For your fundraising event to be successful, there is one VERY important component that needs to be present at your virtual event. Of course, we are talking about an Audience. Your event would be nothing if nobody tuned in. Although it is important that you continue planning and developing your event to ensure that everything runs smoothly, it’s also just as important that you remember to properly market your event.
So let’s talk about marketing. We here at AmFund have been helping to guide organization’s marketing plans for their fundraising events for years. During that time, we have noticed that certain marketing strategies work better than others. With that said, here are five of the most effective marketing methods that you can utilize among your pre-event efforts.
1. Inform. Sharing the details of your event is crucial. When it comes to your save-the-date announcement, you need to cover the what, why, when, and how. It’s also imperative that you include the ticket price. People like to budget ahead of time. And if you have something special going on, be sure to include it. For example, “This year, we will be holding a cheese tasting paired with an exclusive travel auction!” This statement will help set you apart from the virtual competition.
2. Build Anticipation. This is the fun part of marketing! Start trickling out information about your event that will get your guests excited. For example, “This year, we have an extra special guest, which we will be announcing on _____, so stay tuned!” Or you can keep them up to date with other aspects, such as the 50/50 raffle, fundraising competitions among sponsors, auction item line-up etc. For example, “Our raffle pot is up to $5,000 to the winner!”
3. Engage. This one is all about interacting with your guests. Let them know about your mission. Outline your goals, the work that has been done, how you have worked through COVID-19, and the work that still needs to be done. And of course, always share your success stories. Let them know all the good that your organization has done in the face of adversity and how your guests can continue to help with your efforts.
4. Prepare. Get your guests ready for your big event. Just before the event, send out an e-blast or social media posts with a “5 Things to Know Before You Go” list. This is a list of important things that you can share with your guests. This can be information on timeline, important URL’s, details, etc. These are the little things that will get your guests excited while also keeping them informed.
5. Post on social media. This may sound a bit obvious in today’s world of social media, but there is a lot more to it when it comes to these interactions. While it’s important to do plenty of pre-event posts to get your guests excited as you build anticipation, be sure to post
a thank-you message to your donors, post candid pictures on the day of the event of your staff preparing for the virtual event , tag everyone you possibly can, and talk about how much money was raised after the event. If you met your goal, share that as well! And do not be afraid to share next year’s date if you have it ready. Your guests will be sure to mark their calendars!
As you can see, pre-event marketing techniques take time and effort to properly execute. If you have questions on how these techniques can be applied to your organization, we are here to help! For more tips and insights on pre-event marketing and other aspects of your fundraising event, reach out to us at AmFund.