There are a lot of ways to market your fundraising events and get the word out about them. But what about using digital event marketing? Social media, websites and email newsletters are all powerful tools that can help you reach new audiences and grow your event’s reach. If you’re looking for more ways to use digital marketing for fundraising events, then read on!
Set a Fundraising Goal, Plan Your Event Type and Start Brainstorming
Digital marketing is a great way to get the word out about your event. But before you start using it, there are a few things that you need to do first:
- Define your fundraising goal. How much money do you want to raise? It’s important to be ambitious, but stay realistic. If you’re planning an event that costs thousands of dollars and has no clear benefit for attendees, it can be difficult for people to get excited enough about attending it or donating money toward its cause. You may also want to take into account how much time and effort it will take for attendees/donors on both sides; this way, everyone knows what they’re getting into!
- Decide on your event type. Are you going big or small? Is this going to be a formal dinner with speeches and awards ceremonies where people dress up fancy (e.g., black-tie), or is this more like an informal networking mixer where everyone dresses casually? Letting go of old stereotypes here will go far in attracting the right people who can help make this fundraiser successful—and not just those who expect some sorta stuffy shindig with fancy speeches from famous celebrities at 10 PM sharp!”
Define Your Ideal Attendee
You’ll need to define your ideal audience before you start marketing. This step is crucial because it will help you determine which marketing channels are best for your event, and make it easier for prospects to find the information they need about the event.
If you’re having trouble figuring out who would be interested in attending your event, here are a few ways that other nonprofits have defined their ideal audiences:
- Your board members or members of other committees
- Committee chairpersons
- Event sponsors or partners (if they have a niche)
Determine the Main Message You Want to Convey
Now it’s time to nail down the main message you want to convey. This is an important step because it will help you create your content and drive engagement with your audience. The first step is to figure out what the event is about and why people should attend.
For example, if you’re planning a fundraising event for your school or non-profit organization, ask yourself these questions: Why are we raising funds? What do we need them for? How will they be used? And what value will attendees receive by attending this event?
Once you’ve answered these questions in detail, create a clear and concise message that sums up everything in one sentence (or two at most).
Create a Fundraising Event Website
A website is a must for digital marketing. Without it, you’re not going to have a very effective campaign. A website can be used to educate potential donors about the cause you are supporting and why they should donate, as well as provide them with an avenue for making donations online. Many Fundraising Software Platforms provide the ability to build your event website in just a few easy steps.
Here are some things that your fundraising event website should include:
- Brief overview of your cause or organization (often called “About Us” section)
- Contact information (like address, phone number and e-mail address)
- A clear call to action about how to purchase tickets or get sponsorship information
- Make it mobile responsive for users that found your event while browsing on their phone or through social media.
- Add photos of the work your organization does and previous event photos. If you have committed sponsors make sure you add their logos also.
Use Organic Content to Generate Excitement about your event
Once you’ve got the basics in place, it’s time to amp up your efforts by leveraging organic content to generate excitement and build hype. All your marketing efforts should be to drive traffic to your event website. This can be done through social media, email marketing or digital advertising.
By posting updates on your event on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social platforms, you can reach a much wider audience than would otherwise have been possible with traditional print advertisements in newspapers or magazines. In addition to updating fans about the latest developments at your fundraising event (including how to buy tickets), consider using this opportunity to share information that is relevant only until then: For example, when tickets go on sale; if tickets are going fast ; if there are VIP packages available only until a certain date; etcetera.
Utilize Social Media in Your Event Marketing Plan
Social media is a great way to get in touch with potential attendees, and a great way to keep your event top of mind with those who are already aware of it. Social media also provides a platform for you to connect with potential sponsors and donors, as well as use as another channel for fundraising efforts.
While social media can’t be used solely for event promotion (you’ll need other tools for that), it can be extremely useful when used in conjunction with other digital marketing strategies such as email marketing or Paid ads:
- Use social media to promote your event and generate interest before it takes place. This will help build momentum and interest around the actual day of the event itself. Try posting unique photos from previous events or videos from featured speakers within the past year so people get excited about what they’re missing out on!
- Take advantage of social networks’ ability to spread information quickly by driving traffic towards landing pages where attendees can register online right away
Digital Event Marketing is an Important Part of the Fundraising Process.
You don’t have to be a digital marketing expert to get started. Digital marketing is often portrayed as an overly complicated, mysterious field with secret ingredients and a steep learning curve. But it doesn’t have to be that way! In fact, the truth is that digital marketing can be quite simple if you know where to start.
The good news? With some basic guidance and a few tools in hand, anyone can get started with digital marketing—and they should! If your nonprofit or fundraising event relies on online donations and ticket sales for funding, you’ll want to make sure you’re leveraging all the right tactics so that people know about your cause when they’re searching online.
Event Marketing Takeaway
Digital marketing is an important part of the fundraising process. It can help you to attract the right audience to your event and ensure that they have a great experience. To do this, it is important to use a digital marketing strategy that will engage potential attendees and encourage them to attend your event.