Without publicity there can be no public support, and without public support every nation must decay.
Benjamin Disraeli
The most disappointing thing after organizing an event is to be surprised by a low turnout. And while learning from experience is all well and good, you’ll feel better if you prepare, and make your first big event a big success.
Media: The easiest reliable way to get the word out is to make use of existing media. Create a short description of your event, including location and time. If your event is newsworthy, also prepare a half- to full-page description with a picture or two for media that might be interested in a story.
The main media are newspapers, TV, and radio, and blogs and podcasts are joining the ranks of established media. Search for local media, and contact the editors of each. Ask if they’d be interested in running a story and/or interview about your event. Ideally, you want a story before the event for publicity purposes, and a reporter on the scene of the event, as well. (If they aren’t interested in a story beforehand, you should still ask them to send a reporter to the event itself.) If they aren’t interested in doing any story, ask if you can send information to them for a public service announcement (PSA), and if they have an online event calendar or event listing as well.
Partnership with community organizations: One of the best ways to guarantee attendees is to partner with a well-known community organization. “Partnering” can mean many things. You “partner” with a local business when you want a donation of money or supplies; with a politician when you want the fame of their office; and with another organizer like yourself when you want help coordinating the event. When you partner with a bigger organization, you may want any or all of these things.
Make it clear from the moment you approach them that you’d like them to make yours an official event of theirs. For publicity purposes, you want them to make your event an official event of theirs (as opposed to simply an announcement to their membership during a single meeting), so they’ll be committed to their members’ attendance.
Ask for as much in the way of other types of support as you think their interest will justify. This will make them more committed to your event, and so more likely to push their members to attend. And this will also strengthen your relationship with them. If you use the light touch, and ask for just a tiny commitment, they won’t feel connected to you in any way after the event, and you’ll be starting from scratch the next time you ask for support.
If they’re not interested in partnering, you can still ask them to announce your event. You can’t rely on a very many attendees from such announcements, though. This is no reason not to ask lots of local organizations to announce your event, of course. Neighborhood associations can be good for this; ask your local government (city or county) or a listing of these.
Online event calendars: While even easier and faster than contacting the media, online calendars are less reliable for bringing people to your event. But posting can still help – advertising research shows that people need to see a message multiple times before acting on it, so you want people to hear about your event in several different ways. You can find local event calendars by searching online.
Do-it-yourself outreach: Plan to drop fliers at community locations such as libraries, community centers, public pools, etc. Attend fairs and events to talk up your event and hand out fliers. Walk door-to-door to give out fliers or door hangers. (If you’re organizing for an elected official, mass mailing or campaign laws may prevent such door-to-door mail drops.)
So in all your organizing, don’t forget to get the word out about your event!
If you have other good ways to get the word out, mention them in the comments.
