Social media marketing
There are a variety of different social media platforms to use and unique ways to promote on each of those platforms
1:
Choosing a Platform
Choose platform by demographics:
Each social media platform is popular with different age groups. Think about the audience you are trying to reach and you can look up statistics about which social media they use the most:
Social Networking Platforms’ User Demographics
Choose a platform based on the features:
Each platform has different useful features. For instance, Facebook has the ability to create an event and invite people. You can also write more information on Facebook and post more than 10 photos at a time. Instagram is more visual. You can use Instagram posts or stories which has many different features for a countdown, poll, etc. Think about which features work best for your project.
Create a Hashtag for your event. It should be short and unique. Use the hashtag on all social media, in promotional emails, and in print materials.
Instagram Facebook Twitter Snapchat YouTube Pinterest
2:
What Account to Post On? (Personal vs. An event Account)
One way is to post on your personal social media accounts
With this method, you already have connections to people from your school and town.
People in your area will easily view your posts and you can get more views.
Another way is to create a social media account dedicated to your project
With this method, you will have to gain a following.
The benefits are that the people following will be more interested in your project than the average follower on a personal account.
3:
Creating your Flyer
You will want to have an attractive yet informative flyer to catch peoples attention
4:
When to Post?
The best time to post and the amount of time to host your event or drive depends on the project.
But it's important to post often.
For a Drive:
If you are using an Amazon Wishlist, you probably want to do a collection for a minimum of 2-3 weeks to allow for shipping.
If you are just asking for drop-offs either at school, your house, or at a store/business, you can pick any amount of time that works for the people involved. 2 weeks is a popular amount of time. Or maybe you do the collection for a whole month depending on when you need the donations.
Post on the days leading up and the days you are accepting donations so people do not forget.
For an event:
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Post at least 2 weeks in advance to give people enough notice.
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Then post the days leading up to the event to get the word out to last-minute participants.
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And the morning of the event.
OFFLINE MARKETING
1:
Creating your Flyer
You will want to have an attractive yet informative flyer to catch peoples attention
2:
Where to Put Your Flyer
When choosing the location for your flyer, think about the target audience who you are trying to reach and where to find them. Good places to promote your flyer:
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School hallways (hang up and also personally hand out).
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Post on online school community service pages. Ask friends from other schools to do the same.
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Community boards at local restaurants. Places like Raw Juce and Corner Bakery have bulletin boards you can pin up flyers yourself.
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Email & Text your friends and family.
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Ask friends/family to help find a business to sponsor the drive at their office and open it up to their employees.
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Ask the non-profit you are helping to promote it by emailing to their database of donors.
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Send the flyer along with a press release to radio stations to promote it online.
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Email it to publications that have upcoming calendars of events.
How to create a social media page
1:
Pick a Username
Pick a Username that is short and simple so people can recognize your name and easily remember it.
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The best choice is to make it the name of your project
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Another way to name it is something related to your project
(Examples at the bottom)
2:
Create a Personalized and Attractive Profile
Find an attractive profile photo
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It should be an eye-catching photo relating to your project. This will personalize your project and engage your followers. There are stock photos online that you can buy from places like Shutterstock and Dreamstime. You might be able to use photos from the charity you are working with.
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You can incorporate the logo of your project. If you do not have a logo, you can create one online on sites like Canva.com.
Create a bio
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In the Bio section, you can put a brief yet thorough description of your project.
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Make sure to put the full name of your project as your Name.
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You can also add a link to any related websites.
3:
Gain a Following
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Start by following people in your school/community. By doing this, will start to gain followers back.
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You can also post about the account on your own personal social media to get the word out.
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Ask friends and family to share to reach more people.
4:
What to Post!
Post to your Feed:
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Be interactive, engage your audience
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Post photos and videos leading up to the event. Prepping, collecting, shopping, how-tos, informational video about the charity you are working with, etc.
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Studies show that photos showing faces get more likes than photos without faces
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Videos get more engagement with the audience than photos
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Tell compelling stories about the people who benefit from your work.
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If you are able to show photos or videos of the children you are helping, that inspires your audience to help as well (check with the charity to make sure there aren't privacy issues). Or use stock photos of children or families in need.
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Tag friends and family that would be interested in your event.
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Encourage others to tag: “Tag a friend who needs community service”
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Engage your followers by commenting back on all comments.
Post to your Story:
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When posting on your story be brief
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Post actions photos of you working/ setting up
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You can also make your stories more engaging by using features such as the Instagram story polls and questions/answers such as Comment to win", "fill in the blank", "caption this photo".
How to create a Flyer
1:
Finding a Site to Create Your Flyer
There are a variety of resources out there to create your flyer
For a blank slate:
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Google Slides
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Microsoft PowerPoint
For a pre-made customizable template, here are my favorite sites to use:
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Canva.com
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Adobe.com
2:
What Information to Put On your flyer
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The title of your project
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What the project is
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Who the project is benefiting - include their logo and mission statement
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The date of the event or drive
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Address of the event dropoff location(s)
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How to access your Amazon wishlist (social media, QR code, etc)
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Your name
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Your contact information (email or phone number)
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If participating will be eligible for service hours from the organization you are working with, how many hours and how to get hours (example: email school form to the charity you are working with)
3:
Picking Your Visuals
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Make the name of your project stand out. Catch people's attention by using bright colors and bold fonts
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Graphics that are eye-catching and are in the theme of the event or collection.
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Pick a theme with colors and visuals that relate to your event
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EX: for a pajama drive, use soft blue colors and visuals of clouds, sheep, Zs
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Add in pictures that enhance the information
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EX: for a pajama drive, add pictures of the pajamas you are looking for
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