Get Your Park’s Events Noticed with these Easy Tips
Social media, community calendars, and more!
There is a lot that goes into planning a community event. No matter what kind of event you plan to hold, there are several factors to consider such as food, entertainment, budget, and other logistics. Sometimes the hardest part can be getting the community to show up. Promoting your event should be one of the most enjoyable parts of the event planning process because that is the part where you get to talk about how much fun your event will be! That’s why we have prepared 5 ways to get the public to your event.
Tip 1: Promote your event on social media.
When it comes to getting your event noticed on social media, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. It includes utilizing multiple social media channels several times each week leading up to the event.
Create a Facebook event on your park’s Facebook page and promote it.
Creating a Facebook event on your parks’ Facebook page should be your first step. Facebook events work in your favor in two ways, (1) your event can get noticed in your area in searches by community members, and (2) as people land on your Facebook profile from your website, they will be exposed to your event and be more likely to want to know more about it.
Here are some examples of Facebook events for parks:
Promote your event on your social media profiles more often as the event approaches.
As your event nears, post to your social media channels more often. This will ensure that your post gets shared more often by community members, and reminds people who have already committed to your event.
There are several ways you can promote your event on social media:
- Make shareable social media graphics. Be sure to include the link to the registration page or Facebook event in the post. To make these graphics, you can use Canva, an easy-to-use online graphic design software using pre-designed templates.
- Post behind the scenes preparation photos and videos for the event on Instagram and Snapchat. Don’t be afraid to use some of the built-in filters, such as Boomerang and the doggie ears to add a fun touch!
- Create a custom event hashtag to boost engagement for your park and event. What are custom hashtags?
- Host a giveaway for a free registration. Find out how to host a giveaway.
Tip 2: Add your event to community calendars.
Social media should not be the only way you promote your event. Community calendars are also a great way to spread the word and encourage attendance. Calendars can be hosted on your parks and recreation website, city/government calendar of events, and other public forum calendars. A few popular community calendars are listed below.
For example, here are some popular community calendar sites:
Tip 3: Utilize email marketing, submit a press release.
Email marketing is still by far the most effective way to market for all industries, so make use of your email subscriber database to send emails promoting your event. It’s also recommended to submit a press release to the local news outlets. Press releases are a great way to make reporters in your area aware of your event so they cover the action of your event in the local newspaper, websites, social media, and more.
Tip 4: Encourage elected officials and non-profit committees to get involved.
Be sure to encourage your local elected officials to get involved in your event. This could include inviting them to speak or play another key role in your event. The more support that the local government puts behind your event, the better chance that the community will show up and support your cause. This creates a win-win. Your park gets attendance and revenue which stays with the local economy instead of neighboring cities.
Tip 5: Offer discounts for early registrations and flash discounts up to the event date.
This works especially well for new events. If your event is a paid event, such as a gala or 5K race, offer early-bird discounts to generate revenue in the early stages of planning. As the event gets closer, flash sales work great to get small waves of registrations you may not have otherwise received.
We would love to hear how you promote your community events. Comment below! We can’t wait to hear from you.
