraising goals with a charity event is only possible if it’s marketed effectively. The only way you can raise money and secure donations is by making sure guests actually know about the event and attend. Here are 5 useful tips that can help you when it comes to marketing a charity event.
Top Tips for Marketing a Charity Event
- Social Media
- Secure Sponsors
- Focus on the Charity
- Don’t Forget Post-Event Marketing
- Newsletters and Leaflets
1. Social Media
Social media is perfect for generating excitement and raising awareness. You’re able to target and reach a large audience without having to spend much of your budget. Create a dedicated hashtag for visitors to use and an event on Facebook for people to add to their calendars.
These steps help to generate a buzz surrounding your event, encouraging people to visit. Share photos from previous events or host social media competitions to help you get the word out.
There are thousands of events just like yours that are trying to promote themselves on social media, so it’s easy to get lost in the noise. Think about where your target audience is and promote there. For example, if you’re trying to reach business owners, think about focusing on LinkedIn or Twitter instead of Instagram or Snapchat.
2. Secure Sponsors
Finding the perfect sponsors for your charity event is a great way of securing vital funding and increasing its reach. The sponsor will carry out their own marketing, helping to attract a broader range of visitors.
Local businesses and individuals can help to spread the word and add credibility to your event. Having sponsors can take any upcoming charity event to the next level, but it’s important you deal with them in the right way.
Make sure they’re kept in the loop with any important decisions and updates. They’ll want to know how many people are attending, the funds needed to host the event and exactly how their name and brand is being used.
Don’t forget to show your sponsors how grateful you are. Thank them in any speeches or content that’s handed out to guests. They’ll be more likely to support any future events you plan on hosting.
3. Focus on the Charity
The key purpose of a charity event is to raise money for a good cause. Visitors should be aware that not only are you trying to get them to come to an event, but there may also be further opportunities for fundraising.
Whether it’s a charity auction or prize raffle, the best way of making sure guests donate is to focus on the people they’re helping. In marketing materials and promotional content, push the charity’s message to encourage visitors to be generous.
If you’re hosting a fashion show, for example, make sure to include the charity in some way. This can be achieved through a guest speaker from the charity, a brochure that details the charity’s work or a video that plays before the entertainment begins.
4. Newsletters and Leaflets
To encourage as many people as possible to visit your charity event, you need to maximise all possible marketing avenues. With newsletters, you can include more information than in a social media post. This allows you to provide extra details about the charity the event is supporting.
An email newsletter is likely to head straight to the junk folder, but a physical copy will grab a person’s attention. You’ve shown them that you value their time, spending money and effort on a high-quality newsletter.
Leaflets and flyers that are left in high-traffic areas can also increase the number of visitors at your event. Think about the best places to put them, including community bulletin boards, popular local shops and similar events.
5. Don't Forget Post-Event Marketing
The event was a huge success and you raised lots of money for a deserving charity. It’s tempting to think that the hard work is finished. Why would you need to market an event that’s over?
There are a few crucial steps you need to remember after an event that can help you to raise further funds, increase awareness of the charity and promote events in the future. For example, if your guests left happy, now is the time to cement long-term donor relationships.
Personalised thank you messages, social media updates and blogs about the event are great ways of maximising its success. These steps can help you to build a database of contacts that can make your next occasion even bigger and better.
Create the Perfect Newsletter for Your Charity Event
One of the key tips we mentioned for marketing a charity event is to create a newsletter. A high-quality newsletter can attract visitors and raise awareness for the charity you’re supporting. When it comes to creating a newsletter, there’s a lot to remember, including proofing, content and delivery.
We’ve put together a useful download to make sure you don’t miss any important steps when it comes to producing your own. Get your free copy below.
