Do you need more Members? Volunteers? Participants?

Are the same people always showing up, no new faces?

Wondering how to get the word out about your meetings, projects or events?

Your organization needs to run like a business. And how does a business stay in business? By getting the word out, attracting customers, and keeping customers happy and returning and sending referrals.  That’s called marketing. It may be something you are not that familair with, or perhaps you think marketing is million dollar Superbowl Ads on TV.

Marketing is attracting and keeping customers by giving them what they want or need. Your organization is no different, you need to attract participants to your events, volunteers to your work projects and members to your meeting and then keeping them engaged to return and refer other people.  Listed to the right are some simple tips to get more traction with what you may already be doing.

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Tips to Better Advertise

Details

  • Your calendar nust be specific in its event listings. Make sure you have a start and end time and address listed. Make sure you have directions on how to find you if you are in a room at a large facility.
  • Make sure you make note that “Visitors are Welcome” if it’s a membership meeting. People may want to check it out but not sure if they are allowed to come.  Maybe even list a name for someone to look for at the meeting.
  • Presentation/Topic what happens at your meeting? If you list nothing, it looks boring – your prospect may think you just talk organizational ofical stuff and it would be uninteresting.
  • List all the activities at the event. Is it for novices or those with advanced skills? Do they need to bring anything? Are you providing water or snacks? What can they expect?
  • Just because all of your current members or attendees know the drill those who are new will not and may be intimidated showing up to a group of strangers. Make them feel welcome before they arrive.
  • Is there a reliable contact person? Not a grumpy person who hates getting phone calls or can’t receive text messages or doesn’t check their email often!
  • Share your event/meeting on social media. Again, make sure there is plenty of detail and instruction. Use Facebook events for your activities, you can invite select friends, ask people to share the event.

Collect

  • Emails, names and phone numbers
  • Email thses people when you have another event
  • Refer them to an event that compliments yours that uis hosted by another organization