Promoting Your Fundraiser on Facebook: 4 Essentials
So, you’re in charge of planning a Knickerbockers fundraiser. Whether it’s your first or your fifth, selling tickets and “marketing” your event can sometimes feel like a scary task that you’d rather just put off while you hide under your covers and come up with a list of very “important” tasks to add to your “to do” list. It’s OK, we give you permission to be nervous, but just know that Knickerbockers is here to guide and encourage you through the process.
Once you get started you’ll realize how smooth sailing event promotion is nowadays! That’s all thanks to social media platforms like Facebook. This is one of your greatest resources for promotion, so we’re devoting the four tips below to how to best harness it. Give these a go and if you feel stuck, reach out to us for help!
1. Create a Facebook Event Page
Creating a Facebook event page is the most important action you can take on social media to promote your event. Think of it as the main meal, the meat and potatoes of your social media efforts that will deliver the greatest impact. All other actions you complete on social are like side dishes, adding variety and flavor in support of the main dish, the event page.
Here are six ways to use your Facebook event page:
List all event details and essential contact information
Post related pictures or videos to generate interest and tease the event
Recruit volunteers
*Provide updates about your fundraiser
Indicate how and where to buy tickets
Answer questions of interested customers
Are you creating a Facebook event page for the first time and need help? Here’s an excellent step-by-step guide on how to create one.
*Important Reminder: ALWAYS provide deadlines; otherwise people will probably forget to follow through.
2. Share to Your Own Facebook Page
Once you have an event page up and running, share the link to your own personal page. This will let friends and family see what you’re planning and you can encourage them to share it to their own pages as well. The goal is to spread the word far and wide. Just ensure that you keep track of the shares and that any questions get directed back to you or anyone else in charge.
3. Use Knickerbockers Facebook Posts
The most essential element of your event page should be the exciting content you share. The goal is to convince people that your cause and fundraiser are important and worthy of their attention. Content could include photos, videos, price charts, flyers and much more.
You can even let Knickerbockers do the heavy lifting for you! We post Knickerbockers portraits and content relating to our most current seasonal fundraisers daily on our Facebook page. Take advantage of this by sharing our posts to your event page.
4. Tell Your Story
As important as it is to “sell” your event and show people content that will encourage them to want to purchase a certificate, it’s equally important to relate to them on a personal level. Stories are powerful tools for us to do just that.
On a platform like Facebook you can do this by including a description, similar to an “about me” section, of who you or your group is and what you’re raising money for. The trick is to do it in a personable way. Any visual materials like photos or videos will come in handy here. You could post a picture of your fundraising group (if you have one) or your volunteers and let people know about your progress and excitement for the upcoming event.
The more people stay connected to your group and what you’re planning, the more likely they are to buy a certificate and follow through with showing up at your fundraiser. So, make sure to plan posts regularly.
Curious to see some examples of storytelling in action? Check out our blog post on three famous fundraising non-profits who have mastered the art of storytelling.
We encourage you to try these tips out and to notice what grabs people’s attention most. Remember that this is a process of experimentation; some things will work and some won’t. If you feel stuck at any point, reach out to Knickerbockers and we’ll get you back on track!
