PROMOTE, PROMOTE, PROMOTE
Even the best planned event can flop if no one shows up! Make sure to promote your event in as many ways as possible to ensure a good turnout. Here are just a few ideas and tips to get you started with your promotions.
ON CAMPUS
- Place posters and flyers on bulletin boards, student union buildings, bus stops, dorms and anywhere else on campus where people might read them. After the event, make sure to collect and recycle posters. Use downloadable poster (link to pdf) or get creative and make your own.
- Work with the campus facilities to put Years of Living Dangerously promotions on electronic message boards, calendars and table tent displays in dining halls and around campus.
- Set up a table in a busy section of campus —hand out fliers, have posters, have interested people sign up on an email list, give out free candy, etc.
- Recruit students to help chalk sidewalks on campus a few days before your screening. Make sure to check with your campus to see if you need permission to chalk.
- Collaborate with all interested student organizations to promote the event to their members.
- Send special invitations to key faculty and administration to attend the screening.
- Selectively distribute flyers at community events—from political rallies to movies to street festivals. If you can, print these on recycled paper, and collect and recycle discarded flyers.
IN CLASS
- Work with faculty to promote your screening as a classroom event— offering extra credit for attending, taking the class to the event, or giving an assignment based upon the stories in the series.
- Recruit students to make short announcements in the beginning of classes the week leading up to the screening and have them write the date and location on the chalkboard, if possible.
- Ask faculty to send email reminders to classes. Provide a ready-to-send message.
ONLINE
- Post an email alert to student groups, faculty and staff.
- Create a Facebook event and invite all your friends.
- Tweet about your event and use #YEARSProject
- Blog on campus blogs and other blogs frequented by students, faculty and staff. Email [email protected] to get your blog posted to the YEARS or NWF’s EcoLeaders websites!
CAMPUS MEDIA
- Promote through on-campus newspaper calendar listings. The notice usually needs to be sent at least 2 weeks in advance.
- Send a press release to local news, radio and TV stations and encourage reporters to attend your event and pitch a story on campus sustainability.
- Record a public service announcement (PSA). If there is a campus radio station, find out if they accept written or recorded PSAs. Send it in the appropriate format and length. This needs to be sent about in advance of the screen; contact the campus radio station first thing to learn about their requirements regarding advanced notice.
PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS
Posters and fliers are available for customization. Download the flyer and enter your campus event’s day, time and location. Remember to use recycled paper when possible for promotional materials and properly dispose of all promotional materials after the event.
Join the conversation online @Climateclass #YEARSProject