Get the Word Out: Our Top 6 Strategies to Create Buzz for Your Next Campus Event
Let’s face it: campus event planning is tough. After all, putting together exciting, engaging events for the students on your college campus isn’t the only thing you’ve got to worry about. You’re a student too, and you’ve got exams, papers, discussion groups, lectures, group projects (which are the worst, by the way), and the list goes on. Somehow, though, you manage to cram in the time to attend student activities board meetings, come up with event ideas, book professional entertainers for your campus events, plan all of the event details, and then -- of course -- actually pull the whole thing off.
There’s just one thing missing from this list, though: promotion. If you don’t promote an event, there’s almost no reason to host it in the first place. This might sound like an exaggeration, but it’s true. College students are busier than ever, and the bottom line is that students won’t attend an event that they don’t even know about. You’ve got to remember that you’re competing for time in their schedule with a long list of other things, including classes, part-time jobs, relationships, parties, and more. If you want to get students to your next event, you’ll need to promote it hard. And remember: a well-attended event is a successful one...and an event that no one shows up to is going to be a dud.
So, how exactly do you promote your next event on campus? You’re low on time, low on funds, and you need strategies that work. We get it! And don’t worry: we’ve put together 6 awesome promotional ideas to get the word out for your next campus event. Keep reading to learn more.
- Email Strategy
Do you have a mailing list of students who’ve attended past events? If so, it’s time to put it to use. And if you don’t have this kind of list, you’ll want to reach out to someone in campus administration and find out what the rules are for sending a campus-wide email on behalf of the student activities board.
Promotional email can be hugely effective. Sure, people spend a lot of time on social media these days -- but everyone still checks their email. You’ll want to send out more than one email, too. Send out your first promo email a week or two in advance, and follow up the day before the event.
- Facebook Ads
If you’re putting together a really big campus event and you have an advertising budget for it, don’t be afraid to do a little paid advertising! Facebook ads allow you to target very specific audiences, like students at your university with a particular set of interests. A little budget can go a long way here.
- Find Your Campus Influencers
Businesses use so-called “social influencers” all the time to get the word out about a new product. You can take a similar approach on campus by reaching out to the heads of organizations, clubs, and other groups. Ask them to share information about your event with their organization, and to help you get the word out in general.
- Up Your Social Media Game
Here’s the thing: posting something on Facebook the day before an event with a few words of text, no pictures, and no hype isn’t going to get you anywhere. What you need is a legit social media strategy. Set up a posting calendar weeks before the event. Don’t just post the info for the event, either. Tell a story with your posts. Make your posts media rich, being sure to include photos and videos. Let your excitement about the event shine through!
- Give Away Tickets
Does your event involve paid tickets? If so, set up a ticket giveaway. With this strategy, promoting the giveaway itself becomes a kind of meta-promotional task: you’ll want to promote the giveaway in order to promote the event itself.
- Start a Podcast
Podcasts are all the rage these days. Have you considered creating one for the student activities board? You could interview performers, entertainers, and speakers who you’ll be hosting for upcoming events or who have appeared on campus in the past. If you develop a dedicated listenership, you’ll have a ready-made outlet for promoting each and every one of your upcoming campus events.
BONUS: Save Time with ArtistHub
The more time you can dedicate to promotion, the more successful for your campus events will be. That’s why it’s essential to save time when it comes to finding entertainers, signing contracts, and working out the details of hosting speakers and performers on campus. Are you looking to streamline that whole process? If so, check out ArtistHub! We make booking top quality entertainers easier than ever. Sign up today for an account to get started!
